RATING: 4 out of 5
The Imaginarium was an event beaming with lights, and from March 12 to May 27 it was located just outside Marshall in the Great Mall’s parking lot. From 6:30 p.m. until it was pitch dark outside at 11:00 p.m., a plaza of glowing fairy tale characters, exciting circus shows, lavish photo boxes, unsettling, hazy green lasers, brightly colored fish on a wall, and neon punching bags captured my full attention. I felt like a kid again.
One of the first displays I came across was a stunning room filled with hanging bulbs of flashing lights. With mirrors for walls, the room is one, big, bright illusion; it was magical and disorienting. Some of the light bulbs went out, but I only noticed it after my vision adjusted and I was purposefully looking for something to scrutinize. Regardless, the infinite reflections of the mirrors drew attention away from the flaws, creating a truly immersive experience.
In stark contrast, one of the last displays was a dark, eerie, genuinely creepy room with the exit draped in a thick black cloth. With absolutely no light coming into the room, the green lasers shrouded in hazy mist looked straight out of a spy movie.
Before that, my friend and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Imaginarium’s entertaining and exhilarating circus show. The show consisted of a hula hoop performance, a gymnastic display with curtains, a clown performance, and a dangerous knife throw. The gymnastic performance was absolutely mesmerizing, but the knife throw is what really shot up the adrenaline and, arguably, blood pressure of the crowd.
Without explaining the rules of the game, the clown asked for volunteers from the crowd to come on stage and participate in the next performance. My friend and I were sitting in the front row, but after looking away from us and determining there weren’t any enthusiastic volunteers, the clown came down and convinced a poor man to go up the stage.
The performers proceeded to handcuff the man to a slightly raised board, put a bag over his face so he wouldn’t see what was happening, and pretend to throw knives at him from a distance. In his mind, a clumsy clown was about to throw knives above his head, between his arms and body, and between his legs. In reality, they just told the crowd to cheer while coming close to the board and stabbing in those places—but he thought they actually did it. I talked to him afterwards, and all they told him was that they were professionals.
My friend and I were in astonishment, laughing out of shock and looking at each other in bewilderment. The man looked terrified—anyone would have been. While the circus show was amazing, I have to dock a point for this incident.
All in all, something that stood out to me throughout the event was the diversity of people enjoying the Imaginarium; there were parents, kids, teenagers, young adults, and seniors. The Imaginarium’s shine and dazzle might make someone think that it’s little more than an amusement park for hyperactive toddlers, but that’s far from the truth. While the event was mostly kid-friendly, it wasn’t kid-centered.
The Imaginarium was a beautiful and memorable experience. The displays of more than five million lights were stunning, and nearly all the exhibitions were enjoyable for just $21 for general admission—if you have the right company and a few hours to spare, I would recommend attending a similar event.