Columbus Zoo launches Unextinct after-hours experience designed by former Imagineers
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio, is introducing Unextinct, a groundbreaking after-hours experience created by former Disney Imagineers that combines entertainment, art, and education.
The new first-of-its-kind immersive after-hours event takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., beginning March 14, 2024, and continuing on select dates through April 27, 2024.
Created by former Disney Imagineers from Mangolin Creative, Unextinct uses state-of-the-art theatrical effects to transport visitors into digital worlds of endangered and extinct species, delivering a captivating and enlightening narrative highlighting the critical need for wildlife conservation.
“With Unextinct, we leverage theatrical set work to transport guests to a world of vivid illusions and extraordinary wildlife,” said Morgan Richardson, Mangolin Creative Co-Founder (and former Walt Disney Imagineer). “This experience underscores the notion that every person holds the power to make a positive difference in their own unique way.”
Unextinct guests will experience the following:
- Entertainment in the Zoo’s entry plaza
- Exciting interactive activities and shopping
- Fifteen areas featuring illusions of over 70 extinct and threatened species
- An LED Bar serving cocktails
- A S’mores Experience
- The Zoo’s 1914 Mangels/Ilions Carousel and 4D Theater
An additional fee applies to some activities, and the availability of activities is subject to change.
“This new experience combines the importance of conservation and awareness, offering hope and a call to action,” said Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s President and CEO Tom Schmid. “It is a testament to the power of immersive storytelling to inspire positive change in the world.”
Know Before You Go
Unextinct is a separately ticketed event and is not included with Zoo admission.
Regular Zoo hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily during March and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in April and May. Zoo animals are not a part of this experience. Animal areas such as Adventure Cove, Asia Quest, and Discovery Reef Aquarium will be accessible throughout the event, but animal viewing in any region is not guaranteed.
Tickets for Unextinct are $38.99 for Premium Admission (includes souvenir cup and interactive glow bracelet), $28.99 for General Admission, and $25.99 for children ages 3-12. Parking is available for $10. Zoo members get $4 off.
Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium recently participated in the release of five rehabilitated manatees in Florida.
