FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 9, 2018

MEDIA CONTACT: Cody Hefner (513) 608-5777, chefner@cincymuseum.org

Cincinnati Museum Center transforms OMNIMAX® Theater with IMAX’s next-generation laser experience

Theater scheduled to reopen in late December

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Museum Center announced today that its Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater will be installing IMAX® with Laser in its five-story domed theater. The next-generation digital laser technology will replace the current 28-year-old film projection system and is part of an overall theater upgrade. The OMNIMAX Theater is scheduled to reopen in late December.

“After a two-and-a-half year closure to accommodate the historic restoration of Union Terminal, it is fitting that the timing of the release of this new technology will line up with the reopening of the theater,” says Dave Duszynski, president of Mercury Museum Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cincinnati Museum Center. “Overall, the OMNIMAX Theater will be more immersive than ever, and we look forward to taking guests on epic new adventures.”

IMAX with Laser represents a quantum leap forward in cinema technology, providing audiences with the sharpest, brightest, clearest and most vivid digital images combined with a new level of immersive audio. The new technology will allow CMC to deliver a wider array of digital content and cutting-edge education experiences.

IMAX selected CMC’s OMNIMAX Theater as the test site for IMAX with Laser, debuting the new technology during the summer of 2018 to domed theater operators from around the world.

“IMAX has enjoyed a longtime partnership with Cincinnati Museum Center in delivering unforgettable entertainment experiences to guests for generations that educate, inspire and showcase the wonders of our world,” said David Keighley, chief quality guru at IMAX. “Cincinnati Museum Center shares our passion for innovation and pushing boundaries and together we look forward to taking the IMAX experience to the next level with the launch of IMAX with Laser at Cincinnati Museum Center’s OMNIMAX Theater. This IMAX with Laser dome system was built using our 50 years of experience and will project into this more immersive cinema environment to provide our audiences increased contrast, brightness, color saturation and audio fidelity like never before.”

Designed from the ground up for OMNIMAX theaters, the 4K laser projection system is equipped with a new optical engine and suite of proprietary IMAX technologies capable of filling the dome screen with an expanded color gamut that will allow filmmakers to present more vivid and exotic colors than ever before.

To optimize the OMNIMAX Theater for the new IMAX with Laser technology, the entire domed screen has been replaced. The new dome surface appears seamless under projection and is slightly whiter to take advantage of the significant contrast improvements of the laser projector.

The new upgrades also includes IMAX’s newest state-of-the-art sound technology that delivers the ultimate in power and precision. IMAX’s six laser-aligned loudspeakers distribute equal volume throughout the theater to create an optimum listening environment that ensures every seat is the best seat in the house. Whether it’s a pin drop or feeling the heart-palpating force of a volcano, audiences will experience complete audio immersion.

The OMNIMAX Theater makeover also includes all new, wider chairs, new carpeting and new lighting and automation controls. Since the OMNIMAX Theater first opened in 1990, over 8.6 million guests have blasted off to the farthest reaches of our galaxy, dove to the deepest depths of the sea and soared above our country’s breathtaking national parks.

The return of the OMNIMAX Theater also means the return of the OMNIMAX Club Card, your passport to unlimited OMNIMAX films for an entire year. Stay tuned for more information about how and when you can get your OMNIMAX Club Card.

In the coming weeks, CMC will announce the first film to debut in the upgraded OMNIMAX Theater.

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About Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) at Union Terminal is a nationally recognized institution and national historic landmark. Dedicated to sparking community dialogue, insight and inspiration, CMC was awarded the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 2012. CMC is one of a select few museums in the nation with both of these honors, making it a unique asset and a vital community resource. Union Terminal has been voted the nation's 45th most important building by the American Institute of Architects. Organizations within CMC include the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum, Museum of Natural History & Science, Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater and Cincinnati History Library & Archives. Recognized by Forbes Traveler Magazine as the 17th most visited museum in the country, CMC welcomes more than one million visitors annually. For more information, visit www.cincymuseum.org.