Reviews of The Tuttleman IMAX® Theater at The Franklin Institute (Movie Theater)

John Fondots

The dome offers a unique viewing experience, but the theater is showing its age and is in need of some refurbishment. The seats are very uncomfortable, worn, very close together, and IMO, as someone who is not very tall to begin with, sit too close to the ground. The screen is also probably in need of some maintenance, a couple pannels are noticeably discolored, and the seams/gaps between them are very noticeable at certain times during movies. Also a couple speakers sound like they might be rattling slightly. Their projection system may also need a little updating since I don't feel that the picture quality is as crisp as I would normally expect from an IMAX theater. But ticket and concession prices are very reasonable, and the dome experience can really elevate certain movie experiences to something special. I recently had the opportunity to watch a restored 70mm print of 2001: A Space Odyssey here, and although the edges of the image were a little warped (an unavoidable consequence of projecting a traditional movie onto a curved screen) it was an amazing opportunity- the sound system really did the amazing score and sound design justice and the screen allowed the "Star Gate" sequence to fill nearly my entire field of view for a truly out-of-this-world experience. I wouldn't hesitate to go back for special film events, but the needed updates to the theater make it so that I would probably skip it on my next regular museum visit.

Addie Adams

Love IMAX but was disappointed in the Apollo 11 film. Not a good I MAX selection. Everything looked distorted.

Sarah Dattilo

We've seen qiute a few things here and the picture and sound quality are great! Plenty of seating and leg room.

Calvin Ni

I recently watched Dunkirk in IMAX 70mm here because it was one of the two locations in PA to screen the movie in that particular format. It was my first time being there and it was a disaster. Watching movies here is literally a pain. The movie was projected on the entire dome and you would have to look up and side to side to get the action. Seats were very uncomfortable. There were really small and the seats made me feel like I was sitting on concrete for 2 hours. The picture quality was poor. Most of the movie was flat in terms of saturation and the brightness was very low (darker scenes were difficult to focus on.) The film was majorly shot in 70mm and in digital. A lot of the image was cut off during the scenes that were shot in 70mm because of the dome's circular shape and it was almost like watching it out of a fish eye lens. Not much of the film was shown properly and it was a shame. The only positive thing I can say about watching it here was the sound quality. I went to see Dunkirk again at UA King of Prussia in IMAX 70mm and all of my problems I had with this theater were non-existent there. STAY CLEAR FROM HERE. YOU WILL REGRET IT.

Steve Levy

Saw a regular movie there (not IMAX). Was fun but images were noticeably warped around the edges. Also, the floors are a bit sticky from chewing gum. All said, I'd go back again for IMAX films and perhaps the occasional other movie.

Michael Dennery Jr

DO NOT SEE THE NEW STAR WARS MOVIE HERE!!!!! You'll thank me later. Absolutely worst movie experience of my life. Watching a regular movie here is awful. The display is warped and makes it impossible to enjoy 95% of the shots of the film. You have to turn your neck to see someone in a long shot. The seats are terrible and will most likely hurt your neck. And I was in the middle of the theatre! Imagine what is what like for the people at the bottom.. I'm actually upset that they would even allow people to see it from that angle. Shame on them.

Kyle Charles

Nice

Andrew Burke

Always fun. Unless you're a member it's a bit too pricy.

tony blanks

Great place to watch a movie just not enough knee room for big men.

Sergio Ramírez Franco

The restroom is in poor condition, unworthy of the Imax theater and the Franklin Institute

Ian O’Boyle

boi

Lisa Magillicuddy

The very best way to see a movie. There are only ~60 domed IMAX theaters in the world. Once I was suckered into a non-domed "IMAX" and wanted my money back.

Jose Santiago

Great family attractions

Crytal Speaks

Loved it

duncan weaver

Loved the new seating and lots of movie snacks loved it!

kenjiao2

Went to see Rogue One, left with a severely sore neck and butt! The seats are upright in the entire theater instead of tilting backwards, so unless you are sitting in the literal back row, you'll have to look up and sit at the end of the seat to see anything. Definitely would not recommend seeing a movie here unless you get there super early and snag a back seat

Super3dcow

Great place, but the seats and screen is showing its age. Would like it updated, with the same dome shape. The audio is still super good. Great quality overall still.

Joseph C Deiter

Love seeing movies here.

Cori Frede

Great for educational films that were specifically filmed for a dome theater but it will distort regular movies. The seats were not originally designed for long pictures so if you go for a full-length movie it gets uncomfortable. The dome will make action scenes really cool. For example, the quidditch match during HP was awesome as they flew around.

Lori

Star Wars, So Good!!!!

Ivelisse Viruet

Saw 2 movies Panda & Rescue Dogs. It's a most see

Satish Shikhare

Only way to watch Star Wars.

Marķ nojorie Spencer

Always has good movies Worth membership price

Robert Peters

BLUF: -Save your money seeing cinema movies and go else where -Bad screen with defects and distortion -Projector problems focusing on fast motion scenes -Dirt on film being projected I went to see Star Wars The Force Awakens in 70mm IMAX at the Tuttleman IMAX Theater (Franklin Institute) in Philadelphia, PA. I have been patiently waiting to see this film and hand-picked this showing to be the first time I’ve seen this film. As you can imagine my expectation to see Star Wars in it’s superior format was quite high. As soon as we walked into the theater first noticed how curved the screen was around the edges. We initially thought this would help to make a for an immersive movie experience. During the film this actually made the film worse. This was very noticeable in the scenes where the actors are placed on either the left or right side of the screen. Everything looked stretched and dis-proportioned. We were seated towards the back in the middle of the row and close to the projector. I’ve been to many other IMAX theaters in the past in different areas and never have I seen screen curvature so awful, it became annoying. On the same topic of the screen, the screen itself had many patches, bubbling and off-color sections. During the film the off-color and bubbled sections were very noticeable during the bright scenes. These too were very distracting. Also, on multiple occasions the projector had significant issues focusing. This was extremely troubling during the battle scenes. Combined with the distorted screen and the artifacts, it was almost unwatchable. Lastly, all throughout the film we noticed pieces of hair and lint projected onto the screen. This really brought the quality of the film down. Overall, I was very disappointed in the showing of Star Wars in 70mm IMAX. It’s very troubling because this theater is carrying the IMAX label and many people such as myself would have expected higher standards of quality going to a theater selling as an IMAX theater. Bottomline, this hurts the IMAX brand.

Tommy O'Malia

Uncomfortable seats, had to look up but the headrests pointed our heads forward and or down, saw Rogue One and the screen stretched the sides of the picture so that towers were bent and everything just looked proportionately wrong, and one of the tiles in the center of the screen was noticeably darker than the ones around it and it stood out during the movie. Save your money, go to a remodeled AMC. The only good thing was that the staff found my phone that I lost in the same night.

andrew kairis

Not near as good as during its Heyday in the nineties there was schmootzs the lens for most of the show, and the movie was cut in half literally 45 minutes instead of an hour and a half.

Marie Reese

Pandas was a entertaining and educational experience.

Scott Guo

Very very large screen that has a wrap around 360 immersive quality.

Kyheem Jones

I love the exhibits

TJ Lewis

By far the largest movie screen I have ever seen. It's so large that it has multiple sections. While this larger size is amazing, it's also partially a downside as depending on the lighting in the scene of the movie, you can see the seems between the sections of the screen. The seats are good in that each level of seating is raised far enough above the section in front of it that you can still see without other people's heads being in your way (big benefit for short people). However the seats are a little uncomfortable after you have been sitting in them a while. Overall a great experience though.

Michael Sheridan

Still one of the best parts the museum, and it is totally free.

Joel Grantham

Great program on apollo 11

Redrios1789

Interstellar on Tuttleman was priceless.

Eva Valencia

Es un sitio para NIÑOS y colegios... no lo recomiendo si vas a hacer turismo en Philadelphia, no merece la pena pagar 20$.

James Vincent

I left with a sore neck and a pounding headache from the position you have to sit in. You have to keep your neck bent to see the movie. OK for the usual films they show that are no more than a half hour. Over two hours? Forget it. Ruined the rest of the evening for us.

Sean Huberth

the lines between the tiles could be seen during the movie. the tiles make up the screen. lots of distortion.

Andrew Corson

OK for movies, the stretching of the screen is a bit weird and isn't as good as normal imax for regular movies. The seats are pretty bad but good enough to make it through a couple hours.

Bruce Segal

I love this IMAX screen and just about anything shown on it. The theater seats more than 300 people. Hint: the best place to sit is above the square console in the center top of the seats. If you sit more than 2-3 rows below that point, you may get a stiff neck from looking up.

Elaine Radway

Great place for all ages. Great peoples

Kevin Wright

Excellent, exciting and even educational event...

Shiv Sharma

Honestly, it's one of the worst theaters you can go to. The seats are the worst, I mean they are awfully uncomfortable, and they don't recline at all so you have to crook your neck upwards for the entire duration of the film. Also the film projector they use is woefully out of date, meaning it isn't as sharp as newer laser projectors which are brighter and sharper. Plus the white back screens they use are discolored and mismatched meaning you'll notice weird patches during some scenes. Don't waste your money here.

Jonathan Woodcock

Great wrap around dome imax.

Leila Williams

Fun for kids and adults

Ian Sebastian

Lots of folks here have some valid complaints about seeing a blockbuster type film here, the key to having a good experience watching a movie here is SIT UP HIGH IN THE THEATER! The best seats for a blockbuster film are just above the projector in the center of the seats. This gives phenomenal experience in a unique theater. In addition concessions are reasonably priced and the movies have no previews!

jamie Miller

Great museum, can spend all day here! Usually gets crowded in the afternoon with school trips. Best to get there right as it opens.

Prithvi Karapa

The worst theater in the history of mankind. Wonder what they were thinking when they made it, Horrible projection and the projection wall isn't even clear! Apart from a horrible cinema experience , you also will take home a twisted neck , a headache and an empty wallet.

Jody Lurie

A good option to see blockbuster movies

Vivek Murthy

Another must see in the Franklin museum...

Christine Cutter

Movie was great but the seats were very uncomfortable.

Jim Shelby

Domed screen badly distorts films not made for it.

Nolan Wehr

Very uncomfortable seats. It is difficult to watch the film due to the poor angle. Watching a regular film here is not something I would recommend.

renken33

Was a little disappointed in the quality of the screen. Seemed to be dirty or possibly showing damage and wear and tear. Felt like my 4k television has a clearer picture. You have to sit far back in the theater or be ready for a stiff neck. My 8yr old daughter and 11yr old nephew enjoyed the show but as for me would rather walk around and enjoy the exibits.

offthehigh xxx

I LOVED IT

Tyler Romeo

The theater is amazing and one of the last 70mm IMAX theaters on the East Coast. Seats are relatively comfy, but nothing amazing.

uɐɯʇɐq C-Smith

Amazing

Bill Timmons

I would not recommend seeing a movie in the IMAX format due to poor picture quality and an ill fitted theater that makes it physically uncomfortable. (Reference movie: Rogue One) The IMAX screen is not not good. The screen shape distorts images, you are so close to the screen it is impossible for a human to focus properly and the resolution is not better than a regular theater. For example, the dome shape of the screen distorts images. The mast of a ship appears bent and a Star Destroyer ends up looking like an elf shoe with a curled up front. Another example is that the screen is so close and big that it is not possible to really focus on a scene in a meaningful way. An actor's face appears so big on the screen that you can basically only focus in on their nose, rending the entirety of the screen a total blur, especially in action scenes. While the Franklin Inst. is a great facility and the Tuttleman IMAX appears to be nice I would say it has many design flaws. The seats are arranged just like any other theater as if you are meant to be looking forward at a regular screen. However the IMAX screen is located higher above your head. You need to slump down in your seat and look up over your head the entire time. I overheard many people comment on this negatively in the theater. Also, the construction of the screen really takes away from the picture quality. Because of the shape of the domed screen it is constructed of many panels, which resemble a beach ball of sorts. While this isn't a problem for the most part it completely ruins any light colored scenes such as those that show a bright blue sky, beach, winter scene, etc.

Larry Bria

Not enough seats, very small, expensive parking, and they don't give full refunds for tickets. Worst/smallest dome theater I've been too. Better off watching a movie on your phone than in this dome. Doesn't feel like true Omnimax.

Cody Taylor

Great!

UX Team

Fantastic experience!

Johnnie McKie

Super dogs was awesome

Donna-Chemene Watt

The greatest Imax experience ever!

Oliver Miller

ok

Nicole Fitzgerald

The view, amazing, the movie, great!!

Andrew Barnum

Still projecting 70mm film and its awesome!!!

deadlyseed .

It's a theater but the screen extends to the back of your head.

John Arena

Saw a 70mm print of 2001 A Space Odyssey here. The seats are in need of refurbishment and they're set too low to the ground, a specific tile is so in need of cleaning that it was distracting, a speaker or sub had come looses at rattled conspicuously, and an announcement from the projection room came as soon as the credits began to roll so the audience could be ushered out to make room for the next show. That said, the experience of seeing one of Kubrick's masterpieces on a four story 'screen' is not something I'm going to forget. Worth the price of admission and then some. Aside from the actual experience, the $15 was a welcome surprise and parking in the Franklin Institute's garage is convenient and easy to get in and out of; back to I-95 in ten minutes.

Bob Treue

The dome shaped movie is a nice features but they charge you $7/person for a short infomercial on Vikings. Not worth it. If it were free, I would give it a try.

Brian Coen

Fantastic experience! Everyone has should visit at least once.

Maurice Cross

always come here with my family its the best

Jessica Brummett

The theatre was an amazing experience as the extra large round screen makes you feel apart of the scenes.

Danielle Matheny

Horribly uncomfortable seating and not enough movie theatre type snacks.

Jakab Zsolt

great place to see a movie. And awesome experience to see one in IMAX

Richard Sun

Great screen was the size of the theatre.

cynthia muse

Community Night

Chad Richards

Unique dome shaped IMAX but the seats don't recline and all but the top seats will hurt your neck

wanderer 140

Great big screen with good shows

Jay Cee

Great theather to see movies in.

Sharon Kovac

The show was amazing!

Stephen Horton

Too expensive for The Viking exhibit.

Denise Fennell

The Tuttleman IMAX is located at The Franklin Institute. Exhibits are very educational and the theater is phomenominal. If you join ... the first visit, I assure you ... you and family will be hooked!

Rivka Schafer

Amazing experience

Jaclyn arroyo

Always an adventure waiting for you

Dead Nite

Really big screen

David Gasparro

I always enjoy going to the Imax. A most entertaining experience.

Debicsn

Love the Tuttleman IMAX. Great to see women in engineering highlighted

Nicky B

Great sound but couldn't give it 5 stars because the picture wasn't that impressive

Ben Harris

Don't watch a regular movie there, unless you want to stare straight up hunched over in uncomfotable seats while the edges of the screen get distorted into mush or cut off. Ruined Dunkirk.

Erdem Yildirim

Great

Dennine Flowers

I really loved the experience it was surreal

Adrian Martin

My boys had a great time ! 13 and almost 15 yrs old and they ran around like crazy kids