Get ready for an up-close look at the wildlife in your own backyard. Backyard Wilderness 3D opens today, July 9, in Discovery Park of America’s Discovery Theater, revealing that nature is much closer than we think. Following the seasons in one backyard, we are transported inside dens and nests and in ponds that uncover the creatures within. We are reminded that Wi-Fi is not the only connection that matters and that in ordinary places, we can discover extraordinary things with just one step outside.

This award-winning film will surprise and entertain viewers with the unexpected wonders of nature that are right in our own backyards. Spanning a seasonal year around a suburban home, the film displays unique wildlife images and behavior. It’s all captured by cameras mounted inside dens and nests, and moving along the forest floor and pond bottom, to reveal its inhabitants in rare and breathtaking intimacy.

We follow Katie, a young girl, and her family living next to the woods who are blind to the real-life spectacle around them, absorbed by electronic devices in their busy lives. Katie gradually discovers the intricate secrets that nature has hidden so close to her front door, and we experience the joy she finds in her interactions with this new world.

Backyard Wilderness is more than just a film, it’s also part of a much larger educational campaign and experience that includes a variety of exhibits, informational guides and programs that reinforce and expand upon the scientific concepts covered and wonders of nature shown in the film. The film meets U.S. Next Generation Science Standards in many key areas and can be used to augment science lessons and school curricula for a wide range of ages and grade levels, from kindergarten to high school. Both educator guides for ages 3-8 and family guides are available to help bring the backyard adventure home or into the classroom.

This award-winning production took home five honors from the Giant Screen Cinema Association, including Best Film and Best Cinematography. Experience it all in stunning 3D on the Discovery Theater’s state-of-the-art laser projection system. You’ll feel like you’re swimming with pond creatures and crawling through underground tunnels.

Showtimes are on the hour daily from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Get your tickets at the ticket counter or on Discovery Park’s website. 3D film tickets are $6.99 in addition to museum admission. Backyard Wilderness 3D and T.REX 3D are both included in the Explorer Plus package, which is available for purchase at the Discovery Park ticket counter only.