A new immersive augmented reality (AR) experience has hit Denver. Created by Enklu, The Unreal Garden invites guests to tap into their inner child and discover unbelievable animal characters in an interactive holographic story spanning the sky to the ocean, and the earth to outer space.
Appropriate for all ages, The Unreal Garden offers a story-living experience unique to each individual, while simultaneously allowing for the creation of shared memories as part of a group. Unlike traditional museums which feature static artwork, or modern arcades in which people isolate themselves with stationary virtual reality headsets or via screens or projections, The Unreal Garden allows visitors to explore interactive, three-dimensional holographic characters and worlds as they venture through physical spaces while being able to maintain eye contact and presence with their companions.
We checked out The Unreal Garden as a family and loved it. Check out our Family Tips to have your best time:
- Park in the Denver Pavilions parking garage and take the elevator up to the second level.
- Make a day of it and grab a meal or some ice cream at one of the Pavilions' eateries.
- Each journey through The Unreal Garden is different. Know that your experience might be different than your kids' experiences.
- Be sure to "click" on each opportunity to get the full experience.
- The experience is best for kids who can read, but little kids will enjoy the basic holograms available.
- Look in every part of the rooms! There are hidden treasures and opportunities everywhere.
- You can "grab" some of the holograms and "move" them. The key is finding them.
- Follow the footprints on the floor... they will help you reach and enjoy each section "in order".
- Look up!
“The Unreal Garden is like stepping into a future world that combines the benefits of technology and the connection of shared human interaction in one experience,” says Enklu CEO and the experience’s creator and director, Ray Kallmeyer. “Think of it like a silent disco of holograms; without an AR headset, smartphone or tablet, all you’ll see is an empty space. Place yourself inside The Unreal Garden, however, and a new world will spring to life.”
The Unreal Garden features art by renowned and emerging local artists including Android Jones, Chris Dyer, Michelle Kohler, The Orchestrator (MusicianNFT) and Cosmic Cuts Barber Shop, among others. The experience is presented in partnership with NonPlusUltra and FeverUp, the team behind many of Denver’s most successful experiences, including The Art of Banksy, Immersive Van Gogh and the new The FRIENDS Experience.
The Unreal Garden is located at 500 16th St. Mall, on the second floor of the Denver Pavilions. Tickets are $13.99 for children ages 5-13 and $29.99 for general admission adults, and are available Sundays and Mondays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Wednesdays through Saturdays from noon to 10 p.m. For more information and tickets, visit theunrealgarden.com. Follow the experience on social media at @TheUnrealgarden on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Photo Courtesy of Jamie Marketos
ABOUT ENKLU
Enklu equally empowers all creators of the open metaverse to create world-class experiences deployable to augmented, virtual, and mixed reality devices. With Enklu, clients like Arcadia Earth, Meow Wolf and Outside Lands Festival have created five-star XR experiences for guests, leaving them awe-struck and ready for more. With the ability to create, iterate, then set up and strike in one day, LBE is now easier and more dynamic than ever. For more information, please contact: contact@enklu.com.
