Dive into environmental conservation and sustainable living at the city’s latest immersive augmented reality experience at Arcadia Earth Toronto, with interactive exhibits and art installations designed to educate and inspire a greener future.
When it comes to unique and interesting things to do for fun, the city of Toronto doesn’t disappoint. Why resort to hot chocolate dates or the old movie and dinner date night when you have so many other options to check out instead?
Arcadia Earth is a recent addition to the city’s growing range of immersive art exhibits, and its stunning visuals and compelling message help Arcadia Earth to truly stand out.
Located in Toronto’s new outdoor shopping complex, The Well off Spadina Ave. between Front St. and Wellington St. W, Arcadia Earth is an exhibition that perfectly melds art and education together into an otherworldly experience for visitors.
With an ambiance that sets the mood for discussion, Arcadia Earth would make the perfect date night spot or a fun way to spend the afternoon with friends or family. I recently visited with my family and was able to check out the exhibits inside Arcadia Earth.
Being a big fan of creative ways to learn about social issues, I was interested to see this unique and decidedly urban spin on an artistic and educational experience.
What is Arcadia Earth Toronto?
Arcadia Earth presents itself as a multi-sensorial journey through underwater worlds, fantasy lands, and inspirational art installations. The exhibits, presented at large, combine modern art, emerging technology, and sensory experiences to showcase the global effects and solutions to environmental, sustainability, and climate change issues.
Arcade Earth is located on the upper level of The Well, which in itself is an impressive architectural feat that is well worth checking out (more on that below). The Well is about a ten-minute walk from Nathan Philips Square and the Toronto City Centre.
When we entered, we were greeted by The Marketplace, a gift shop area that stocks innovative, sustainable products from t-shirts to tote bags and beyond. Unlike many traditional gift shops, the Arcadia Earth gift shop has a collection of products that benefit both the planet and the people who purchase them.
Arcadia Earth has curated the brands to ensure they align with the exhibit’s core values, including cruelty-free, conflict-free, and non-toxic products. The World Wildlife Fund products stood out to me, as there was a range in price points, and they would make great gifts that support a good cause.
The exhibit itself is an interactive and multi-sensory walk-through exhibition. The exhibit is divided into different rooms that visitors are meant to journey through as they learn.
So, how do they bring everything to life at Arcadia Earth Toronto? They use immersive technology, augmented reality, virtual reality, and projection mapping to create unique and engaging interactive environments.
Arcadia Earth’s goal is to inspire and educate with beautiful and interesting visuals and multi-sensory technological facets. While you can enjoy the visual and immersive exhibitions, the hope is that you will come away with some new and interesting facts about the Earth.
The Highlights Of The Arcadia Earth Exhibits
What makes Arcadia Earth unique is the combination of handmade art installations and digital elements – this is a unique combination of sharing how to work towards a sustainable planet.
When we checked in for our experience, we were encouraged to download the Arcadia Earth app. As we walked through each room, we would use the Arcadia Earth app on our devices to scan various checkpoints.
This is a must-have part of the experience because once you use the app, the exhibit really comes to life! It became a game with my boys – who could be the first one to spot the scannable spots in each room?
A big part of the appeal to visiting this eco-focused multi-sensory Toronto experience is the many Instagrammable and photo-worthy spots throughout. This was a huge plus for us because it gave us the chance to have fun and interact with the exhibits in creative ways while capturing some unique and memorable moments on camera!
Some highlights of the exhibitions included a room filled with old electronic equipment, complete with a throne built entirely of old laptops and computer parts. We had so much fun taking turns sitting on the throne and taking pictures.
My personal favourite was a room that had a massive handmade art installation created using old library book pages. It was truly impressive and what made it even more interesting were the various scent-filled stations – it was like smellovision in real life! Scents included ‘Summer Breeze’ and beach-themed scents.
Another highlight was a room that had various tones of red – it was disorienting at first, and it mimics the feeling that sea life likely has as people try to navigate their way through plastics littering the ocean. The augmented reality in this room included an octopus and sharks, which seemed as though they were floating through the air towards me.
Two rooms used projector technology that made us feel very immersed in the artwork. They reminded me of being in a mirrored art exhibition and made for really great photos.
And finally, a big highlight for my family was the machine that allowed us to calculate our carbon footprint. Seeing a room filled with plastic bottles was sobering and reminded me that while it was a fun experience, there was an important message behind each room.
Tips for Visiting Arcadia Earth
Having enjoyed the experience, there are some things we learned during our visit, so here are some tips on how to make the most of your Arcadia Earth experience:
- Make sure your phone/iPad is fully charged as you won’t want to miss any of the larger-than-life augmented reality effects – they truly play an important part in the experience.
- That said, if you’re going in a group of more than two – consider having more than one phone/device so that you and your guests can enjoy the experience without all having to crowd around a single device
- I recommend downloading the app before you even get there, as it is available on both Android and IOS app stores, and this will save you some time when you arrive
- Be careful where you’re stepping inside the exhibits, because you’ll be so fascinated by the augmented reality on your phone that it’s easy to trip!
- We pre-booked our tickets in advance for the opening hour, so we mostly had the space to ourselves. This made it easier to interact with each exhibition and to fully enjoy the experience without feeling rushed to move along or feel crowded.
- The exhibition can be a bit overwhelming with lots of information available – factor in some time to have conversations with your little ones, if you bring them with you, to explain and have meaningful conversations about our planet and what we can do to positively impact it.
Where to Eat and Shop at The Well
The Well is an exciting new shopping complex in Toronto with innovative architecture and interesting retailers. It’s a great place to spend some time exploring while you’re there for Arcadia Earth.
For some delicious cocktails and Hawaiian-themed dishes, you’ll want to visit LuLu Bar. An upscale iteration of a tiki bar, this restaurant is a great conversation starter on its own – perfect for dates. Also, did you know that every day they host a happy hour between 3 pm-6 pm?
If it’s something healthy that you’re craving, head over to Mandy’s – these are not your average salads! You can choose from tried-and-true signature salads and grain bowls or build your own custom creations. In the summer, they have the yummiest smoothies!
If you’re in the mood to shop, you’ll enjoy browsing the massive Indigo location for the latest bestseller or a literary classic. The Black Rooster is a must for any home decor needs (or wants!). Whether it’s a rug, wall art, or something larger like a new couch – you’ll find it here.
Don’t forget to swing by Le Creuset to check out their latest colour of beautifully crafted kitchenware. The stoneware baking items are a classic.
Enjoy Your Time At Arcadia Earth!
Overall, Arcadia Earth Toronto is a fun spin on an outing if you’re into technology and don’t mind keeping your phone out the entire time of your visit. You’ll definitely learn at least a few interesting facts about the Earth and how to be more sustainable, and the awe-inspiring art will leave you feeling as though you’ve stepped into a different world.
Do you know of more fantastic things to do in Ontario? Drop a comment below or swing over to our popular and informative Ultimate Ontario Facebook Community to share your top spots.
Disclosure: I humbly thank Arcadia Earth for hosting my family and I for this experience. All opinions are completely my own.
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Jessica Gedge is a marketing, communications and PR professional who has worked in arts and culture, tourism and film and has a passion for writing. Jessica loves to explore and is always on the search for the best cup of coffee. She documents some of her adventures on her Instagram channel _letsgoxo_.