August 2025
ONWARD TO A NEW ERA Dr. Phillips Charities donated $1 million to Orlando Science Center’s Unlock Science campaign to fund a complete renovation of the Dr. Phillips CineDome, a cornerstone of the Science Center’s programming since the building opened in 1997. These funds will be combined with other campaign dollars to bring cutting edge planetarium shows to Orlando Science Center along with giant screen movies and original laser light shows. Unlock Science invests in the future of Orlando Science Center and its commitment to be a strong resource for informal science learning, family engagement, and job development. The campaign has raised over $30 million and
transformed the Science Center with projects like KidsTown, the STEM Discovery Center, and the Life exhibit. Our current CineDome projects 70mm films through a fisheye lens, a format that is 10 times larger than a conventional film theater. The screen is a huge 8,000 square feet dome designed to create an immersive theater experience for over 300 guests.
The 2,000 pound projector as seen in 1997.
When our building opened in February 1997, two companies were competing in the giantscreen film industry: IMAX and iWERKS. OSC chose iWERKS for its "New Dome Theater", and the rest is history. Interestingly, iWERKS (like most things in Central Florida) has a unique connection with Disney -- the founder of the company grew up alongside important Disney animators... his father, Ub Iwerks is known for his early work designing Mickey Mouse with Walt Disney. The Dr. Phillips CineDome will be closing on August 12 to prepare for its renovation and re-emergence in Spring 2026. Don’t miss out on seeing the final film presentation: Everest at 2:45pm on Tues, August 12.