Union Terminal's Omnimax Theater reopens with brand new look

WEST END, Ohio (WKRC) - The Cincinnati Museum Center reopened its popular Omnimax Theater Friday.

The Omnimax theater opened in November 1990. Twenty-eight years later, it has a whole new look. It took two-and-a-half years and $3 million, but they have changed over from film to a digital laser projector. They used to use a film plate, but now, all of the movies come from a hard drive.

When the projector was film, it would have to come down between every showing. Now, it only comes down twice a year to be cleaned.

That's one of the state-of-the-art, technological upgrades that they have made to the theater. It is five stories and they say it's even more immersive than it used to be.

"We have a new technology dome also. When people walk in...you can see the 384 dome panels and you can see the seams between them, but they magically disappear when the film comes on, so that, without seeing the framework of the dome, that transports you into the picture like never before," said the museum's vice president of featured experiences, David Duszynski.

Now, the first movie to be screened at the new Omnimax Theater is "Volcanoes." That opened at 11 a.m. Friday. Man tickets have already been sold, and the museum is encouraging guests to get their tickets ahead of time to make sure they can get into the theater when they want to.

Films will be shown every hour until 9 p.m. A new film will be offered every four months. Tickets are $6 for adult members and $5 for children with a membership.

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I thought the omnimax was going to take four or five years to redo.