We often watch "How the Universe Works" on Max. Watching Deep Sky at the IMAX theater was like seeing our old friends on the big screen. Loved the sound and drama as it unfolded so large in front of us. Great experience! read more

Airbus IMAX Theater - Theatre - Cinema Near Me - Chantilly, Virginia

There are only a handful of 70mm capable IMAX screens in the United States. This IMAX here at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum in Chantilly is one of them! If you're a true movie fanatic, you already know this place. Not all movies are shot in 70mm, so not all movies are shown in this theater. This is for the true fans to whom 70mm matters! Until recently, you had to line up to get into the theater and get your seat. It was a first come, first serve, and old-school way of doing things. I used to come to wait here for 1 to 2 hours before the movie started only to get a good spot. This was changed recently so you can now reserve your seats. So for really popular movies, if you don't buy tickets on the first day they put up, expect them to be sold out. For most movies though, people don't usually come here. I don't know why. And I'm one of those guys who don't watch movies anywhere else but here. A few tips that you may find helpful: If you have a Smithsonian membership, the tickets are only $12 (no tax) to buy them in person. $15 without membership. $17+ buying online with convenience fees. If you come after 5 PM, the parking is free. So, if you watch a 4 PM show that ends at 6 PM, you don't have to pay for parking. If you leave before 5 PM and stay longer than 30 minutes, you must pay for parking. I usually come to buy tickets during the day and leave within 30 minutes so I don't have to pay any parking fees. The movies start on time (with a few movie trailers) so plan to be on time. Other theaters don't usually start on time and have too many trailers before the scheduled movie begins. Unfortunately, the popcorn and drinks are priced unreasonably high like any other theater. At least, you can buy and drink beer, wine, or sparkling wine here. Are you going? read more

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If you're not getting the upper level / middle seats, you will be very disappointed. Most of the new theaters have 90% of their seats at a good distance / positioning to where if you weren't the first to book, you still will have a decent experience. Not this place. We ended up in the E aisle and it was horrible. Eyes were so sore after from trying to adjust to the giant screen 10 feet from my face. No cup holder. Horribly uncomfortable seats. Pre-packaged popcorn. Bottled soda. Only plus side - insanely good surround sound. Won't be back. Better theatres out there. read more

Came to see Sinners for the second time. First time was in Dolby and this time IMAX. I loved Dolby better. We will be back to walk around and take in all of the facts inside of the museum. read more

Airbus IMAX Theater - Cinema Near Me - Chantilly, Virginia

The biggest IMAX in Virginia located inside the Air and Space Udvar- Hazy Center. I have been twice to see Dune and Deep Sky, and both times I was so impressed by the screen. The screen is huge and the picture is so clear. The ticket prices are pretty reasonable, though if you are visiting and leaving before 4pm, you will have to pay $15 for parking. The museum is open 10-5:30, so you can walk around the Air and Space museum before or after your movie, which is super cool. They have a small concession area with popcorn, candy and sodas. You aren't able to pick seats in advance, it is first come first serve. If it is opening night for a movie you will want to arrive early. The seats aren't super comfortable for longer movies. I wish the seats reclined some since the screen is so large it would make it easier to watch. read more

Airbus IMAX Theater - Screen - Cinema Near Me - Chantilly, Virginia

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This will be short simply because you can't beat an IMAX theater for really feeling like your there . . . . unless you can actually be there. But that's a near impossibility for most of us. I know that the Smithsonians are free . . . and you pay $15 for parking at this one, but do you and your family a favor and buy the tickets. You won't be disappointed. read more

Airbus IMAX Theater - Cinema Near Me - Chantilly, Virginia

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We had a wonderful IMAX Theater experience! Located inside The Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center. Employees are incredibly helpful, patient, and kind. The movies and times are clearly displayed. Seating is wonderful, plenty of space and comfortable seats. The screen and sound are excellent, very clear. The theater is well maintained and clean. We really enjoyed our movie. A must visit, indeed. read more

"To Fly," and the older films seem to be the best. I'm not sure why that is. Maybe it has to do with the quality of education. Have been here several times. The price of admission and concessions is astronomical. Sorry couldn't resist the pun! Actually it's something you should experience, but a couple of movies will quench your thirst. The seats are ok. Admittedly I have a bad back. Views and sound system are adequate. Eat somewhere else before going in. Their popcorn is quite disgusting. It can be fun for regular movies too. These are periodically shown, so be sure to verify the tune is right. read more

Airbus IMAX Theater - Cinema Near Me - Chantilly, Virginia

Great theater and experience. I arrived 30 minutes early after reading previous reviews about seats being first come, first serve. A line was already forming when we arrived, so we joined the others. We were able to get decent seats in the middle and higher up. Very top row as you enter is reserved for handicapped guests. The ticket window sells bags of popcorn and bottled soft drinks and water. Parking is free after 4pm. If you arrive before 4pm, there is a $15 charge. read more

Airbus IMAX Theater - Cinema Near Me - Chantilly, Virginia

They cancelled the Sinners screening at last minute. Also, they don't have a phone number listed, so you can't call them.

Hands down the best movie experience in the DMV! If you are looking for the ultimate movie "viewing" experience, go here! The screen is enormous and the picture quality is razor sharp. The laser quality images...ear splitting sound system...and color spectrum.....makes for the perfect setting to see your movie...."BIG WILLY--HIGH ROLLER--BLOCKBUSTER" Style! And, let's not downgrade the screen size...which was explained to me to be about 6 stories tall in size. You feel totally immersed in the movie, due to the screen's depth, design, seating and layout of the theatre. I came here to see Black Panther and let me tell you....the viewing experience.... "did not disappoint!" Everything was so vivid and "full-frontal!"....that's for sure. I qualify this statement to the mere fact that....just a week prior, I saw the very same movie at an expensive Theatre in Bethesda (not saying the name) which was hugely inferior to the picture quality of Airbus IMAX Theater. My friends felt the same way. We all came out of this Theatre quite pleased....and not to mention, it made the drive all the way from DC worth it! So to sum things up, I would say if you want the "ultimate movie viewing" experience come here. But please note, this is not your Theatre for modern comforts like reclining chairs, full bar, and eats. The seating is standard and the movie fare...is basic (popcorn, soda, beer --water)....but, who cares when you get to view a spectacular movie as the movie director/producers intended it to be viewed!! I can pass up the modern conveniences for a couple of hours...easily for this! An interesting geek factoid......The Airbus IMAX Theater is one of the most expensive IMAX Theaters to date. It features super-sharp 4K laser quality content, produced by two perfectly calibrated fridge-sized projectors and is enhanced with a new 12 channel sound system with a head-banging sub-bass. The sounds roared and crashed like thunder during the Black Panther action flick. Also, being located in a museum makes -- The Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center.....the first museum in the world to employ the largest, newest laser technology in its IMAX Theater! For now, the DMV (Chantilly, VA) has exclusive bragging rights to the attraction, luring moviegoers such as myself 30 miles+ outside of the city for a jumbo-size box of eye candy!! Another plus: The museum waives the $15 parking fee after 4 p.m. read more

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Awesome large screen inside the museum. The seats are not assigned, so it's first come, first serve. Purchase your tickets online and arrive early to queue. read more

Great local IMAX theater at the National Air and Space Museum! This is the REAL IMAX, folks! While it doesn't have reserved seating and the screen is slightly smaller than my favorite one in NY, it's great to have one 'close' to home! Seating is first-come, first-serve, and the museum has decided a few years back to show some big Hollywood films. They also went through some major renovations with the sound system, so you can definitely hear the difference. Tickets can be purchased in advance online, and lines start either downstairs or on the main floor, depending on the picture being shown. Staff are friendly! Parking is free after 4 PM on weekdays and free on weekends. +no reserved seating +tickets can be purchased online in advance +line starts either downstairs or on the main floor - confirm with the box office +free parking after 4PM on weekdays; free on weekends read more

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If you're looking to watch an IMAX film this is the Best place in the area to watch true IMAX! Would recommend to anyone. Note this doesn't have the frills of picking a seat or reclining chairs but the screen is the main reason to go. read more

For context, I'm a total IMAX junkie/nerd, and nothing beats that full frame 1.43:1 aspect ratio for me. It's one of my favorite experiences, period, film-related or otherwise. I've been to full size IMAX theaters all over the country, and it's basically a requirement for me that a city have a true IMAX theater if I'm going to consider living there. So just a warning that I'm not really comparing this to your run of the mill AMC or Regal theaters. Simply put, based on my experiences at 9 or 10 different true IMAX theaters that show Hollywood movies (I believe there are only 15 or so remaining in the US), the Airbus IMAX at the Udvar-Hazy Center is the best IMAX theater on the east coast, and it's certainly in the running for the best one in the country. I wouldn't say it has the absolute best projection of any IMAX I've been to, or the best sound, or the best screen, or the most convenient and comfortable location. But in my opinion it has the best mix of all those things. It's a jack of all trades, in a good way. Positives: The theater has great projection and sound, and a high quality screen with very few imperfections. Yes, the location is a ways out from a lot of DC/Nova, but the super easy parking and ticketing makes up for that. Try parking at the Universal Citywalk IMAX in Los Angeles or the Lincoln Center one NYC; it's a nightmare compared to this. The theater has good quality seats, nothing fancy but not crappy or anything, and it has a really good stadium seating setup where you're not too close or too far from the screen (much better setup than the IMAX at the Smithsonian in downtown DC, imo). Also the crowds are great, almost no one ever is disruptive or annoying, especially compared to a regular theater. And you can't beat the $15 ticket price. A "fake" IMAX at an AMC will often run you $20 or more in a major city, so $15 seems totally fair to me. There's also a pretty good queuing system for lining up, which brings me to my next point. Negatives: The theater does not have assigned seating, which is probably the biggest drawback for me. This means if you want a good seat at a well attended screening, you basically have to show up about an hour early and stand in line. If you show up at 6:55 for a 7:00 showing, you'll be sitting in the very front. Hopefully this changes someday, but I know that is fairly complicated to implement as an independent entity that only does a few shows a day, so I'm not holding my breath. Also the concessions are pretty bare bones compared to a regular theater, but they are serviceable. Nothing to write home about, but you can get some popcorn and a bottle of Coke if you want. Both of those issues are byproducts of the theater being an offshoot of a museum though, so can't really hold that against it. I also had a really good interaction with the theater's customer service team (I think her name was Elise) when I messed up and bought a ticket for the wrong show. It was handled perfectly. So all-in-all, I think it's worth the drive to see movies here, especially for the couple a year with 1:43 aspect ratio scenes. Also the museum is pretty great if you've never been. read more

Legit IMAX screen! No other screen in the area comes close. Well worth the drive from DC metro and MoCo suburbs. The film projectors were replaced by lasers so take note for those 70mm purists. AFI silver spring has them but the screen size is smaller(shorter). read more

The IMAX theater attached to the Udvar-Hazy center has a colossal screen and reasonably comfortable seats. They run high volumes, one movie after another, and the process isn't as smooth as it could be. Documentaries often screen to a mostly empty theater, but long lines break out for big feature films. The thing is that seating is first-come first-served. It's common for high-end movie theaters to make me pick a specific seat even if I show up for an empty matinee, but here you pay a lot for a ticket and are guaranteed nothing. Oafish crowd behavior with needless spaces and saving of seats is a given, so if you're here for a blockbuster, you'll have to get there early and wait in line an hour to get a good seat, which is stupid. The strange paid parking policy they have here-$15 before 4:00, but nothing if you come later-might also be aggravating for someone who comes primarily or just for the theater. The screen and sound are as impressive as you're likely to find in the area, but the experience is dragged down by unforced errors like this from management. read more

We had a great time visiting the Airbus IMAX Theater inside the Steven Udvar-Hazy museum last Sunday. For $15, you get to enjoy the 3D IMAX Avatar inside a really cool museum. Perfect for a weekend activity. I did some research before going and thought it might be helpful to share: - There is no free parking outside the proximity. You need to pick up a parking ticket by the gate in order to enter the parking lot. Parking fee is $15 per day. Parking within 30min is free. The trick is to not leave the parking lot until after 4pm, which is when free parking begins. So we arrived at the museum at 2:30pm to purchase our ticket before there was a line. Exited before 3pm so we didn't have to pay. We then re-entered again at 3:40pm for the 3:55pm movie. Even though it wasn't 4pm yet and technically you would need to pay for parking, we didn't have to pay since the movie ended at 7pm. As long as you don't exit before 4pm, you're fine. - It was a good call to get our movie tickets in advance as there was a mini line at the ticketing booth then another line to enter the theater. We arrived 15min before the movie started and we're able to find really good seats to the side. If you have a big family or want center seating, you should arrive 45-60min early. - you're not allowed to bring food or drink as they'll search your bag but water is fine. I brought a water bottle and just filled it up at the water fountain before movie began. Overall, excellent choice for those living in the Reston, Herndon, Chantilly area. Read up the tips on their website before you go and it'll save you a lot of headaches. read more

I came here to view Black Panther in style (It was the only way I was watching this movie). There's parking spaces all over but they will charge you $15 if you leave anytime BEFORE 5PM. Luckily my movie ended at 6:30, so I avoided the parking fee. Seating is first-come, first-serve, and the screen is slightly smaller (well narrow) than your normal IMAX locations. You can purchase the movie tickets online in advance to skip the long lines if it is a popular movie. They have concessions where you can purchase candy, popcorn, water, sodas, and...beer and wine! I wish the location of the museum was closer to where I lived, but I will definitely return for a future move *Infinity War* read more

It was fun to watch Avataar. Best possible experience. If you don't care about anything else, this place is awesome. The points deducted are because there are no reserved seatings. If you go with your family, it's scrambling to find seats. People came an hour early and waited in line to get good seats. Add reserved seating , and I would give it one more star. Also, the theater looks a little worn out and could use an upgrade. Modernize the theater, and I would add another point. These was one counter for popcorn. Too, you have to stand in the first line to pay and then go back and stand in a second line with the receipt to pick up the popcorn. Not a big deal but will be nice to have a better system. read more

Nice small theater Seats are semi comfortable but they don't allow you head to push back at all. The movie selection was also good considering the location. read more

Plan to arrive at least an hour and fifteen prior to time on ticket. Make the line downstairs. You will be given wristbands when making the line. When you enter we went left and entered in lower level of theatre. Go up past the center aisle for a better view of movie. read more

It was rather fly to see the Washington DC, official premier of Ian Flemmings' James Bond in NO TIME to DIE film in this National IMAX Theatre. wish they had fresh popcorn being produced rather then casually reheated bags of pre-popped popcorn put into a square box. Not even a bucket for popcorn nor baked fresh that day. read more

Awesome screen and audio! Non better anywhere! The special effects were great and the 4K video eockes!

The most visually stunning theater I've ever been to. A 6-story 4K laser projected screen is enough to make any hardcore movie lover salivate. I highly recommend this theater, its worth every cent of the admission price. read more

Airbus IMAX Theater - Rogue One on the biggest and most beautiful screen in Virginia. - Cinema Near Me - Chantilly, Virginia

I've been trying to get out to this Theater a number of times now to see a movie. I love IMAX 3D and I'd heard nothing but good things about this location. Some friends and I decided to go see Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the 1:50 pm open showing last Sunday. I bought our tix ahead of time online. I wanted to get to the theater early to secure good seats. Turns out we did not arrive nearly early enough. When we got to the entry gate to pay for parking - we saw our showing was sold out. Keep in mind - at this point - the movie has been in the theaters for 3 weeks! After waiting in line at will call to secure our tickets - with about 25 minutes until the movie started, we found ourselves at the end of a very long line to get in the theater. We ended up sitting in the 4th row from the screen. For me - this is to close. The screen is massive and I kept having to turn my head from side to side and look back and forth to take everything in. Annoying. But the movie looked amazing! I can't wait to come back here again for more movies - but I think I am going to arrive at the will call line at least one hour or more before the movie starts so that I can get better seats - meaning much farther away from the screen. read more

I like this theater because they show first run IMAX movies. I don't like that you are REQUIRED to stand in line to pick up a ticket you purchased ahead of time on their web site AND you stand in line AGAIN to have the ticket torn as you enter the theater. James and I went to see The Martian which was fantastic. VERY long lines to get to tickets, pay for and pick up tickets and then you stand in line again for the theater to open. The lines get VERY LONG because they don't open the theater doors until about 10 minutes before show time. Then as soon as the movie is over...there is a MASSIVE rush to get to the men's room where you stand in line AGAIN because the facilities are too small to accommodate such a large crowd. read more

The screen is the best in the region, everything else, not so much, in 2022 they really need to switch to reserved seating like almost every other premium theater, if you don't show up early to some showings you get stuck in a seat so bad you need a chiropractor the next day. read more

This is my first negative review on yelp. Bought tix to Dunkirk last night for an evening show. Didn't realize that reserved seating was absolutely no option even when getting there at will call. Even though we didnt show up last (about 30 behind us), our group of three had to settle to sit in the front row bc too many people had settled w gaps in between. After watching the first minute of the movie and knowing full well of the show we would be in for, we knew that we were sitting too close to be able to enjoy it completely. We had to walk out to save this experience for another day (at another theatre). I get that most movies played are slowly paced documentaries where when sitting this close one would be able to look around and marvel at the visuals. But for a fast-paced production like this, sitting that close would be a no go. Certainly not for the price of the tix. A few other disgruntled folks who also left at that time would agree. read more

Awesome place, ver well planed. Had a blast with family ........ ....... ....... Would give 10 stars ********** read more

First of all, let me state that I cannot believe I'm giving a less than 4 star review to a REAL IMAX theatre. For those of you who have not been unplugged from the lie, let me tell you that IMAX has devised a clever marketing scheme to call your local AMC (or insert national chain brand movie theatre name here) screens a "Digital IMAX" screen. If you've noticed a lot of conveniently located IMAX movie theaters popping up in the last couple of years next to your home, this is the reason why. You've been going to LIEMAX theaters. A real IMAX theatre screen is much larger than your neighborhood digital LIEMAX screen (23X30 meters vs. 8.5X18 meters). To give an analogy, it's like watching a movie on a 32 inch vs a 60 inch tv. There is no contest. If you want to get an idea as to how big of a difference this is, go here: http://nerdtears.com/your-mission-not-be-ripped-off-with-fake-imax/ The differences in real IMAX vs. Liemax do not stop at the size. To go a bit technical here, you can see that the ratio of the height to the width is not the same for the real imax vs. the liemax screen. When you go to a Liemax theater, the footage is "formatted to fit" your theater's screen and you lose a ton of footage. This means you're paying the extra money for IMAX and not getting an IMAX experience. I call that a scam. Airbus Imax is the ONLY TRUE imax theater in the DMV area that shows the 70mm film footage.I saw Batman the Dark Knight Rises last night in this theater with 50 min of footage shot in true IMAX. It's a breathtaking experience feeling that you are immersed in the film in such scenes where the camera rolls over Gotham City. So...what is the problem? The sound system. The sound is worse than your typical movie theater and at several points I was wondering whether the sound was in mono or stereo. The sound was very fuzzy and it made dialogue very hard to understand (made worse by the computerized voice of Bane). Second, there appears to be no surround sound. For example, when a car moves left to right on the movie screen, it should sound as if the car is moving from left to right. Everything was very monotonic and was projected from a single location on the screen. Lastly, the speakers are very weak. This is how powerful real imax theater speakers are supposed to be. They can blow out candles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIblZZwU0j0 There were other minor quirks about the theater, including a lack of concession stands (bring your own drinks and food folks!) and a lack of previews before the movie. Nevertheless, this is the only real IMAX theater in the area and I'll still be going. I will be optimistic on a sound system upgrade, but it won't likely happen considering that someone spotted this problem several years ago at Airbus. On a positive note, the staff is incredibly friendly, the theater is incredibly clean, and you get to see a bit of the museum for free while walking inside the building. P.S. For those looking for real IMAX theaters in the US here is a comprehensive list: EDIT: apparently I was incorrect. There are 3 real IMAX theaters in the DC area (two in DC, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of Natural History, and AIrbus IMAX in Chantilly). http://www.lfexaminer.com/DarkKnightRisesOn1570.htm read more

Size matters... Really it does. Once you see a movie on a REAL IMax screen you'll have a hard time watching it on the other 'imax' screens. The screen here is 6 stories tall so prepared to be amazed! Things of note is that you should definitely arrive EARLY. I got here about 30 minutes or so before one movie and there were people lined up already to get into the theater. There is stadium seating but with the screen being so tall you'll want try and sit near the middle for the best experience. Because of that, the earlier you get here the more likely you'll be able to sit where you want. The other thing of note is that you can't eat or drink in here, so if you're hungry you better get something to eat from beforehand. There is a food court in the museum so you can eat there, you just can't bring it in. read more

We saw "Interstellar" here last week. Worth it to see it in IMAX and not LIEMAX! Parking is free after hours. They check bags so don't bring in outside food. Concessions are limited but they won't fleece you. Combo included medium popcorn, 20 oz soda, and box of candy for $11. Only bottled Illy coffee. You can tell the theatre wasn't intended to sell concessions because there's no cup holders for your drink. Get here at least 45 minutes early, otherwise you'll be in back of the line. First to line up, first to get seated. We were in the middle of the second line and were able to get seated in the middle aisle but not as far back as we would have liked. You might as well buy a large popcorn because you'll consume half of it while in line. Bathrooms are very clean. read more

I was so excited when I found out that the Chantilly Imax was finally showing a feature-length film (Batman: Dark Knight) that I almost peed myself. I had to wait a week until the showtimes stopped being sold out so I rounded up 4 friends and we reserved 11pm tix for last night. It had been years since I'd been in an Imax theater and 2 of the people I went with had never been in one. Boy were we in for a treat! Or not. Apparently, confirmed after research I conducted 23min ago, the Imax theaters I remember as a kid were ImaxDome theaters where you were literally enveloped by the screen. The screen at the Chantilly House of Imax was probably a little taller than the biggest screen at Tyson's Corner, Potomac Mills, or Hoffman Center. But it was not taller (in my opinion) than the Uptown Theater in DC. I think the Uptown probably is much wider than the Imax screen. Well, at least the seats were constructed from plywood and metal with a comfy cork-board laminate. No reclining options, no cup-holders, no propping your feet up or even room to cross your legs. Oh, and they kept the temperature at a cozy 84F. I wore shorts and a cutoff so the coldness would keep me from potentially falling asleep. Not needed. I was squirming in a sweaty seat from hour one. My back seriously hurt for 2 hours after the film. Well, at least the Imax experience promises phenomenal sound and picture quality. The sound was no better than most other places, and I'm an audiophile (actually, I'm a freelance A/V Technician on the side). The picture truly WAS extraordinary in the aerial and landscape shots, when the screen was full (i.e. Imax), but that was maybe 30% of the movie. Most of the time, the screen was shown in letterbox format (you know, where the tops and bottoms are cut off and it's all wide and seeyuch). And they only sell water. No food. No soda. So, I waited a week, saw a movie at 11pm on a worknight, drove to Chantilly, waited in line for 25min beforehand, suffered total lack of comfort, and spent $14 (online purchase includes service charges) for a movie that was only shown in actual Imax for a percentage of the duration of the film and even then, I swear the screen was not noticeably larger than the 'grand screens' of your average multiplex. Did I mention that they didn't show previews? I heard there was a trailer for the new Terminator movie (where the focus is on the future and the Robot Wars!!!) and one for the Watchmen (another graphic novel adaptation by the guy who did 300). I heard the previews were some of the best looking movies to come out in a while. Glad I can neither confirm nor deny any of that. Suck it Imax Chantilly. I hate you. read more

They might have the nicest theater in the area but the way they ran the waiting line fot star wars was horrendous. I can forgive that your theater didn't have assigned seats. No problem, i knew that coming in. I went to watch Star Wars and at first they had an orderly line in front of the theater. Then about 50 minutes before the movie started they started to let everyone in. That's the problem The orderly line was split into two groups, for the two entrances to the theater. The semblance of lines turned into a mob between those two entrances. There was no line, I'm just glad the people were courteous for thepst part. However, people waiting for hours was merged into people who just got there because people can just fall into a mob between two entrances. This was very poorly drawn. Why let people in 30 feet when they were nicely settled outside in a line only to turn it into a mob. read more

This visit was for IMAX - be aware it's $15 to PARK! Horrible experience for Star Wars, but they do have beer! Seats were so uncomfortable all 12 of us had neck aches; the chairs were the most uncomfortable I've ever encountered. The backs were s higher than my 6"+ hubby who couldn't even lean his head back, straight up. Painful. The armrests were negligible, they didn't even come up half-way forearm. The 3-D glasses were greasy and a pain to clean. The glare on the inside from the walls made the movie difficult to watch and 5 of us had headaches from them. For the next Star Wars we will find a more comfortable venue! I've been through the museum before and loved it, the IMAX not so much. Also we found out the hard way you have to PAY for parking. No where did it list that until we got to the gate. read more

The IMAX Theatre is located at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum located in Chantilly, VA (not to be confused with the museum on the National Mall in DC). This is the perfect place to catch a movie, especially if the film promises loads of special effects. Along with the usual Fighter Pilot films typically offered by IMAX, there are also recent releases. Saturday I joined about 34856 other Potter-maniacs who eagerly packed the place to catch the fifth Harry Potter movie, the Order of the Pheonix. This is a theatre truly worthy of the fangirl experience. The screen is six stories tall; there is surround sound, stadium seating, and high-backed comfy chairs that make the 2.5 hour film a great viewing pleasure. The only difference is that there is no food allowed in, nor is there food sold in the theatre (although you can buy food in the museum). Thing to remember - if you have to use the restroom during the movie, do not go through the doors at the top of the theatre, no matter how close to the top you're seated. Those doors will lock behind you and you'll find yourself effectively locked out of the theatre (hideous thought!). Instead, use the doors at the bottom. read more

Don't bother seeing an IMAX film here in the first week or two it's out. Got tickets to Dark Knight Rises almost 6 weeks ago, and got to the 10:30PM showing last night almost 2 hours early, at 8:50. We were in the middle of the arrivals... a bunch of folks were already there... but still should have gotten decent seats. Except that the theater staff did. ABSOLUTELY. NOTHING. AT. ALL. to prevent a ton of folks from cutting in line, and when the theater opened before the movie, saving a lot of seats for people who weren't there yet or had been let in behind us. When all was said and done, we were sitting on the side of the 2nd row of the theater, which is not worth it in this theater. Should have asked for a refund. I won't be back until they learn how to properly control the crowds, or start selling numbered seats. Completely ridiculous. read more

Throughly enjoyed our experience. You can't ask for a greater venue- IMAX without needed to go to the District!

Andrew M's review is so far off I don't even know what to say. I saw the Dark Knight there, I waited in line for a while after a long day of work and I loved it. The screen is HUGE, much larger than any theater I have ever been to including the Uptown which I have been to multiple times. You will be taken back when they display the scenes in full screen mode, it is amazing. Please keep in mind that when they are playing a regular movie, such as the Dark Knight, it isn't going to be playing on the full screen the whole time since they don't shoot the whole movie in the IMAX format. Regardless, it is damn impressive when they do. You have to keep in mind this is not your traditional movie theater, you aren't going to get popcorn, candy, and soda. You aren't going to put your feet up on the chair in front of you, this IS in a museum, folks. Read the last paragraph of Jessica A's review, it sums everything up nicely. I can't wait for the next big movie they will play there, I certainly will buy another ticket... read more