Dive into wonder at Hologram Zoo Illinois, the Midwest’s first immersive holographic zoo

Hologram Zoo Illinois is set to launch its grand opening Thursday, Jan. 29, at Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills, as reported by the Chicago Business Journal. According to the organization, this is the Midwest's first immersive holographic zoo. Families will now be able to explore life-sized animals without cages or VR headsets.

The 9,300-square-foot site will sit on the mall's lower level across from H&M, reports Shaw Local. To explore the facility, guests will wear lightweight tracked glasses and walk through holographic tunnels facing holographic animals up close. Visitors can swim alongside whales and meet dinosaurs. According to Hologram Zoo, laser technology creates free-floating, realistic holograms of elephants and more, and the setup uses cutting-edge projections in a shared space.

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Tleules Mananov owns and operates the spot, developed by Axiom Holographics in Australia, the Chicago Business Journal says. "With the support of Hawthorn Mall, we are thrilled to bring this immersive technology to Chicagoland," said Mananov, who says he picked Illinois for its strong family entertainment demand, according to Shaw Local. 

"Hawthorn Mall is transforming into a mixed-use lifestyle destination, which makes it the perfect environment for an experience-based attraction like ours," Mananov said, as reported by the Chicago Business Journal.

According to Hologram Zoo, the attraction earned nods like one of Time Magazine's Best Inventions, and Forbes highlighted its fresh take on wildlife viewing. National sites currently exist in Texas and Pennsylvania, with more coming in Las Vegas and Arizona.

Jack Yejekwe at Hawthorn Mall praised the fit. "As part of our broader redevelopment vision, we're focused on bringing experiences to Hawthorn that you can't find anywhere else in the region," he said, per Shaw Local. It runs on a three-year lease.

Grand opening festivities draw crowds

A ribbon-cutting will mark the debut from 4 to 7 p.m. Partners include Vernon Hills and local chambers. Entertainment will feature a DJ, raffles, balloon animals and light bites. The first 20 families will get free holographic shows plus giveaways.