Dinosaurs are stomping through Long Beach again, only this time they are made of light. The Aquarium of the Pacific's Ocean Theater has been transformed into a HoloTheater, the first of its kind on the West Coast, where fully realized holographic dinosaurs now appear on stage without requiring guests to wear 3D glasses or headsets.
The transformation officially opened to visitors on September 4, according to the Aquarium of the Pacific, and can seat up to 132 guests per showing. The debut show, called Dinosaur Discoveries: A Holographic Adventure, was produced by BASE Xperiential and distributed in collaboration with MacGillivray Freeman Films, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. BASE Xperiential also partnered with Paquin Entertainment Group on the production, per the same outlet.
What Happens Inside the 25-Minute Show
The 25-minute presentation transports audiences across prehistoric landscapes to encounter extraordinary creatures, according to NBC Los Angeles, using six projection surfaces and layered audio to depict authentic environments where the animals lived. It highlights paleontological discoveries and scientific revelations built up over the technology's history, the outlet notes. Showings begin every 30 minutes at the Ocean Theater and run throughout the day, every day the aquarium is open.
Nicole Meek, the aquarium's senior director of visitor operations, said the aquarium hopes guests leave inspired to learn more about ocean animals. She added that the aquarium is looking forward to having the first HoloTheater experience on the West Coast, according to NBC Los Angeles.
How the Technology Fits Into a National Rollout
Long Beach is not the first stop for this format. The HoloTheater technology and Dinosaur Discoveries presentation originally premiered in November 2022 at the Houston Museum of Natural Science's Wortham Giant Screen Theatre, according to the Giant Screen Cinema Association. Fort Lauderdale's Museum of Discovery and Science later opened the East Coast's first custom-built HoloTheater with the same dinosaur program in November 2025, per the Museum of Discovery and Science. That Fort Lauderdale account describes the same 25-minute format chronicling 140 years of paleontology discoveries, using laser projection and CGI holograms that appear to step out onto a stage directly in front of the screen.
The underlying hardware is built to be flexible. BASE Xperiential's installation relies on panoramic laser projection, video mapping, and spatial audio designed to fit into learning spaces as small as 1,000 square feet, according to Blooloop. That compact footprint is part of why giant-screen producer MacGillivray Freeman Films acquired worldwide distribution rights to the HoloTheater film library in December 2023, aiming to expand holographic edutainment to museums and attractions globally.
Ticket Prices and What's Coming Next
HoloTheater admission costs $12 for the public and $10 for members, separate from standard aquarium admission, per NBC Los Angeles. General admission to the Aquarium of the Pacific runs $49.95 for adults, $34.95 for children ages 3 to 11, and $46.95 for seniors, according to La Jolla Mom, putting a combined adult admission and HoloTheater ticket at $61.95. Tickets are available both in advance and on-site.
A second show is already on the horizon. Ocean Giants Revealed is set to debut later this year, per NBC Los Angeles, with a November 2026 launch date reported by Mommy Poppins Los Angeles. That program will feature marine species from the past and present, including the megalodon alongside modern whales and sea jellies, taking guests to the deepest parts of the ocean.
The pivot toward ocean-themed holograms lines up with the aquarium's core mission. The non-profit Aquarium of the Pacific, which opened in June 1998 on a 6-acre site along Rainbow Harbor as part of Long Beach's waterfront tourism push, according to the Los Angeles Times, draws roughly 1.5 million to 1.7 million visitors annually and houses more than 12,000 animals across over 100 exhibits, per Wikipedia. The HoloTheater is designed as a multi-show platform capable of rotating in new edutainment content over time, giving the aquarium a way to keep bringing visitors back to the same indoor theater space.
