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EXP Rosemont VR
THE MIDWEST’S LARGEST VIRTUAL REALITY DESTINATION
Photo credit: Ed Marshall
Photo credit: Dugan Kenaz-Mara
GUEST REVIEW
By Dugan Kenaz-Mara
EXP Rosemont is an incredibly unique experience. My partner and I did the Life Chronicles experience which led us through millions of years of Earth’s history. I was pleasantly surprised at how educational our VR journey was. We learned all about different plants, animals, dinosaurs, and early human ancestors in great detail, including what locations we explored would end up as in today’s world. If you know what a quetzalcoatlus is or you’re willing to learn, this experience is right for you.
I would highly recommend the experience to a teenage audience. It’s a perfect blend of storytelling, learning, and independent exploration that young people will enjoy.
The Life Chronicles adventure included an interesting story as a framing device to usher you through time. You join a scientist and a robot traveling to each period to collect objects that grant your companion enough energy to transport you back home. Each step of the way you encounter challenges that you have to overcome as you search for these devices. In one scenario it’s in a cave guarded by a group of Flores men - tiny human ancestors. In another it has fallen into a dakotaraptor nest. In another it is stuck in a tall tree you have to balance on a branch to receive.
One of the most compelling aspects of the VR experience is how up-close and personal you can get with various dinosaurs. During the Cretaceous period you get to watch a standoff between a triceratops and a T-Rex from 3 feet away. I was able to stand under a brontosaurus, touch an arthropleura (Giant centipede), and even ride on a trilobite (after being shrunk down).
Credit: ExcurioThe VR experience itself was incredible. The headsets are well calibrated and understand where you are in space so that your environment realistically shifts when you look up or down, crouch or turn. It is also responsive to your environment, so that if you crouch to look under the waist-height water in an area, the sound changes as if you were really under the water looking at prehistoric fish.
Once you got the hang of what you were doing and where you were going it was easy to follow along and get immersed in the story. As you travel you will be given 2 location indicators - a blue square that you are supposed to be inside, and an orange one that shows up at your maximum exploring distance. After passing outside of those boundaries the simulation changes to a barren landscape where you are ushered back to where you need to be. The system keeps everyone in small isolated areas that expertly keep patrons from bumping into each other. During the experience you will see faint outlines of other patrons if you are getting close to each other, which alleviates the stress of not being able to see your environment. You are also given red barriers that appear if you get too close to a wall so you never have to worry about bumping into anything. Luckily you can also join the experience in groups. I was able to experience the show at the same time as my partner and see their avatar the whole time, unlike the other patrons who I could only see nearby. This let me communicate via taps and pointing whenever we wanted the other to notice a detail.
Another highlight of Life Chronicles was a conservation message near the end. Since the conceit is that you are traveling around from the future year 2223, one of the past stops is in the Tanzanian wilderness in the distant year of 2023. The robot you travel with remarks about the variety of species we can see and how climate change is impacting them, and that if they were around in that time, there would still be time to make a difference.
The only problem I encountered during the whole hour-long experience was a slight headache towards the end from staring at the screen. There were some slight annoyances like walking virtually down a slope while being on flat ground in real life, or looking past the main action at some lower-quality background graphics, however none of those were enough to break the immersion for me. I also noticed some walking sticks that they could offer to those who would like them. In the introduction we got to choose the level of immersion as well, meaning that a toned-down version of the experience was also available for anyone facing common issues with VR like vertigo.
Ultimately, EXP Virtual Reality in Rosemont is a lot of fun and I recommend it to any dinosaur enjoyers, VR enthusiasts, or families looking for an immersive adventure to go on together.
Dugan Kenaz-Mara is a designer, photographer, educator, and graduate of Northwestern University's theatre program.
EXP, THE MIDWEST’S LARGEST VIRTUAL REALITY DESTINATION NOW OPEN IN ROSEMONT
In Collaboration with Producing Partner PHI Studio, EXP Launches with the VR Adventures
Horizon of Khufu and Life Chronicles, Offering Visitors Epic Journeys
Through Ancient Egypt and Earth’s Evolution
Tickets Now Available at www.EXPRosemont.com
PHI Studio, the internationally acclaimed Montréal-based innovator in
immersive arts, will launch EXP with two celebrated large-scale immersive expeditions—
Horizon of Khufu and Life Chronicles—produced by Excurio and distributed by PHI Studio.
These debut experiences will anchor EXP, a groundbreaking 26,000-square-foot venue set to
open on Friday, September 26 in Rosemont’s Pearl District at 9900 Berwyn Avenue
Developed in partnership with the Village of Rosemont, EXP marks a bold new chapter in the
evolution of entertainment. Designed as a next-generation immersive destination, EXP
seamlessly integrates art, new technologies and storytelling through a curated rotation of virtual
reality and sensory-rich experiences. This future-forward venue reimagines how audiences
engage with culture and technology, pushing the boundaries of what an immersive experience
can be.
“These two works embody our commitment to bringing bold and rich immersive content to new
audiences,” said Eric Albert, PHI Studio’s CEO. “EXP will be a cultural catalyst for the Midwest,
and we’re proud to launch it with stories that bridge art, science and imagination.”
Visitors can travel back-in-time through two free-roaming, 45-minute virtual reality expeditions.
Headlining the opening slate is Horizon of Khufu, welcoming visitors to journey through a
historically accurate depiction of Egypt’s 4,500-year-old architectural prowess, the Great
Pyramid of Khufu. Guests will enter restricted chambers, ascend to the pyramid’s summit and
sail along the Nile during King Khufu’s funerary rites.
This Great Pyramid of Khufu is a wonder-of-the-world and was erected between 2,590 and
2,565 BC as 146-meter-high stone edifice, originally the largest ever built by man. Conceived to
house King Khufu in his final resting place, the pyramid is one of seven pyramids that continues
to attract and fascinate visitors from all over the world to this day. Horizon of Khufu is produced
by Excurio and developed in collaboration with Harvard’s Peter Der Manuelian and the Giza
Project. With over 1.5 million tickets sold worldwide, Horizon of Khufu has been hailed by
Forbes as “an art form evoking genuine emotion and empathy.”
The second experience, Life Chronicles, invites guests on a family-friendly immersive journey
spanning 3.5 billion years of evolution. The adventure begins with the earliest microbes before it
moves through the explosion of marine life and towering prehistoric forests and transports
visitors into the Jurassic era to encounter giant marine reptiles and a family of dinosaurs from 67
million years ago. The journey continues with the rise of mammals and humanity, culminating in
a present-day African savanna where giraffes and zebras roam freely. Produced by Excurio
and France’s Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Life Chronicles delivers a scientifically
validated exploration of ancient paleo-landscapes brought vividly to life.
"These world-class immersive journeys set the tone for what EXP is all about, bringing
innovative, globally acclaimed experiences to Rosemont for all to enjoy," said Rosemont Mayor
Brad Stephens. "This is just the beginning of our vision to establish EXP as a premier cultural
destination for both residents and visitors alike."
EXP visitors can enjoy both Horizon of Khufu and Life Chronicles within the same space and
timeframe. Guests have the flexibility to purchase tickets together and embark on different
journeys or share the same immersive expedition side-by-side.
The official trailers for each experience can be viewed here: Horizon of Khufu Trailer | Life
Timed entry tickets for both experiences are now available at www.EXPRosemont.com. Tickets
start at $27 with dynamic pricing. Specially priced ticket packages are also available for families,
students and seniors. A VIP ticket package is also available and includes priority access, a
personalized badge and branded tote bag. The experiences available at EXP are designed for
ages 8+. EXP hours are: Monday – Tuesday closed, Wednesday – Friday 1 – 7p.m., Saturday –
Sunday 10a.m. – 10 p.m.
PHI Studio has developed a reputation as an incubator for talent at the vanguard and as a
catalyst for the conception and implementation of immersive multidisciplinary projects. We are
continually exploring the ways in which technology can lead to new forms of artistic expression
and storytelling. PHI Studio is committed to collaborating with artists, producers, and partners to
foster the creation and development of innovative artworks at the vanguard, shaping the future
of the immersive experience.
Rosemont, Illinois, Chicagoland’s business and entertainment suburb, is conveniently located
five minutes from O’Hare Airport and twenty minutes from Chicago’s downtown. Easily
accessible via the area’s major highways, Rosemont is home to the Allstate Arena, Donald E.
Stephens Convention Center, a wide variety of hotel and dining options, Rosemont Theatre,
Fashion Outlets of Chicago, Parkway Bank Park entertainment district and Impact Field.
Rosemont continues to flourish and evolve, based on 69 years of growth and under the current
leadership of Mayor Bradley A. Stephens.
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