New Outdoor Whispering Woodlands Installation Included in Arctic Adventure Exhibit

WICHITA, Kansas — Arctic Adventure, Exploration Place’s magical holiday experience, returns Friday with an outdoor installation at the intersection of art and engineering.

Whispering Woodlands is an immersive sound and light environment that is most impactful at dusk.

Members of the media are invited to a Whispering Woodlands ribbon cutting with photo opportunities at 6 p.m. on Nov. 9 at Exploration Place.

Whispering Woodlands, which takes place in Exploration Place’s picnic grove, was created in partnership with TechArtICT, a collective founded by John Harrison that creates and installs interactive and immersive artwork. The group was founded May 2022 and features a rotating group of artists and engineers who collaborate, imagine then build innovative work at the intersection of engineering and art.

Museum visitors will traverse a seldom-used bridge that leads directly to the picnic grove. There, they will be immersed in an interactive soundscape designed to inspire a sense of wonder and magic in visitors of all ages. Reacting to inputs made or triggered by guests, sound will emanate and echo from 30 individual trees throughout the grove. During the daytime, Whispering Woodlands will offer an interactive auditory experience. At night, the installation will be enhanced by interactive lighting.

“In recent years, immersive art installations have captivated audiences worldwide,” said Adam Smith, Exploration Place’s president and CEO. “We are excited to start bringing some of that innovation to Wichita with Whispering Woodlands.”

Whispering Woodlands is open Nov. 10 through Jan. 7. Exploration Place will be open late until 8 p.m. the following nights for the optimum Whispering Woodlands experience:

• Nov. 16, 30
• Dec. 7, 14, 21-23, 26-30
• Jan 4

The cost to visit Exploration Place, which includes admission to Whispering Woodlands and Arctic Adventure, is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $10 for youth and free for ages 2 and under. Whispering Woodlands is presented with the support of the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.