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Loved Van Gogh? Try These Other North Texas Immersive Experiences


by Therese Powell 3 Sep 2021 3:07 PM

Hurry! Two close on Labor Day.

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There’s been a lot of excitement surrounding the two immersive Van Gogh shows happening in Dallas and Arlington. It seems as if everyone is going to at least one of the shows.

Whatever the reason, North Texans have made it clear  they digging the experience of  being in the middle of the art.

If you love being part of the painting, interacting with the exhibit or just snapping fun selfies, check out these immersive events happening around town.

1.  Sweet Tooth Motel
2600 Weisenberger Street, Fort WorthThrough Sept. 26 |Tickets: $10; Super Sweet Ticket, $20.

Sweet Tooth Motel features 7 photo experiences. Photo: Therese Powell

The Sweet Tooth Motel is a pop-up art installation, the Fort Worth cousin of Dallas’ Sweet Tooth Hotel.

Inside the tiny pink building, you’ll find five exhibits where you can become one with the art. Pose with retro hair dryers in Salon Sweet, slide into a tub lined with pink shag carpet in Sprinkle Spa, or bath yourself in tropical flowers in the Garden of Light. There’s also a balloon-filled ceiling in one corner and an area with purple lighting called Reign, where you can climb aboard a motorcycle and channel Prince.

Check in to the Sweet Tooth Motel for some creative photo ops. Photo: Therese Powell

For $20, you can get the Super Sweet Ticket, which includes access to all five exhibits, plus an extra experience: a 20-foot pink shipping container with a grouping of neon cactuses and shelves of pink cakes. It’s located a short walk through Inspiration Alley — a separate graffiti-filled gallery that features murals from some of the area’s most talented artists. 

The Sweet Tooth Motel Pop Up experience is on view through Sept. 26. Tickets are $10 per person and includes access to five installations. The Super Sweet Ticket is $20 and includes access to all the exhibits and the shipping container.

2. Rainbow Vomit
3609 Parry Ave, Dallas |Through Sept. 23 |Tickets: $23, adults;  $17, kids 3-12.

Float on some pink clouds at Rainbow Vomit. Photo: Therese Powell

It’s only fitting that Rainbow Vomit is located right across the street from the front gates of Fair Park because its color-explosion vibe makes you feel as if you’re inside both a cotton candy machine and a Midway game. 

Rainbow Vomit leads you on a colorful journey through 20 photo ops. Photo: Therese Powell

The 2,600-square-foot exhibit was built by a team of over 15 artists and creatives. More than 10,000 LED lights, 2,000 balloons, 300 pounds of cotton, 4 miles of ribbon and a life-sized unicorn were used to create over 20 Instagram-worthy spots. But this installation is more than just random places to pose and snap a photo. This exhibit leads you through a comic book-like story that starts in black and white and ends with a dreamy colored fantasy world. 

As you journey through the show, the rainbow theme plays out in a variety of clever ways including murals and a multicolored ribbon curtain that hides a secret room — it’s the pièce de résistance of the show, so be sure to find it.  

Rainbow Vomit is on display through Sept. 23. The show is taking a hiatus during the State Fair of Texas to create new art and update the space. 

3. POP! by Snowday
Galleria Dallas – 13350 Dallas Pkwy. Dallas| Through Sept. 6 | Tickets: $22, adults; $8, children 4-12

The photo experience POP! has more than 24 fun areas perfect for Instagram-worthy photos. Photo: Therese Powell

If you’re wanting to up your Instagram game check out POP! at Galleria Dallas.

The photo experience is made up of more than 24 themed rooms that feature multicolored lights, mirrors, splashy backgrounds and plenty of props to create the perfect photo op. Take a dip in a bathtub surrounded by flowers, jump in a red convertible or strike a pose on a disco dance floor. There’s even a retro laundromat complete with a bank of driers and a laundry cart. There are also integrated cameras located at a few of the sets throughout the installation that deliver photos digitally to your phone.

Get creative with integrated cameras at POP! Photo: Therese Powell

It takes about an hour to wind your way through the experience. Expect some wait time for the more popular setups like the car and the laundromat.

VIP tickets as well as discounted tickets for seniors and active military are available.

POP! ends its run on Labor Day, but we’re told a holiday-themed experience is waiting in the wings. It’s slated to open by Nov. 19.

4. The Science of Guinness World Records
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
2201 N. Field St. Dallas |Through Sept. 6 | Tickets: General Admission, plus $8, adults; plus $6, kids.

See if you can break a record or two at the Perot’s newest show, ‘The Science of Guinness World Records.” Photo: Tur Studio

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science offers lots of hands-on fun, not only in its 5 floors of permanent exhibits, but also with its special exhibitions. The museum’s current show, The Science of Guinness World Records, will place you right in the middle of the action with interactive activities like playing the world’s largest Pac-Man videogame, competitions like speed drumming and a dance-a-thon and a variety of physical challenges to test if you can beat a world record. It’s a colorful, noisy, arcade-style exhibition with a layer of science for good measure.  

You have until Labor Day to see “The Science of Guinness World Records.” The show requires a surcharge of $8 for adults and seniors (65+), $6 for youth (2-12) and free for children under 2.  General admission to the Perot is $20 for adults (13-64), $13 for youth (2-12) and $18 for seniors (65+).

5. Dinosaurs Live!
Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary
1 Nature Place, McKinney |Through Feb.21 | Tickets: $10, adults; $7, kids, seniors. 

Get a super-sized selfie at the Dinosaurs Live! Exhibit at the Heard. Photo: Andrew Jones.

Looking for a COVID safe immersive experience? Check out the “Dinosaurs Live!” installation at Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney. The annual exhibition opens Saturday, Sept, 4 for its seasonal run. Now in its 16th year, the show features 10 life-size animatronic dinosaurs situated along the Heard’s half-mile nature trail. The big reptiles commune with nature as they move, growl — and of course, roar. You’ll be the hit of Instagram when you get a selfie with one of these guys. There are also static dinosaurs along the way that are perfect for photo ops and climbing on.

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