Via Aquarium of the Pacific.
From alpine hikes and sprawling reservoirs to world-class zoos, California has many places to get closer to wildlife. And now, the largest aquarium on the West Coast is giving visitors an entirely new way to encounter creatures, this time without stepping anywhere near a real-life habitat.
The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach has debuted a cutting-edge HoloTheater®, the first of its kind on the U.S. West Coast, where dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures appear to come alive around you.
The Aquarium of the Pacific’s new HoloTheater
The new HoloTheater officially opened on September 4, transforming the Aquarium’s former Ocean Theater into a 132-seat cinematic experience. Developed by Houston-based BASE Xperiential, the setup uses six projection surfaces, panoramic visuals, holographic imagery, and spatial audio to create the illusion that creatures are moving beyond the screen and into the theater.
There are no VR headsets, 3D glasses, or other wearable technology involved. Instead, the technology surrounds the audience with the action, making it possible to watch prehistoric animals at a much more life-sized scale.
Aquarium of the Pacific: Skip The Line
The opening film is Dinosaur Discoveries: A Holographic Adventure, a 25-minute production that travels through prehistoric landscapes while exploring the history of paleontological discoveries. Later this fall, the theater will also debut Ocean Giants Revealed, taking audiences beneath the surface to encounter whales, sea jellies, megalodon, and other prehistoric marine creatures.
What to see at the Aquarium of the Pacific
The Aquarium of the Pacific opened in June 1998 as a nonprofit institution. It sits on a six-acre site at Rainbow Harbor and spans approximately 360,000 square feet. The Aquarium welcomes around 1.6 million visitors annually.
Inside, more than 12,000 animals are spread across over 100 exhibits representing three major Pacific regions: Southern California and Baja, the Northern Pacific, and the Tropical Pacific.
Photo Courtesy of Aquarium of the Pacific Official Site
Highlights include Shark Lagoon, the June Keyes Penguin Habitat, Sea Otter Habitat, Lorikeet Forest, Pacific Visions, and the massive Tropical Reef Habitat, the Aquarium’s largest exhibit, holding 350,000 gallons of water and more than 1,000 animals.