Eric C.
Google
I booked Arcadia Earth Tampa as part of my son’s birthday weekend, and unfortunately, the experience fell far short of expectations.
It started on the wrong foot when I couldn’t locate the tickets in my email. There was no phone number to call, and by the time someone replied to my email, our time slot had already passed. After about a week of back-and-forth, I finally received the tickets. I even purchased an extra ticket for my son’s friend, hoping this would be a memorable outing.
Once inside, we were excited by the 360° screen and visuals—but quickly noticed that a large portion of the screen was blacked out, clearly showing the laptop interface. Just a few minutes in, the system crashed and had to be rebooted. Glitches continued throughout the experience, which made it difficult to stay immersed.
The content itself was disappointing. While the visuals had potential, the storyline was cheesy and, at times, awkward (an astronaut speaking with a woman who declares, “We are making science sexy”). The tone often turned dark, with music that my 10-year-old son and his friend both found unsettling. The message leaned heavily into climate-change themes—without explicitly saying so—but came across more like propaganda than an engaging, educational experience.
To make matters worse, the promotional Instagram highlights immersive visuals from their Ontario location, which does not reflect what you actually get in Tampa. Between the technical issues and misleading advertising, we left early.
For $80+, this was absolutely not worth the cost. At best, it felt like something that should be a $10 add-on at the museum, not a standalone experience. Save your money and find a more worthwhile family outing.