Ripley's Unveils Its Newest World — And a Universe to Explore
Cosmos, AStation's Most Ambitious Adventure Yet, Opens Today at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies
GATLINBURG, TN – September 8, 2026 – Guests visiting Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies today will walk through a shark tunnel and directly into the birth of the universe.
Cosmos, AStation's most ambitious Mixed Reality experience to date, opens today. Guests journey through the universe, witnessing stars ignite, planets form, and they approach the edge of a black hole. All of this occurs while they have both feet firmly planted on Earth, able to see exciting sea creatures accompany them while being transported through space.
Cosmos is the 4th Enterverse™ world to arrive at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies’ Venture Realm, joining:
· Dinosaur Park — a prehistoric forest, and its Tyrannosaurus rex, opened June 1
· Shan Hai Jing — the mythical realms of ancient Chinese legend, opened July 1
· Wonders — the Forbidden City and the Roman Colosseum, opened August 1
With all four now live, guests can move through the full Enterverse library.
"Cosmos is the boldest, biggest swing we've ever taken," said Chris Chen, CEO of AStation. "The images seem infinite. Watching guests jaws drop as the galaxies come to life is exactly why we do this. It's the strangest, most unbelievable adventure we've ever put in front of people, and Ripley's is the one brand on Earth built to hand it to them."
The only place outside of Asia that guests experience Cosmos and the rest of the Enterverse library is at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies. It uses the world’s most advanced technology, Apple Vision Pro headsets; they walk freely and without tethers as digital worlds blend seamlessly with the real one around them.
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About AStation
AStation is the pioneering mixed reality entertainment company with adventure outlets in Asia. Its proprietary technology, Enterverse™, is the world's only large-scale outdoor mixed reality platform. Global licensing is now underway. The company is comprised of leaders in Extended Reality, Tourism, Destination-Based Entertainment, and programming fields.
Contact: Kay Chen | KayChen@astation.com.cn
