The Amazon rainforest has come to Midtown Atlanta, sized just right for babies and toddlers. Bossa Nova Baby, the immersive sensory exhibition now open in the PNC PlaySpace at the Woodruff Arts Center, transports children from birth to age five into the heart of the Brazilian rainforest, in what the Alliance Theatre calls the lungs of the earth.
Inside, little ones splash in a projection-mapped river, discover a glowing rainbow made of fiber optics, and find the rhythms of the canopy by playing handcrafted instruments. They can snuggle into hug-wall vines, lounge among giant frog pillows, and follow frogs and fungi across a lush forest floor built from light and sound. Designed by Dash Studio with creative direction by Courtney Hammond, it is the inaugural installation in the PlaySpace.
Best of all for families, the PNC PlaySpace and all its early-learner activities are free and open to the public. The space welcomes visitors Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed Mondays), walk-ins are welcome, and families can also reserve a time ahead. Bossa Nova Baby is scheduled to remain on view through August 2027, so there is plenty of time to return as your little explorer grows.
It is a joyful first museum experience: no tickets, no pressure, just a rainforest waiting to be touched, heard and crawled through.
Photo: Alliance Theatre
