Ripley’s Venture Realm Launches Cosmos Mixed Reality
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies has opened Cosmos, a new Mixed Reality experience at its Venture Realm. Guests begin by walking through a shark tunnel, then move directly into a digital representation of the universe.
Cosmos, created by AStation, is described as its most ambitious Mixed Reality experience to date. Visitors remain physically at the aquarium as they journey through space, with scenes showing stars igniting, planets forming and an approach to the edge of a black hole.
The experience blends those digital scenes with the aquarium’s physical surroundings. Guests keep both feet firmly planted on Earth while seeing sea creatures around them as they are transported through space.
Cosmos is the fourth Enterverse™ world to arrive at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies’ Venture Realm. It joins Dinosaur Park, Shan Hai Jing and Wonders, which opened on 1 June, 1 July and 1 August, respectively.
Dinosaur Park features a prehistoric forest and a Tyrannosaurus rex. Shan Hai Jing takes visitors into the mythical realms of ancient Chinese legend. Wonders features the Forbidden City and the Roman Colosseum.
With Cosmos now open, all four Enterverse worlds are live at Venture Realm, allowing guests to move through the full Enterverse library at the attraction.
The aquarium is the only place outside Asia where guests can experience Cosmos and the rest of the Enterverse library. The four experiences are therefore available together at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies’ Venture Realm.
Guests experience Cosmos and the other Enterverse worlds through Apple Vision Pro headsets. Guests can walk freely and untethered as digital worlds blend with the real environment around them.
The headset-based experience keeps visitors in the aquarium while presenting the digital universe around them. The source material describes the sea creatures as continuing to accompany guests as they move through the space experience.
Cosmos begins with the transition from the aquarium’s shark tunnel into the universe. From there, guests witness stars ignite, and planets form before approaching the edge of a black hole. The physical aquarium remains around them throughout.
The launch adds a space-themed world to a Venture Realm collection that also includes prehistoric, mythical and historic settings. Dinosaur Park centres on a prehistoric forest and Tyrannosaurus rex, while Shan Hai Jing is based around the mythical realms of ancient Chinese legend. Wonders brings the Forbidden City and the Roman Colosseum into the collection.
The format keeps the aquarium environment and the digital experience visible together as guests travel through Cosmos.
Cosmos now gives visitors to Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies a mixed-reality journey that moves from the aquarium’s shark tunnel into scenes of stars, planets, and a black hole. Meanwhile, the surrounding sea life remains part of the experience.
