Plant life is central to the history of Midtown. More than a century before Rockefeller Center was built — with its network of rooftop gardens, greenspaces, and the Channel Gardens — Elgin Botanic Garden, the United States’ first botanical garden, flourished on the same land in the first decade of the 1800s. Under the care of the garden’s visionary founder, botanist and physician Dr. David Hosack, a collection of more than 2,000 plant species from around the world grew across 20 acres, as author Victoria Johnson describes in her book, American Eden: David Hosack, Botany, and Medicine in the Garden of the Early Republic. Fruit trees, medicinal plants, flowers, and a 200-foot-long glass conservatory, like a biophilic jewel box, housed tropical and desert plants.

Midtown looks a little different these days; now, you can explore an immersive experience at HERO, called BLOOM: The Secret Wonders of New York’s Forgotten Eden, that draws inspiration from Elgin Botanic Garden’s rich history. The artful and interactive installations trace the journey of a seed, from rooting to blossoming, through seven delightful themed rooms inside HERO, a new venue on Rink Level that’s dedicated to state-of-the-art sound and light experiences and events.

Running through the summer, this limited-time experience is HERO’s second seasonal presentation, following the subterranean venue’s kickoff with a winter wonderland awash in the colors of the northern lights. Flower power and a “bloom where you’re planted” spirit are at the heart of the robust new multimedia (and multisensory) exhibition, designed for all ages. Discover, play, and connect with the wonders of nature in surprising and creative ways — with lots of delightful hands-on opportunities.

When you enter BLOOM, a radiant avatar of Mother Earth welcomes you in a darkened alcove before you step into the first room, bursting with verdant colors. A soothing 6-minute video, plays across an expansive 60-foot-long screen, slowly shifting between vivid natural New York State environments rendered in a painterly style, with a soundtrack of birdsong, gentle breezes, and lapping water. A sunny wildflower meadow bursting with poppies, sunflowers, and coneflowers turns into a gloaming glacial lake with turquoise water. Set among wetlands with cattails and lilies, the Elgin Botanic Garden’s conservatory comes into view and, eventually, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, surrounded not by city streets and skyscrapers but a lush, “rewilded” landscape. Throughout each scene, a confetti of flower petals cascades across the screen and you can control them with your motions.

Each section of BLOOM centers on a different theme paired with interactive elements. In a room titled “The Mycelium Underground,” produced in partnership with the Fungi Foundation, you’ll receive a blacklight flashlight to explore fungus facts and peek at tiny mushrooms sprouting from crevices. Emerging into the light again, you’ll enter a woodland of oversized red-capped mushrooms that’s actually a bounce house. Both kids and adults are welcome to jump inside it — a space of pure, airborne joy. As the wall text notes, “To be part of nature’s vast playground is a miracle. For here, among the wonders of the forest floor, you are never alone.”

For a break on your journey, pause at The Conservatory, a botanical bar run by Alchemist’s Kitchen, an apothecary in Soho, for a refreshing botanical elixir. Flower Power, a popular pink drink, features a refreshing blend of Schisandra berry, hibiscus, goji berry, rose petals, and rose geranium served over ice. The menu also includes spritzes, mocktails, beer and wine, and gluten-free, vegan sweet treats. Enjoy your sips and bites in cozy banquettes or at green filigreed café tables, among foliage, florals, and citrus trees.

In the adjoining “Bloom Garden,” there’s space to play and daydream. Flowers taller than people, with petals that seem to softly inhale and exhale ring a ball pit that’s filled with pearly white orbs. On a screen, make a doodle with your fingertip on a screen and it’ll magically morph into a billowy cloud that floats across the clear blue sky overhead. And, before you exit back into the real world, you can put together your own custom seed packet.

Visitors can expect to feel thoroughly transported while exploring each naturescape, says Max Pollack, HERO’s executive producer and co-founder of creative studio MATTE Projects. “Have fun and get completely lost for 45 minutes, an hour and a half, 2 hours, whatever you’d like,” he says. There’s no specific time limit on your visit to BLOOM, so explore its biophilic worlds at your leisure. “And, then, walk back out into Rockefeller Center and you’ll be like, ‘I can’t believe I’m here.’”

To experience BLOOM by HERO for yourself, book a ticket or register for special events, including concerts and wellness workshops, all curated for younger ones and adults alike. For family programming, there’s Seedling Saturdays, featuring complimentary cotton candy, face painting, and floral crown making. There’s also a weekly Chandon Garden Party Concert Series (happening three Thursdays each month), a "Nature & Nuture" a weekly wellness series (Wednesdays at 12pm), and more.

BLOOM is happening at HERO, located at Rink Level, through the summer season. For tickets and more details, visit hero-nyc.com.