Impressive tech, but proceed with caution for 3-hour feature films!…read more
We were super excited to see The Odyssey here for our very first IMAX experience after waiting two weeks for our date! Having already seen the movie twice in a standard theater, we were curious to see how it translated to the Heikoff Giant Dome. Here is the full breakdown of how it works and what to expect:
Essential Tips & Logistics for 6:30 PM Box Office Movies:
Tickets & Arrival: You MUST buy tickets online in advance. The Science Center itself closes to the public at 5:00 PM, but line up outside around 5:00 PM--the queue fills up fast between 5:00-5:30 PM!
Door Opening & Entry: Doors open at 6:00 PM sharp. Once tickets are scanned, you'll enter a second line inside. Members and ADA guests get priority boarding around 6:25 PM, followed by General Admission.
Pro-Tip for Groups: Seating is first-come, first-served. It was literally a stampede when doors opened! Have one person hold your spot in the inside queue while another uses the restroom or hits concessions.
Concessions: Everything is prepackaged (bags of popcorn, candy, canned sodas/water). No fresh movie-theater popcorn or fountain drinks, but fine for a quick snack.
Seats & Seating Placement:
Aim as high up and toward the center as possible! We sat in the lower half of the upper section. The seats are clean, comfortable, and feel brand new, but they do not recline. Staring up at the dome for nearly 3 hours caused some serious neck strain. Also, watch out for the glass balcony railings in the upper section, which can partially cut into your sightline.
The Film Experience:
The sound system is fantastic and the theater itself is spotless, but for a fast-paced action movie like The Odyssey, the dome format just didn't work for us. Being that close made it feel like watching a screen two feet from your face--fight scenes became a blur, and the dome curved the edges of the picture (buildings and straight objects looked noticeably warped/distorted). It felt a bit like looking through a fishbowl.
Overall Verdict:
No knock at all on the staff, Fleet Science Center, or the incredible tech--for documentary shorts or environmental films, this dome is probably mind-blowing. But for long feature films with heavy action, it didn't add to the movie and was a bit overwhelming. Glad we experienced it, but we'll stick to traditional theaters for feature films in the future!
P.S. / Note for Fleet Science Center Management & Staff:
I know queuing outside can be tricky to manage, but I wanted to share an observation in case it helps improve the queue process. We arrived around 5:10 PM and were about 10th in line outside. However, the group of 2 people right in front of us gradually grew to 12 as more of their party arrived over the next hour, and another pair grew to 8. By the time the doors opened at 6:00 PM, our spot in line effectively jumped from 10th to around 25th.
While holding places for late arrivals is understandable to a degree, seeing groups multiply like that can feel a bit unfair to those who stood outside early. Some retail stores and venues (like those in Hawaii) handle this by handing out numbered queue cards or tokens per person as they join the line, preventing late-arriving party members from jumping ahead of early arrivers. Just a thought for future popular feature film screenings!
