Mugar Omni Theater, IMAX theater at Museum of Science, Boston, United States
The Mugar Omni Theater is an IMAX theater inside the Museum of Science in Boston, built around a dome that stands about five stories tall and serves as the screen. The dome curves around the audience on all sides, so the projected image fills the entire field of view from any seat.
The theater was built as part of the Museum of Science with the goal of bringing large-format film into a setting dedicated to science education. It opened at a time when dome theaters were beginning to appear in science museums across the country.
The films shown here focus on the natural world and scientific topics, drawing school groups and families throughout the year. The dome format makes even familiar subjects feel new, since the image fills the entire field of vision.
Tickets can be bought at the museum entrance or booked ahead online, which is worth doing since showtimes fill up quickly, especially on weekends and during school holidays. The theater is located inside the museum, so entry to the building is required before reaching it.
The theater takes its name from George P. Mugar, an Armenian-American businessman whose donation made the project possible. Unlike a flat IMAX screen, the dome curves above and around the seats, so viewers recline slightly to look up at the image rather than straight ahead.
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