Hero Zone: Where Social VR Meets Real-World Revenue -
New York State Assembly member Jon Rivera secured $225,000 in state funding for the Buffalo Zoo. The money will go to Expedition 360, a dome theater the zoo plans to build on its north Buffalo campus. Rivera, who represents Assembly District 149, announced the funding in a release published on 25 September 2026.
Expedition 360 is “a one-story high, walk-in virtual reality dome theater,” according to the release. Rivera’s office said the dome builds on Wild Explorer, the seated VR attraction the zoo opened in 2025. Buffalo Rising reported on 26 September that the zoo will move forward with construction.
The release lists a rotating lineup of African safaris, jungle adventures, Arctic expeditions and underwater explorations, plus planetarium programs and animated features.
The theater will hold several dozen viewers per show, according to the release. One dome means one audience at a time.
Rivera said the investment will help create an educational experience that introduces visitors “to wildlife, ecosystems, and scientific discovery in entirely new ways.”
Wild Explorer opened in August 2025 in the lobby of M&T Bank Rainforest Falls, the zoo said. It runs year round. Guests wear VR headsets on motion seats for three films: The Great Migration, Gorilla Trek and Dinosaur Evolution.
A zoo photo of Wild Explorer shows motion seats branded Immotion. Immotion uses the Wild Explorer name for seated VR attractions at zoos, including the Central Florida Zoo. All three films are Immotion titles.
Immotion pitches its attractions to zoos and other venues as ancillary revenue “at no upfront cost,” according to its website, which lists more than 150 locations.
The Buffalo Zoo sells Wild Explorer inside a $20 single-day ride pass, according to its tickets page. The pass adds unlimited train and carousel rides to one Wild Explorer ride.
Immotion is a LEXRA member.
Lisa Smith is the zoo’s president and chief executive. She said the dome is “just one of the exciting projects that we are planning through our campus development plan.”
Smith said the plan “will span over the next 10 years.” The release says the plan includes more climate-controlled visitor spaces and new educational facilities.
The Buffalo Zoo plans to run two VR formats on one campus. Wild Explorer seats guests on Immotion motion seats, and Expedition 360 will be a walk-in dome theater.
What is the Buffalo Zoo’s Expedition 360 immersive dome? A planned “one-story high, walk-in virtual reality dome theater” for several dozen viewers per show, one audience at a time. It is part of the zoo’s 10-year campus development plan.
How much funding did Expedition 360 receive? $225,000 in New York State funding, secured by Assembly member Jon Rivera. Rivera’s office announced the funding on 25 September 2026.
What will the Expedition 360 immersive dome show? A planned rotating lineup of African safaris, jungle adventures, Arctic expeditions and underwater explorations, plus planetarium programs and animated features.
What VR attraction does the Buffalo Zoo already run? Wild Explorer, where guests wear VR headsets on Immotion motion seats. It opened in August 2025 and shows The Great Migration, Gorilla Trek and Dinosaur Evolution.
