Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History wants to recapture the same risk-taking, cowboy mentality that made it a destination when the OMNI Theater opened in 1983 — this time, with an expanded theater wing featuring an updated OMNI and the new V-DROME experience. The goal is to make Fort Worth a world leader in digital education and community engagement by adding a spherical theater in which visitors are suspended in seats that move with the camera to give an experience like flying, according to Doug Roberts, the museum’s chief public engagement officer heading up the new project.
“A lot of things in Fort Worth are hidden gems,” Roberts says. “We don’t want this to be that. We want this to be a gem that everybody sees and appreciates.”
The expansion was born out of a desire to innovate. The OMNI Theater is aging, and its analog technology is becoming obsolete. The museum’s revenue sharply declined after the 2008 recession, and its net assets have fallen by nearly $19 million since the end of 2011, according to IRS tax filings.
The museum’s expansion has an anticipated price tag of $25 million, and Roberts says part of the funding is coming from donors and corporate foundations.
“We are the canary in the coal mine,” Roberts says. “If we do well and demonstrate to the museum community that this is both a meaningful money raiser and a meaningful immersive education experience, we could be a leader in the world for this.”
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Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
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Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
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Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
The expansion hinges on the V-DROME theater, which Roberts describes a potential “crown jewel for Fort Worth.” As the only museum in the world to build an immersive theater like the V-DROME, success could mean a big draw for tourism and academic prestige. As part of its contract with the vendor, FWMSH established a radius of exclusivity, meaning Fort Worth will be the only home of an attraction like this in Texas for a period of time.
The V-DROME will be modeled after similar theater experiences like the Soarin’ attraction at Disney theme parks and the FlyOver America ride at the Mall of America. Where FWMSH plans to outshine other attractions is in producing a wide variety of educational content using helicopters, drones, computer modeling, and even partnering with local schools for student-created content.
“The kids could create the content and bring it into the theater — we do a little magic programming, then they could see their experience with their classmates,” Roberts says.
While immersive technology like VR headsets can be an isolating experience, Roberts says he’s excited to explore the social aspects of the V-DROME, highlighting it as an experience designed for groups to share. Each carriage holds up to eight people, and flight experiences will naturally lead into other learning journeys throughout the museum.
“The social aspect is really important,” Roberts says. “You go in there as a family having discussions as you’re flying over areas. That’s where the memorable things happen.”
First flights of the V-DROME are set to launch late in 2020.
