Experience the 4th Dimension at Museum of Science 4D Theater

Go beyond 3D projection and into the immersive experience of 4D at the new Museum of Science 4D Theater in Boston.

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“[Planet Earth] is the museum’s mission-centric film, but it may not be good for younger children,” he says, because the effects can be, at times, a bit frightening.

Nervous and excited, I chose a seat close to the action. The film was a beautiful nature documentary about a coral reef and the creatures who live in its midst. Most of the film was calm and relaxed – until out of the darkness a shark appears, perfectly in time with the “back poke.”

“It nudges you at just the right time, stimulating something we talk about in our preshow called the Startle Effect,” Doty explained.

Even with the warning, I have to admit – I jumped! It was not a hard poke, but combined with the visuals on the screen and the surrounding atmosphere, even a tap on the upper back (extended from a small hole in my seat) was enough!

View photos of the 4D Theater here.

Another slightly frightening 4D effect are the “leg ticklers,” small tubes attached to the bottom of each chair whip around due to air pressure during sequences in the film. But by the time I reached down to see what was tickling my legs, they were gone, retracted like a tape measure into the seat.

Now I realize why Doty told me to “watch out for the snakes!”

The Rejuvenation

“When you’re walking by the theater and you hear a big group of people laugh, it’s so gratifying,” Doty says.

Now open three months, the theater has seen a great response from museum-goers. It even did better than Doty expected during the summer, a usually slower time for the museum.

“Even the adults are reaching and poking and doing all the things you’re supposed to do during interactive movies,” continues Doty. “When you get spritzed in the face during your visit to the museum, it’s just fun – you have to lighten up.”

The project is a good sign for 3D. There are still ways to revive 3D spaces and revitalize the technology; it just requires some out-of-the-box thinking. By adding “another dimension” and creating an immersive experience, the Museum of Science created a brand new space with a whole new purpose.

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