
Stephen Montoya
A Byrne Construction crew continues putting the finishing touches on the soon-to-be open Jane & John Justin Foundation Omni Theater in November.
The newly revamped digital dome inside of the Jane & John Justin Foundation Omni Theater at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is starting to literally take shape.
No longer visible is the giant steel skeleton that supports the 12,000 10x10 digital tiles that magnetically cover the circumference of the 40’ tall, 80’ in diameter dome, the only one of its kind (inside of a museum) in the world.
For close to two years now, Bennett Partners, along with Byrne Construction, the company that helped build the first iteration of the Omni in the late 70s, have been busy remodeling and upgrading this once dormant space.
The actual LED tiles that cover this full dome were created by global tech company, Cosm, who already has some cred for creating digital displays for several pro NFL, and MLB teams, as well as a Cirque du Soleil show.
Besides the dome, the foyer area that used to have a multi-level floor is now all one level, making it easier to traverse for anyone with a disability. Also, this newly revamped area has a new footprint, which is open enough to host a large event, soiree, or party.
The newly leveled flooring continues into the nostalgic hallway entrance that still displays the old-school Omni Theater projector room left of the hallway. This space has been left intact as an homage to the theater's past.

Stephen Montoya
“We plan on putting a few more items in this area from the Omni’s past as an exhibit,” Tammy McKinney, vice president of development and marketing at the FWMSH explained during a walk-through of the facility last week.
“We also have two dedicated niches that we are going to fill with more of items that span from various exhibits we’ve had here throughout the years in the past.”
Inside the dome itself, are 88,000 pounds of LED panels that can be easily run with a gaming controller, iPad, or lap top computer. No longer needed are the half dozen museum employees it took to run the old-school analogue system.
“It took three people just to change out those old reels alone,” McKinney verified. Besides the team effort it took to make reel changes during an Omni movie, there staff members running the reels on the bottom floor while other staff members would watch the film from above the seating area to ensure it was running correctly.
There was even a staff member dedicated to pouring a cooling agent on the giant lights that illuminated the old Omni dome. Now, everything can be done pretty much by one person.
With this new rebuild, the dome itself has a perforated cooling system set up that takes air from inside the theater and circulates it to the back of the panels and the audience watching the film.
“This is the design the crews will be testing the week of October 28,” she says.
During our walk through, the dome inside of the Omni Theater was only at 20 %, which was bright enough for construction crews to see their way around while still installing some new railing and theater seating. McKinney explained that she’s seen the dome at 100 %, which she likened to floating in the sky.
Each 10x10 panel itself is equipped with a sensor system that can communicate with each surrounding panel, allowing museum staff to know when a panel needs to be replaced or is having an issue. Since each panel is magnetized, they are relatively easy to replace depending on where the panel is located on the dome.
Behind the large screen are a series of ladders set up for staff to use in case of a panel change or for inspection. Miles of wires can be seen on the back of each panel, interconnected, which allows the system to run congruently. An almost 1,300 power supply feeds this digital dome comprised of 12,000 individual 8K resolution panels. This new dome also carries 120 KVA with a 12,000-watt sound system backed by a 10,000-watt server system, great for creating the illusion of flight.
Speaking of flight, McKinney also verified that the theater is working on a new flyover film, which will incorporate frames from the original flyover to run before any of the Omni’s features.
“This is the one question everybody asks the most,” McKinney says with a grin. The one obstacle the museum is working on is trying to digitize the old 70mm flyover filmstock to splice into a new digital flyover. After all, these frames are the size of a large kitchen table. But McKinney assured us the Fort Worth flyover is a priority.

Stephen Montoya
Other upgrades already in place outside of the theater include a series of automatic sliding doors that reside on the north side of the museum. Other upgrades include a family restroom located in the theater foyer, as well as nearly 300 new – easy-to-clean – leather seats.
Also, in front of the new seating is a stage, which can be used for presentations, or teachers who are heading up a specific subject for a field trip. Plus, ADA compliance has been adhered to with several ramp areas, a level floor throughout the theater, and a rebuilt elevator system.
And although a presentation or movie can now be run by one person via the new setup, McKinney says the museum will also have ushers, and ticket handlers on site during theater events to help make sure everyone is comfortable with their viewing experience.
Another upgrade new to the Omni is a large 17x9 LED screen that can be used for presentations during any events held in the Omni’s foyer. There will even be a small concession stand in the foyer that will sell popcorn and drinks.
Per estimated ticket prices, McKinney says each ticket will cost $15 for non-members, and $13 for kids, with members getting a 20 % discount.
“When you look at other venues that have technology, their pricing is up there, but we wanted to make it so that everybody can come here and enjoy the Omni,” she says.