Museum Of Discovery And Science Debuts First-Of-Its-Kind AI-Powered Everglades Theater

Designed as a first-of-its-kind Artificial Intelligence (AI) -guided, challenge-based theater experience, the Everglades Theater uses cinematic visuals, interactive gaming technology and artificial intelligence to transport guests into one of the world’s most important ecosystems. Guided by Lilly, an AI-powered North American river otter, guests become active participants in the Everglades, identifying invasive species, planting mangroves, reducing light pollution, managing water flow and building connected wetland habitats. Through hands-on challenges and collaborative gameplay, the experience helps children and families explore how everyday actions can support healthier ecosystems, stronger communities and a more resilient future.

The result is a distinctly South Florida experience where environmental science becomes personal, playful and empowering, helping guests move from environmental awareness to environmental action.

“Build a Better World: The Future Begins with You reflects the Museum’s commitment to helping children and families understand the natural world while building the character strengths needed to care for it,” said Joseph P. Cox, President and CEO of MODS. “The Everglades Theater brings that mission to life through immersive technology, Artificial Intelligence and hands-on gameplay that explore the ecosystems shaping South Florida. Most importantly, it helps children see that they can make a difference, strengthening their confidence and critical thinking skills as they work together.”

Inside the Everglades Theater, guests step into a vivid digital landscape where their choices matter. Through gesture-based interactive games, guests can observe, decide, test ideas and see how their actions affect the environment around them. The experience is designed around the character strengths of caring, confidence, cooperation and critical thinking, encouraging guests to work together while building a deeper understanding of South Florida’s interconnected ecosystems. By connecting environmental learning with problem-solving and collaboration, the experience reinforces the exhibit’s broader message that small actions can contribute to meaningful change.

“Broward County Cultural Division is proud to support creative experiences that connect residents and visitors with Broward’s culture, environment and sense of place,” said Phillip Dunlap, Director of Broward County Cultural Division. “The Everglades Theater offers families a memorable new way to experience the stories, landscapes and natural heritage that make South Florida unique.”

The Everglades Theater opens with five interactive experiences:

Endangered Everglades

Guests become conservation problem-solvers as they identify invasive species, including Burmese pythons, blue tilapia and Old World climbing ferns and learn how these species disrupt native habitats. Guests also help count endangered species, reinforcing how scientists use observation and data to guide conservation decisions.

Mighty Mangroves

Guests plant mangrove seedlings, explore mangrove root systems and discover how these coastal forests protect shorelines, shelter young animals and strengthen South Florida’s resilience. The game connects climate learning with nature-based solutions that help protect communities and wildlife.

Nighttime Magic

Guests enter the Everglades after dark to explore nocturnal animals, dark skies and the effects of light pollution. Through interactive challenges, guests learn how smarter lighting choices can help protect fireflies, bats, owls and other species that depend on darkness.

Seasons in the Everglades

Guests investigate the wet and dry seasons, migratory birds and South Florida’s complex water systems. By adjusting canals, gates and pump stations, guests learn how water management supports wetlands, wildlife and people in a changing climate.

Wilderness Wetlands Home

Guests build their own Everglades by bringing habitats to life, from uplands and sawgrass marshes to cypress swamps, mangroves and coral reefs. The game highlights biodiversity, systems thinking and the many connections that make the Everglades essential to life in South Florida.

The Everglades Theater, sponsored by Broward County Cultural Division, is one of three signature experiences in Phase 1 of Build a Better World: The Future Begins with You, a transformational initiative made possible through support from Lilly Endowment Inc., which selected the Museum of Discovery and Science as one of only 23 children’s museums nationwide to participate in a national effort focused on character development and meaningful learning experiences for children and families. The gallery also features the Mangrove Mangal Climber, sponsored by JM Family Enterprises, and the Atlantic and Pacific Coral Reef Aquariums, sponsored with support from Weston Nissan/Weston Volvo and the Hudson Family Foundation. Together, these experiences create a visually rich, highly interactive destination where guests can explore environmental science through meaningful play, character development, immersive design and technology-enhanced storytelling.

These experiences establish Build a Better World as a major new destination within MODS, giving families a visually rich, distinctly South Florida experience that will continue to grow when Phase 2 opens in fall 2026.

For more information, visit: https://mods.org/buildabetterworld.

About Broward Cultural Division

The Broward County Cultural Division invests in and advances the arts and cultural sector across Broward County. In 2026, the County commemorates 50 years since adopting its first public art ordinance, laying the foundation for one of the nation’s earliest public art programs. The Division provides grants to cultural organizations and artists, manages the County's Public Art & Design Program and supports the growth of the creative economy through special events, capacity-building and communications. By nurturing local talent and fueling Broward's creative infrastructure, the Division enhances the County's cultural environment and economic vitality. For more information, visit: @BrowardArts. Or: https://Broward.org/Arts.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J. K. Lilly and his sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with its founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. While the Endowment funds programs throughout the United States on an invitational basis to support these causes, especially in the field of religion, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

About the Museum of Discovery and Science

Opened in 1977 as the Discovery Center, today the Museum of Discovery and Science

(MODS) is at the forefront of science education, innovation and exploration. MODS connects people to inspiring science, providing STEM education and cultural experiences for 450,000+ visitors annually in the 150,000 Square Feet facility. MODS is a 501 (c)(3) Non-Profit Organization that has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) for three decades. MODS has added to that distinction by being named Broward’s Hub for Resilience Education by the Board of the Community Foundation of Broward, selected by the LEGO® Foundation as one of only 21 museums nationwide to join the Playful Learning Museum Network and awarded the prestigious 2023 IMLS National Medal for Museum Service.

The Museum welcomes visitors from all walks of life. The Museum’s hours are Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. MODS is located downtown at 401 Southwest Second Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312. For more information about the Museum, please visit: https://mods.org. Or call: (954) 467-MODS. (954) 467-6637.

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Photos courtesy of the Museum of Discovery and Science.