Smithsonian Theaters is an operating unit of

Smithsonian Enterprises The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and Research institute, research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. govern ...

, the revenue-generating business division for the Smithsonian Institution, United States. The unit operates two

IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating. Graeme F ...

theaters and one Infiniti Digital Dome Planetarium, each presenting shows relevant to the museum in which it is located. The Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater is the flagship facility of Smithsonian Theaters and is located on the first floor of the

National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, it opened its main building on the Nat ...

at the

National Mall The National Mall is a Landscape architecture, landscaped park near the Downtown, Washington, D.C., downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It contains and borders a number of museums of the Smithsonian Institut ...

Campus in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

It plays films related to aviation and space and was the 3rd IMAX theater in the world to be installed. The theater is a host to lectures on topics spanning the purview of the museum.

John Glenn John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016) was an American Marine Corps aviator, engineer, astronaut, businessman, and politician. He was the third American in space, and the first American to orbit the Earth, circling ...

hosted a lecture each year, and series by GE,

Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...

, and others draw hundreds and sometimes thousands of attendees. The Airbus IMAX Theater is located at the National Air and Space Museum's annex, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in

Chantilly Chantilly may refer to: Places France *Chantilly, Oise, a city located in the Oise department **US Chantilly, a football club *Château de Chantilly, a historic château located in the town of Chantilly United States * Chantilly, Missou ...

, Virginia. This IMAX theatre plays content similar to her sister facility on the National Mall. Named for

Airbus SAS Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft throughout the world. The company has three divisions: '' ...

due to a $6 million donation, the theater doesn't host as many events due to its location near the Dulles International Airport (a 45-minute drive from the National Mall). The Johnson IMAX Theater (opened in 1999) was located on the west wing of the first level at the

National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. In 2021, with 7 ...

in the National Mall, three blocks from the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater. The shows that played at the 500 seat venue were relevant to the content of the museum. The Johnson Theater hosted special showings throughout the evening hours. Special events in the museum often overflow into the theater, and as such, Johnson Theater was often used for corporate and large-group events. The theater closed on September 30, 2017 and was removed to make room for an expansion to the nearby Atrium Café (a

cafeteria A cafeteria, sometimes called a canteen outside the U.S., is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school ...

located on the ground level). The theater's closing caused protest among some filmmakers as an organization Save Our IMAX was formed. The Albert Einstein Planetarium is located in the National Air and Space Museum, and it presents movies to visitors in high definition on its Sky Vision Dual Projection Digital Dome System. The screen is on the ceiling, and the movie plays on all parts of the dome (360 degrees) throughout the show. Certain days of the week, there is a free admission show known as "The Stars Tonight" in which the traditional planetarium equipment is utilized to give visitors a sky watching experience in the museum.

References

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External links

Smithsonian Theaters' website
Smithsonian Institution IMAX venues