OmniMax Theatre at Caesars Palace
3570 S. Las Vegas Boulevard,
Las Vegas,
NV
89109
3570 S. Las Vegas Boulevard,
Las Vegas,
NV
89109
4 people
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This should be listed as closed/demolished. Yes - the space is where the Caesars Colosseum live venue is now located, but that’s a different building.
1980’s photo added. Copy courtesy of the Nevada Armored Transport, Inc. 1946-1984 Facebook page.
When the Omnimax Theater at Caesars Palace opened in 1979 it was a transport into sight and sound. Located on the north side of the property it almost looked like a huge golf ball. The Omnimax featured laid back seating with surround sound and an overhead screen encompassing the entire range of vision. Plagued from the beginning with leaks in the screen it still lasted nearly 21 years closing in 2000. Pictured in 1980 from the Caesars Palace Collection and shared via UNLV Libraries Digital Collections.
1999 photo added. Entrance to the Omnimax Theater at Caesars Palace. Photo credit Jane and Louise Wilson.
The OmniMax in Boston at the museum of Science has been there for years and is still going strong. It plays nothing but Imax educational films. Has never played a commercial film tyo my knowledge where the Imax at the aquarium did play commercial films at one time but no longer.
I believe the project was opened during a celebration for Frank Sinatra’s birthday? I would love to see any photos of the outside from that event.
I programmed the lighting controller for outside of the Casesar’s Palace Omnimax theater when I was in college. I wrote the assembler language back in 1979! I was so sad to hear that the theater was torn down, as I never was able to personally visit the working project! I am interested if anyone can share online any pictures or videos of this project so I can add it to my portfolio! My website is www.newtechniques.com and email is
Now its deons dome i remeber seing so many here was awsome the huge projector when u forst walked in amazing
Hey Ed, Just wanted to confirm that you are correct. When you would exit the Omnimax you would be able to see the projection area where the print would rewind. It was cool to watch that big 15/70 print start rewinding.
I remember being in this theatre in the early 1980’s very nice and excellent presentation. Sad to hear that it is closed.
There were a few IMAX feature films that ran over the years at the OmniMax at Caesar’s. The only one I saw was Wings of Courage. I think. I don’t remember exactly.
I’m trying to recall now, if this is the theatre where one could exit past a window that looked onto the projection equipment, giving patrons an appreciative glimpse into how massive the platter of IMAX film actually was. I may be thinking of the Lincoln Square IMAX in Manhattan (where you are made to exit the auditorium by climbing up the stairs to the back of the house). Whichever theater, I seem to recall seeing how the platter was mechanically lifted off the spindle to be rewound or replaced with a different film. The memory is a bit hazy.
One funny little bit of personal coincidence… the Street View above shows that Cher was the star performer appearing at the casino at the time of the image. I believe Cher was also the headliner at the Circus Maximus when I went to the OmniMax back in August, 1980 (with comedian Freddy Roman opening, if memory serves). I need to find my photos of that trip to be certain of that.
Ed, You probably did see the film about the eruption of Mt. Saint Helens at this theater; I remember seeing that film at an OmniMax in Seattle.
Here is a view of the theater’s entrance/lobby area: View link
I remember seeing my very first IMAX film (or proto-IMAX, if that’s more accurate) here at the OmniMax in August of 1980. I think the film was about the eruption of Mount St. Helens – could that be? I believe the eruption was only a few months earlier in 1980, so, unless that short film was rushed into release, I might be mistaken. I know I still have my tickets for the show buried somewhere in my basement. If I can find them and get a good scan, I’ll upload an image here.
I always think back to the OmniMax presentation whenever I see an IMAX film today. Even when I go to purpose-built IMAX rooms, like the one at the AMC Lincoln Square Theater in NYC, I still remember how the OmniMax screen stretched up and partially over the audience with the curvature of the dome. The only other immersive cinematic experience I can relate the OmniMax presentation with, would be the 360 degree “O Canada” presentation I saw at Epcot Center, also back in the early ‘80’s.
Save over 100+ IMAX movies at this theater. Why? Two reasons: (1) There was a video arcade underneath the theater. Best damn arcade in Vegas, ‘til Pinbal Hall of Fame opened. (2) Military discount, student discount, locals’ discount, and child admission fee. I paid only $2 to see IMAX movies here.
At the time of the closure, I was the fire safety installation and recharge tech., and I talked to various multimillionaire big-wigs about closing the OmniMax. They said it was because of a lack of IMAX movies, and also that they didn’t nail down Fantasia 2000 (a big hit for IMAX at the time) to their competitors at the Luxor IMAX. The theater just wasn’t making enough money with educational IMAX movies (despite me learning a lot as a child).
When Matrix, Harry Potter, etc., all were released for IMAX, which OmniMax is 100% compatible, the big-wigs admit they made mistake, because Ms. Dion’s stadium has yet to pay for itself. In fact, I remember the plans for the the stadium was going to be where the outdoor arena was at the time, but they decided to go with removal of the OmniMax, due to the lack of features.
Today, they’d make a large profit with all of the IMAX movies.