{"id":463586,"date":"2026-09-14T18:22:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T18:22:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/463586\/"},"modified":"2026-09-14T18:22:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T18:22:17","slug":"the-west-coasts-largest-aquarium-debuts-the-regions-first-ever-132-seat-3d-holographic-theater-featuring-life-size-dinosaurs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/463586\/","title":{"rendered":"The West Coast&#8217;s largest aquarium debuts the region&#8217;s first-ever 132-seat 3D holographic theater, featuring life-size dinosaurs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/holo-theater--1024x683.jpg\" class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\" alt=\"holo-theater\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVia Aquarium of the Pacific.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From <a href=\"https:\/\/secretlosangeles.com\/scenic-drive-route-california-highway-lake-view\/\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/secretlosangeles.com\/scenic-drive-route-california-highway-lake-view\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_0\" data-category=\"click_internal\">alpine<\/a> hikes and <a href=\"https:\/\/secretlosangeles.com\/los-angeles-wake-castaic-lake-watersports-playground\/\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/secretlosangeles.com\/los-angeles-wake-castaic-lake-watersports-playground\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_1\" data-category=\"click_internal\">sprawling reservoirs<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/secretlosangeles.com\/los-angeles-zoo-welcomes-baby-zebra\/\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/secretlosangeles.com\/los-angeles-zoo-welcomes-baby-zebra\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_2\" data-category=\"click_internal\">world-class zoos,<\/a> 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aquariumofpacific.org\/press\/info\/aquarium_of_the_pacific_debuts_holotheater_the_first_of_its_kind_on_the_u.s_west_coast_press_release\/newsroom\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/www.aquariumofpacific.org\/press\/info\/aquarium_of_the_pacific_debuts_holotheater_the_first_of_its_kind_on_the_u.s_west_coast_press_release\/newsroom\" data-action=\"text_cta_3\" data-category=\"click_non_sales\">Aquarium of the Pacific<\/a> in Long Beach has debuted a cutting-edge HoloTheater\u00ae, the first of its kind on the U.S. West Coast, where <a href=\"https:\/\/secretlosangeles.com\/la-natural-history-museum-worlds-only-green-boned-dino\/\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/secretlosangeles.com\/la-natural-history-museum-worlds-only-green-boned-dino\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_4\" data-category=\"click_internal\">dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures<\/a> appear to come alive around you.<\/p>\n<p>The Aquarium of the Pacific\u2019s new HoloTheater<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new HoloTheater officially opened on September 4, transforming the Aquarium\u2019s former Ocean Theater into a 132-seat cinematic experience. Developed by Houston-based BASE Xperiential, the setup uses <a href=\"https:\/\/secretlosangeles.com\/best-immersive-experiences-la\/\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/secretlosangeles.com\/best-immersive-experiences-la\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_5\" data-category=\"click_internal\">six projection surfaces,<\/a> panoramic visuals, holographic imagery, and spatial audio to create the illusion that creatures are moving beyond the screen and into the theater.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 <a href=\"https:\/\/secretlosangeles.com\/dinosaur-activities-los-angeles\/\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/secretlosangeles.com\/dinosaur-activities-los-angeles\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_6\" data-category=\"click_internal\">prehistoric animals<\/a> at a much more life-sized scale.<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAquarium of the Pacific: Skip The Line\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n<p>What to see at the Aquarium of the Pacific<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Inside, more than 12,000 animals are spread across over <a href=\"https:\/\/secretlosangeles.com\/aquarium-of-the-pacific-jellyfish-exhibit\/\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/secretlosangeles.com\/aquarium-of-the-pacific-jellyfish-exhibit\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_7\" data-category=\"click_internal\">100 exhibits<\/a> representing three major Pacific regions: Southern California and Baja, the Northern Pacific, and the Tropical Pacific.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Aquarium-of-the-Pacific_1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Children looking into an aquarium\" class=\"wp-image-56517\"  \/>Photo Courtesy of Aquarium of the Pacific Official Site<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Highlights include Shark Lagoon, the June Keyes Penguin Habitat, <a href=\"https:\/\/secretlosangeles.com\/swim-with-otters-near-la\/\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/secretlosangeles.com\/swim-with-otters-near-la\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_8\" data-category=\"click_internal\">Sea Otter Habitat,<\/a> Lorikeet Forest, Pacific Visions, and the massive Tropical Reef Habitat, the Aquarium\u2019s largest exhibit, holding 350,000 gallons of water and more than 1,000 animals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Via Aquarium of the Pacific. From alpine hikes and sprawling reservoirs to world-class zoos, California has many places&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":463587,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[131,133,132],"class_list":["post-463586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=463586"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463586\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/463587"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=463586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=463586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=463586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}