Published January 10, 2023, for State 48 A2Z
Have we been visited on our planet by beings from other worlds? And, if so, what is their purpose? Are they merely observing us and monitoring our advancements? Have world governments been hiding information about alien encounters and their spaceships? Have they been involved in the development of human civilization? Is travel through space really possible? Do you think people have been captured by Aliens? One place in Scottsdale, Arizona is attempting to help you in answering these questions and more for yourself.
Many of our readers may know of the Arizona Boardwalk in Scottsdale from the OdySea Aquarium, Butterfly Wonderland, and Pangaea: Land of the Dinosaurs exhibits housed there, but recently there have been a couple of changes in the works, namely the departure of its Ripley’s Believe it or Not and Surprise Your Eyes exhibits. In their wake two new exhibits were slated to take over the vacated space; Paradise Earth, an indoor rainforest experience that will open in early to mid-2023, and the UFO Experience: The Truth is Out There which opened their doors on December 13, 2022.
According to data gathered by the curators of the newly opened UFO Experience, 80 million Americans (36%) believe UFOs are real, 66% believe that intelligent life exists on other planets, 10% have reported seeing a UFO, and there are more than 6,000 UFO sightings reported annually. But rather than telling you what to believe, the UFO Experience meres shows you the data, displays, videos, audio recordings, photos, and such that they have amassed and allows you to make your own decision about their existence. One thing’s for sure; If you love science fiction and UFO stories, you will absolutely love this museum. Even if you are a skeptic of other life existing in other galaxies, this attraction is for you.
A visit to the UFO Experience starts with a short video that will provide you with an overview of the exhibit’s galleries including videos and recordings, from the classic Alien Autopsy film released in 1995 to 911 calls reporting UFOs and the May 2022 Congressional hearings on UFOs. From there you will journey through multiple galleries such as Command Center & Sightings, Military, Ancient Aliens, Travel & Propulsion, Abductions, and finally Pop Culture.
UFO Experience has done an amazing job of accumulating and curating all things UFO and extraterrestrial-related into one attraction including displays and videos on sightings such as the Phoenix Lights, variously documented abductions, the military’s involvement in sightings, and possible coverups, potential ancient alien involvement in the development of human civilization, travel & propulsions systems used, and pop culture on whether UFO and Alien TV shows, movies, and books are based on true events or not. You can even watch videos of government hearings related to sightings and close encounter experiences.
In the Ancient Aliens gallery, you will explore how ancient humans may have been visited and assisted in their development by other world visitors, while another gallery provides an interactive alien autopsy display with gooey guts that adults and kids alike can touch. Meanwhile, the pop culture gallery will delve into movies and shows such as Alien, Men in Black, E.T., and more.
Would it surprise you to know that several celebrities have reported having encounters? The Abductions gallery will show you which ones have reported and openly discussed their experiences with alien encounters. Unsurprisingly, William Shatner is one of these celebrities but so are Dan Aykroyd, Ronald Reagan, Miley Cyrus, Muhammad Ali, Post Malone, and Aaron Rodgers, to name just a few.
The museum is very interactive for all ages with its video and audio displays, a Moon Walk, and even an Alien Shooting Range where you can hone your laser weapon skills by shooting at invading aliens on the big screen in front of you. This one left me up in the air as I was torn about the message it sends about possible exterritorial life that we know nearly nothing about and assumes that we must kill them. The other part of me enjoyed the skill of the game.
That takeaway was not only one felt by me but also by Stacy Wright, Director of Phoenix MUFON (Mutual UFO Network), who told the Phoenix New Times that even though she says she understands it’s supposed to be fun she also was off-put by the display. “To be taking potshots, basically, at another species we share the universe with seemed a little more warlike than I would have expected,” Wright also added that there’s no evidence that aliens are benevolent or malevolent.
In all, I found this to be an entertaining and informative attraction although I doubt any of the displays and galleries will change anyone’s mind, I think it is great to get these discussions out into the open.
Personally, I went in here a believer that other intelligent life exists (probably more intelligent than us) either in our galaxy or in the vast other galaxies of space, otherwise, what is the purpose of these planets and galaxies? Another belief that I went in with was that we may have been visited for centuries by these other world-ers, but the engineer in me would like to see better hard evidence. Additionally, I believe that abductions and probes have possibly happened as well since that is what we do when we “study” new animal life that we discover.
As I left the museum, I found that I am still about a 60% believer (same as when I walked in) but found the attraction well laid out, well-curated, and very informative. In all, I would recommend that you check them out for yourself whether you are a believer, skeptic, or flat-out denier this venue has something for everyone of all ages.
“The UFO Experience: The Truth is Out There is the only UFO attraction in the country,” Managing Partner for Arizona Boardwalk, Ran Knishinsky, told the City Sun Times recently. “This is an entertaining, educational, and interactive exhibition that focuses on aliens, UFOs, abduction phenomena, and even alien influence on human civilization. We are so excited to share it with everyone – skeptic or believer. It will certainly make you wonder if we exist alone.”
UFO Experience: The Truth is Out There is located on the second floor of the Arizona Boardwalk just to the right of the main stairs when you enter the facility. Tickets are $19.95 for adults, and $15.95 for children (2-12). Children under two years of age are admitted for free. You can also save on admission prices when you bundle your tickets with other Boardwalk exhibits.
With that, we will wrap things up for another week’s travels. We thank you for riding along with us this week on our visit to the UFO Experience at Scottsdale’s Arizona Boardwalk and look forward to your joining us again on next week’s trip to another amazing place in the Great State 48. Until next week, please be sure to comment on our articles, share our posts with your friends and family, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Linked In to have our posts and photos delivered directly to your newsfeeds. Peace!
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