IMAX is a cinematic experience with images up to eight stories high and immersive digital surround sound. It shows films with cutting-edge cinematography and dazzling landscapes that allow audiences to feel like they are truly in exotic destinations.
If you visit the Washington, DC area, there are three main IMAX theaters near the city:
- The Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
- The Warner Brothers IMAX theater at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
- The Airbus IMAX theater at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia
You can buy IMAX tickets online, at the box office, and over the phone, but if you buy tickets at the IMAX box office, be sure to plan ahead and buy them early for a later performance. Also, plan to explore the museum while waiting for your show time as show times are subject to change without notice.
Teatro Lockheed Martin IMAX
The Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum often hosts a variety of educational IMAX experiences, but occasionally screens family movies like Star Wars: The Force Awakens or A Wrinkle in Time .
In February 2016, the Smithsonian Theaters launched the new IMAX laser projection system at the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater. The system offers audiences some of the sharpest, brightest, clearest and most vivid digital images, combined with a new level of immersive audio. The Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater is among the first theaters in the world to feature this cutting-edge technology, and the 74-by-49-foot museum screen is one of the largest screens in the Mid-Atlantic. The theater upgrade includes a completely new screen, new state-of-the-art 3D glasses that optimize the laser system experience, and a new sound and projection system.
While visiting the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, you can also take a 20-minute tour of the universe at the Albert Einstein Planetarium. The Planetarium uses a high-tech digital projection system and six-channel digital surround sound to give you the feeling of approaching across the skies and the galaxy.
Warner Brothers y Airbus IMAX Theatres
The other two IMAX theaters in the Washington, DC area include the Warner Brothers Theater at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the Airbus IMAX Theater at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
The Warner Brothers Theater houses a comprehensive list of public programs that include educational trips across different cultures and parts of the world. However, this theater offers a smaller list than that found in Virginia.
The Airbus IMAX Theater was one of the first in the world to have a dual 4K laser projection system with a 12 channel sound system. It has been kept up-to-date with the addition of a new 86-foot widescreen display and 3D glasses to optimize the experience.
This theater’s roster features some of the best cinematography in Hollywood cinema combined with educational IMAX experiences including movies about D-Day in Normandy, aircraft carriers, and trips to outer space. It is an ideal destination for cinematography and graphics enthusiasts of all ages.
