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SF’s Newest Mesmerizing Immersive Audiovisual Experience

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San Francisco’s Exploratorium is debuting an immersive audiovisual art experience which showcases the beauty of the animal kingdom and advocates for global preservation. While The Great Animal Orchestra is a limited-capacity experience, it’s open all summer starting June 10th through October 15th. You gotta grab a ticket to see this spectacular exhibit but until you see it in person, we did capture some imagery of it during a preview.

The stunning sound visuals inside The Great Animal Orchestra – Photo by Vita Hewitt

In the exhibit, you’ll love the dramatic visuals which showcase immersive sound visualization but you can also learn about what species are in different diverse habitats and why it’s important to preserve them.

The exhibition will transport visitors to rainforests, deserts, Arctic tundra, and coral reefs, allowing them to listen to the various sounds produced by animals in the wild. There are real-time streaming spectrograms to visualize the intricate symphony of animal sounds which have you completely mesmerized.

Inside The Great Animal Orchestra – Photo by Vita Hewitt

One of the many things I love about The Exploratorium is how interactive it is. You won’t just be walking through a typical museum exhibit, you will be able to listen, view and learn while having fun. Additionally, visitors can watch a 37-minute film called Bernie Krause: A Life with The Great Animal Orchestra, directed by Vincent Tricon in 2021. The film delves into the life and work of Bernie Krause, highlighting his deep connection with nature’s sounds.

About The Artists Behind The Experience:

The Great Animal Orchestra is an exhibit in collaboration with Bernie Krause & United Visual Artists. Krause is a world-renowned sound ecologist who travels the world recording sounds of different animals around the globe. He worked with London-based art studio, United Visual Artists. They were commissioned by the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain to visually interpret Bernie Krause’s work.

Inside The Exploratorium’s newest exhibit, The Great Animal Orchestra – Photo by Vita Hewitt

Where do get tickets to The Great Animal Orchestra:

To delve further into the world of sound, visitors can explore related exhibits throughout the Exploratorium.
All tickets are available on the Exploratorium website: www.exploratorium.edu/TGAO
The Exploratorium is located in San Francisco at Pier 15 (Embarcadero at Green Street)

Limited seating so you can have a full immersive experience – Photo by Vita Hewitt

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Katy Atchison

Katy Atchison

Katy has lived in The Bay Area since the age of 3. While other kids were attending summer camp & soccer practice, she was raised selling wares at craft shows with her working artist parents and spent vacations in a small 1920s Montana log cabin. This has all given her a unique perspective on the ever-changing texture of San Francisco and the Greater Bay Area. Currently a blend of all that is The Bay Area - she's a web designer at a tech-company, artist and DIY teacher.