New 4D theater opens at Maritime Aquarium
Features a two-story screen with bubbles, snow and smells
Anew4Dcinema with a two-story screen was unveiled on Monday at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. It replaces the six-story IMAX screen that closed Jan. 18 and will be destroyed to make way for a bridge construction project.
At the unveiling, Gov. Ned Lamont, Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff and other local dignitaries put on 3D glasses to watch a documentary about sharks, complete with 3D-generated bubbles and splashes.
The latest “Ice Age” short, which causes seats to vibrate and snow to fall, also is being shown at the theater.
In a speech at the event, Lamont emphasized the theater’s appeal to children, whose lives have been upended by school closings and activity cancellations in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s been a tough year, particularly for the kids … who weren’t able to get out, for the kids who found that Zoom was not the ideal way to learn,” Lamont said at the ceremony. “Wehave an extraordinary opportunity right nowto make it up to them. We’re going to get these kids … back engaged with each other.”
Some of the 10-minute films to be shown at the theater also will feature scents, said aquarium spokesman David Sigworth.
“With everyone wearing masks right now, that won’t be anything people will catch on to. Hopefully the time will come this year when people don’t have to wear masks anymore,” Sigworth said.
The new theater was financed by a $40 million “functional replacement” agreement between the city, which owns the aquarium, and the state, which controls the 125-yearold Walk Bridge, the aquarium reported. The bridge is so close to the IMAX theater that the construction is not possible if it is still there.
The aquarium construction project also reconfigured the aquarium entrance. The project’s second phase, to be finished by May, includes a fully enclosed, 150,000gallon seal habitat to protect animals and visitors from the noise and vibrations of the bridge project.
The bridge project itself will begin after the seal enclosure is complete. It will take about five years, Sigworth said.
The 564-foot Walk Bridge, which spans the Norwalk River, was built in 1896. It needs to be replaced because sometimes it gets stuck in the middle of the river while swiveling open, which shuts down Metro North’s NewHavenline and Amtrak’s northeast corridor to Boston.
“Whenthe northeast corridor train tracks are down, that means a $100 million-dollar hit to the economy each and every day,” Duff, of Norwalk, said at the ceremony. “So we all know and understand that the Walk Bridge needs to be replaced. We need to have a 21st century transportation system.”
Sigworth said the theater had a “soft opening” a few weeks ago. “We wanted to make sure we have our theater legs and how all this will work,” he said. The 169-theater is limiting capacity to 50 for now. The aquarium itself it operating at 40 percent capacity.
“People have been good about wearing masks,” he said. “Because the movies average about 10 minutes long, not 2 ½ hours like some Marvel Avenger movie or 40 minutes for an IMAXmovie, we feel it’s an enjoyable experience.”
“BBC Earth’s Shark: A 4D Experience” and “Ice Age: No Time for Nuts 4D” are shown alternately, every 20 minutes, starting at 10:20 a.m. on weekends and holidays and every 30 minutes on weekdays. Tickets for a 4D movie are $7, $6 for aquarium members, on top of the aquarium admission of $26.95, $24.95 seniors and $19.95 ages 3 to 12.
Those whowant to see a movie or visit the aquarium must register in advance online at maritimeaquarium.org.