Fernbank Museum presents annual WildWoods: AGLOW

  • Five attendees can work together to activate and change the color of the tulip poplar pod. BAILEY MCCULLY/Staff
    Five attendees can work together to activate and change the color of the tulip poplar pod. BAILEY MCCULLY/Staff
  • Throughout the WildWoods, a sea of shining lights dances over the natural flora creating a mystical feeling as you traverse the woods, intensifying as you reach the exit leading to the museum. BAILEY MCCULLY/Staff
    Throughout the WildWoods, a sea of shining lights dances over the natural flora creating a mystical feeling as you traverse the woods, intensifying as you reach the exit leading to the museum. BAILEY MCCULLY/Staff
  • Attendees can glimpse at glowing mushrooms growing alongside the pathway of the woods. BAILEY MCCULLY/ Staff
    Attendees can glimpse at glowing mushrooms growing alongside the pathway of the woods. BAILEY MCCULLY/ Staff
  • As you enter the WildWoods, lights flicker and move around you like fireflies gliding through the flora. BAILEY MCCULLY/Staff
    As you enter the WildWoods, lights flicker and move around you like fireflies gliding through the flora. BAILEY MCCULLY/Staff

    Fernbank Museum in Atlanta is hosting its annual WildWoods: AGLOW experience, which transforms the outside portion of the museum into an enchanted wonderland with lights, interactive displays, and the call of animals hidden in the forest.

    According to the Fernbank website, WildWoods: AGLOW, which is included with after-hours museum admission, immerses visitors in nature through a blend of the natural environment and glowing displays curated to highlight the native flora and fauna within WildWoods.

    This year, highlights included a tulip poplar pod, projections of nocturnal wildlife, glowing native plant species, incandescent mushrooms, giant dandelions, fluttering dragonflies, swarming bat displays, glowing garden towers, and more. The outdoor area is a walkthrough experience; some displays, like the tulip poplar pod, are intractable.

    Alongside the glowing display, the inner museum is decorated for Christmas with trees and other displays honoring cultural celebrations and traditions from around the world. A ticket to the glow experience includes admission to the museum’s usual exhibits.

    Oneuniquel feature of this limited-time event is viewing a film in Fernbank Museum’s 3-D theater. The 24-minute film “Flight of the Butterflies,” an IMAX Hall of Fame awardee in 2023, tells attendees the story of the monarch butterfly’s 3,000-mile migration from Canada to Mexico over multiple generations.

    “Flight of the Butterflies is an awe-inspiring adventure that captures the epic tale of the iconic monarch butterfly’s unyielding perseverance,” stated the Fernbank website. “The film showcases the extensive journey of the monarch butterfly, who undergoes one of the most incredible migrations on Earth, and the mysteries surrounding its secret winter hideaway.”

    WildWoods Aglow, located at 767 Clifton Rd N E, Atlanta, is ongoing until Feb. 23 from 6-9 p.m. on select nights. To learn more about ticket costs and features, visit the Fernbank Museum Facebook or fernbankmuseum.org/aglow.

    Fernbank Musuem