Zoocade Austin: USA’s First Holographic Zoo Opens in Texas

(eap) A new leisure attraction has recently opened in Austin, Texas: Zoocade, a “holographic zoo” and arcade FEC, calls itself as the first entertainment facility of its kind in the US. Founded by Texan entrepreneur Reva Enzminger and realized in partnership with Axiom Holographics, Zoocade is a technology-rich experience where visitors can encounter life-size holograms of exotic animals.

This type of hologram-based “zoo” facility has already been in operation in Australia, China and Canada. In addition to a holographically staged, approx. 18-metre-long tunnel with changing animal representations, the leisure facility also includes adventure rooms and arcade games. “From the minute I stepped inside the holographic tunnel in Australia and heard the shrieks of joy, I knew Zoocade would be a hit in Austin. Holographic technology and Zoocade is the future of family-friendly entertainment, and I’m thrilled to be the first to offer this in the United States,” says Enzminger. The new leisure attraction in Austin was implemented within nine months.

There are also opportunities to encounter exotic animals virtually in Europe: Germany’s Leipzig Zoo, for example, introduced the virtual reality (VR) application “Gorilla Trek” last year: Using a VR headset, zoo visitors can get particularly close to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s rainforest (c.f. EAP News of 10 July 2025). And near Barcelona in Spain, there is an augmented reality (AR) zoo to explore in Meta-Park World: During a walk through the Montnegre i el Corredor Landscape Park, visitors wear AR glasses through which virtual images of animals overlap with the actual environment. ■