The Everglades Theater is a first-of-its-kind immersive interactive theater experience that combines large-scale projection, original artwork, interactive gameplay, and artificial intelligence to transport visitors into the unique ecosystems of the Florida Everglades.
Guiding the journey is Lilly, an AI-powered North American river otter who welcomes visitors into five interconnected Everglades stories. As guests move through each experience, Lilly introduces new environments, poses conservation challenges, and responds naturally as the story unfolds, creating a personalized guide that feels both playful and engaging.
Surrounding visitors is a vibrant, originally illustrated wetlands world projected across the theater walls in ultra-high resolution. The environment is constantly alive with subtle animations including swishing tails, rustling leaves and curious wildlife peeking through the landscape, creating the feeling of stepping inside an interactive storybook. As visitors discover animals throughout the environment, each responds with its own unique animation and sound, rewarding curiosity and encouraging exploration. The richly animated world and intuitive interactions invite participation from visitors of all ages, creating meaningful moments of discovery for even the youngest explorers.
The five interactive experiences are Endangered Everglades, Mighty Mangroves, Nighttime Magic, Seasons in the Everglades and Wilderness Wetlands Home. Across all five experiences guests work together to identify invasive species, plant a mangrove forest, reduce light pollution, manage South Florida’s water systems, and learn about connected wetland habitats. Each activity demonstrates how individual choices influence the health of the Everglades while introducing the ecological relationships that connect wildlife, waterways, and communities. Designed with collaborative play and hands-on exploration in mind, the activities encourage families and groups to solve challenges together while making complex environmental concepts accessible and engaging for learners of every age.
Throughout the experience, visitors can continue the conversation with Lilly at an interactive kiosk by asking questions in English or Spanish, either by speaking into a microphone or selecting prompts related to the stories they’ve just explored. Powered by a curated knowledge base developed from Museum-approved resources, Lilly responds with accurate, conversational answers that encourage deeper exploration of the Everglades. Her speech, captions and expressive, motion-captured performance are synchronized in real time, creating the feeling of a natural conversation with a curious and engaging guide. By giving visitors the freedom to ask their own questions, Lilly transforms moments of curiosity into opportunities for discovery and extends learning well beyond the interactive activities.
Designed to promote character strengths of caring, confidence, cooperation, and critical thinking, the Everglades Theater encourages visitors to observe, experiment, and collaborate while discovering how everyday actions can support healthier ecosystems. By combining cinematic storytelling, responsive technology, and AI-driven interaction, the experience transforms environmental science into an engaging and playful adventure that inspires curiosity, stewardship, and a deeper connection to the natural world.
TEAM
Exhibit Design: Cambridge Seven Associates
Fabrication & AV Integration: 1220 Exhibits
Media Design and Production: Cortina Productions