The Bubble Planet pop-up, now in Atlanta, brings the joy

Depending on your point of view, the trend of “immersive pop-up experiences” can be fun, nostalgic, educational, expensive, or tacky. If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all, right? Throughout the past five years, my enthusiasm for these limited-time engagements has waned, but curiosity usually pulls me in. The latest exhibit I ventured to is Bubble Planet.

I was surprised to find it located in the Exhibition Hub on Buford Highway in Doraville, rather than Pullman Yards—the site of previous “experiences” like the Balloon Museum, Van Gogh: the Immersive Experience, and the Queen’s Ball: the Bridgerton Experience. For those who haven’t been, the Exhibition Hub is a large white boxy building with plenty of free surface parking—a good start. Tickets to Bubble Planet can be purchased at the door; however, advance online purchase is recommended. Prices vary but start at about $14 for children and $19 for adults.

My husband and I took our 9-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter on a weekday evening to avoid crowds. It worked. We were able to move between thematic rooms easily, only getting held up by occasional influencer types pausing for the perfect photo. Not knowing exactly what to expect, the kids were curious and open, ready to interact with whatever “bubbles” came their way.

Courtesy of Exhibition Hub

We started in the LED underwater room, where animal projections swim around the ocean (floor). I tried to keep up with a fast-paced turtle, while my son and daughter “rode” a hammerhead. Large placards detail the real-life connection to bubbles here, explaining the carbon cycle and its ties to methane bubbles and global warming. Since we weren’t here on a field trip, we breezed right past.

The pink Balloon Ocean invited infinite playfulness with the kids running in and immediately batting balloons every which way. Important note: Leave all loose items in the car, as my daughter lost her hat not once, but twice. When you eventually escape, you’ll find yourself getting slightly wet with bubbles blowing from the ceiling. It feels a bit magical, and smaller children love it. “It’s raining bubbles!” is a common refrain.

Midway through Bubble Planet, you reach a warehouse-style room with small sets designed for Instagram. Since my kids have been programmed to take a picture of everything, they appreciated being able to stand in a bathtub of rubber ducks, swing in the clouds, and hug giant gummy bears. Free cotton candy comes in three flavor options: strawberry, grape, and blue raspberry. It tastes like childhood and sticky fingers. There’s also a small ball pit to jump in, and a few interactive screen-based games (such as use a pump to blow a bubble on the Mona Lisa), but had this been the end of the experience, I would’ve been disappointed.

Courtesy of Exhibition Hub

However, there’s more. We ran through a maze of mirrors and twinkling lights. (Learn from our mistakes and warn your children to stretch their arms in front of them, lest they walk face-first into a mirror.) We bounced off giant exercise balls. We danced among helium-filled silver balls (cool, but the Summit in New York does it better.)

The kids’ favorite by far was the bubble bath ball pit, an Olympic swimming pool-sized rectangle filled with clear balls and inflatable body parts sticking out where they would in a bathtub. There are cubbies to store belongings, and socks are a must. Kids can easily get lost in the bubbles and mine had a blast trying to climb the inflatable limbs and slide off. Adults can play too, but don’t jump in—it’s too shallow. When it’s time to exit, I found that rolling out sideways worked best, as ungraceful as it is.

Saving the best for last, we nestled ourselves in cushioned “bubble” swings and donned virtual reality headsets for a hot air balloon tour of the “Bubbleverse.” Once I learned to keep my feet off the floor, I was all in, soaring above the clouds, through space, and down into the water. The movement from the swing combined with VR effects for a full body escape.

“Bubble Planet is not just about visuals—it’s about touch, sound, interaction, and emotion,” explains John Zaller is the executive producer of Exhibition Hub. “The experiences invite you to explore, play, and reconnect with your inner child.”

That we did. Is Bubble Planet an absolute can’t miss? No, but it sure elicits joy—and who can’t use more of that?

Courtesy of Exhibition Hub

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