Tuttleman Imax Theater

Saw The Force Awakes here recently to see it in the true 70 mm format. Had seen the movie in 3d previously and can say the 3d experience was much better even sitting in the second row of a Dine In theatre. The problem with seeing it at Tuttleman are several, A) get there early because you want to sit in the top rows, anything lower gives your neck a work out. B) the sound wasn’t all that great, I really expected more. My biggest complaints though involve the protection system and the overall film viewing experience. First the film projector was dirty throughout the film. Constant dust particles and fuzzies were projected, toward the end of the film, one particle actually had a dinosaur shape to it dead in the middle of the screen. I should have taken a video but it’s not polite to turn your phone on. Secondly though the picture was impressive when darker scenes were shown (and they really are impressive) any scene with brightness to it was borderline unwatchable, the problem being you can see all the panels that make up the dome, you’re even able to see the dome speaker boxes. One of the main sequences shot in the 70 mm format was hurt greatly by the brightness issue.
Tuttleman really needs updating. It should be an awe inspiring place to watch a movie but until the screen and sound is improved hear to KOP or Cherry Hill.

Imagine buying a curved television. Turn it on and walk up to it so that your nose is about three inches from the screen. Then try to watch a 2 ½ hour Star Wars movie like that. Try to not to vomit or leave without a pounding headache. That’s what our Star Wars at the Tuttleman iMax theater. I bought tickets online for my entire family. Spent $ 100 and drove an hour to get there. Looked for parking for about 30 minutes… Paid for parking. Finally got inside. Waited for 20 minutes in line for stale popcorn. spent another $ 25. Then waited in line again. Every single one of us was over it in about 5 minutes. You really can’t even watch the movie. We all left and drove home to our local theater and watched it like it was meant to be watched. I feel like they robbed us of 4 hours and $ 130.

We came to try to see Star Wars. We waited in line for 20 minutes. There was NO indication that the show was sold out. When I got to the ticketing the attendant told me that the next 2 showings were sold out! What?! Why are they having people stand in line when multiple shows are sold out with NO signs alerting customers that the shows are sold out. This is an IMAX. With all of my that technology, shouldn’t they also have solutions for customer service?!

While visiting Philly we were excited about seeing Star Wars on the big screen ala iMax. We loved the movie but we hated the theater. Here’s why…
It was for the first showing @ 1:15 p.m. The line was long and it was hot. You figured we could get in a half hour earlier considering that it was the first showing and the theater was empty. But noooo… they made us wait until 1 p.m. People were literally complaining that they felt faint while standing on line, not good.
The seats was the most uncomfortable seats I’ve ever sat in. It felt like bleacher seats in a baseball game. It was hard as a rock and it was low with very little leg room (knees raised up). I felt like I was sitting on a toilet made for kids who are potty training.
Distracting noise coming from an employee during the movie! Before the movie started, the announcer informed the audience that if there are any questions or problems during the movie, go speak with the person sitting at the customer service desk, located inside the theater, upper right side. Well, the problem was HIM! (big dude wearing a ID/​pass around his neck).
During the latter half of the movie, he decided to come out of his box and sit in front of the customer service area and proceeded to munch loudly on his bag of potato chips. Just imagine the crackling noise of his large bag of chips as he manipulates his hand to fetch his meal… one chip at a time. It was distracting and I told him so after the movie. His comment… oh really? No apologies from this «customer service» worker. To make matters worse, with 10 minutes to go for the movie to finish, his loud walkie talkie blares…“the ladies room needs toilet tissue.” You would think he would lower the volume but this request on the walkie talkie continued until somebody responded to the request. He just let the volume stay the same.
The movie in itself was great, but for $ 15, I will not be going back here to see anything. Nor will I ever hire a person like that to work for me in customer relations. Yikes.

You’d be hard pressed to experience a movie like you will at the Tuttleman, for better or worse. In my mind, its for the better, but if you peruse these reviews I think you will get a good sense of whether its for you or not. I saw The Force Awakens here on New Years Eve 2016, and I can share some lessons I gleamed.
First off, make sure you sit as high up and as dead center as possible. I sat one row down from the very top, and experienced no neck pain. The screen still filled my entire range of vision, including my peripheral, so I can see no benefit from sitting closer to the screen unless you want to have to dart your head around to follow the action.
Second, this is not where you should go see a movie «as the filmmaker intended.» Movies are typically made for flat screens, not a domed ceiling. Seeing a movie up on a dome gives you a unique perspective on the visuals, allowing you (at its best) to feel immersed in the action. While I would argue this is a wonderful way to experience cinema, there were a few points during Star Wars (and I would imagine that this would apply to all traditionally formatted movies) where the image seemed a little juxtaposed inside its weird frame. Imagine, for instance, a ship flying by through space. Because we are watching it go from one end of an arched dome to another, the ship appears to bend on both ends. There were one or two shots of lightsabers that had the same issues, where they seemed to angle off into oblivion rather than get cuttingly off cleanly by the straight borders of a traditional frame.
Third, there is no getting around the uncomfortable seats, and the glaring presence of a brown patch right smack in the center of the screen. The brown patch was only noticeable against light colors, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t find it hella distracting at times. As for the seats, because most theater patrons will be required to look up to see anything, they are positioned very low to the ground. I’m a 5’9″ male, and found my legs either spread apart so far that they tested the flexibility of my pants, or crossed over at the calves like I was on the floor in front of a kindergarten teacher. If you sit near the top, you will have a great view of the screen and shouldn’t experience neck pain, but for 75% of the theater I can imagine that being a sizable problem as well.
Fourth, I had a great time at Tuttleman and would go again in a heartbeat. With all the negativity above, you may have started wondering why on earth I gave this place four stars. The fact is, you are going to see a movie in a science museum rather than a cinema. And not just any science museum, but a museum built in an extremely old building in an extremely old city. The place probably wasn’t built for cinema, but rather spectacle. God forbid I be forced to see every movie on a dome shaped screen, but seeing Star Wars in this way was breathtaking. While all my complaints above apply, they don’t detract from the joys of a giant form traditional film reel, projected in such a way that when I look up I can see nothing else. You don’t got to Tuttleman to see a show, you go to be transported. While you are waiting in line, they even let you get a look at the enormous film strung through the, and god is it beautiful.
Yes, the facilities need an update. Put in bigger seats that recline, replace that brown square on the screen, and just take out the first few rows. Its still Star Wars on a 70 mm reel, so if you think you can put up with some minor discomfort and inconvenience, I would definitely check it out while you still have the chance.

Don’t ever get fooled into watching a movie here. I was excited to see Star Wars on one of the twenty screens in the United States using a true 70 mm IMAX film print.
What they don’t tell you is that the theatre is meant for short form science films. It’s a dome. Not for theatrical films!
Because it’s a short form theatre the seats are tiny with no leg room. The film is let really projected on the ceiling to get as much width for the wide screen film. So you have to look up the entire time. But it’s still not actually wide enough so the screen is cropped in the corners and HEAVILY distorted. So distorted that the sequence actually shot on IMAX looked like a fisheye lens. The lightsabers all had distorted bends at the edge of frame. All the actors had distorted egg heads.
My biggest regret is not requesting a refund for this shit show.

I saw «Star Wars-​Force Awakens» on opening day. A few full disclosures: I was told several years ago by a volunteer who worked there that the best seats for a domed IMAX is last row, dead center. If you can’t get that seat get as close to the last row as you can but aim for center-​center appears to be the key. Several reviewers commented on the seats and how they are not comfortable. There were also comments on the food.
As I have mentioned in some other reviews I use a walker, so I had to sit in a special area. It was near the back and near the center. I had a terrific movie experience, I cannot comment on the seats in the theater, as my walker has a seat that I sat on for the whole movie. People were very quiet during the movie, except for applause during the opening credits and when certain characters appeared on screen. Of course the food was overpriced-​but no worse than at the
local multi-​plex.
Would I go back? Yes, if there is another movie I want to see in IMAX. And since Disney has at least 2 sequels and several stand-​alone films planned for the Star Wars universe I’m sure I’ll be there sooner or later.
May the Force Be With You All

Caught the 4am showing of Episode VII in 70 mm IMAX film. First dome experience. Very enjoyable. I still prefer a flat IMAX screen but this is unique experience. U have to slouch a bit but I had no neck strain. I’ve sat 2^nd row at Lincoln Square Imax for Interstellar, that’s neck pain. Got good seat-​about five from top, in the middle. Able to have tix scanned from IPhone so able to get in line immediately. Screen is massive– as it should be. Yes, It does cause a we bit of dizziness (I’ve extremely prone to motion sickness but I had hard peppermints with me-​it quickly passes once ur eyes adjust. Yes-​u can notice the seams in the screen during some scenes it’s not super distracting. Just accept it. Theatre was clean and they have a nice concession stand-​which u don’t always get a museum IMAX. There isn’t a bunch of leg room. It’s a bit less room than LS but it’s not uncomfortable. Bathroom was clean. Not sure why so many negative reviews. I guess folks go in expecting a suburban AMC recliner experience. It’s a theatre in a museum located in a major city.

Absolutelty horrible experience yesterday in the Imax theatre at the Franklin Institute. There were mice everywhere in the theatre. Not just one, but many. This issue was called out in May of 2015 on Trip Advisor by a guest. Appears as ifthe issue was never addressed.
This is both a public safety and a health issue. Especially afriad for kids.

I was so excited to come here to see Interstellar since I hadn’t been here since grade school in the 90s; but everything seemed the same as it was when I was little… lol The only good seats are at the top, in the middle and even then my neck hurt and I had some motion sickness. The seats were not comfy, and no one cleaned in between movies. I tried to ignore the fact that my butt was asleep halfway through. I really love the domed screen though! Not sure if I want to return to this theater or not :/

Theater is dirty and the seats are horrible. But it has a rare true IMAX domed screen with awesome sound. The problem is that some of the movies it shows are not made for this type of domed screen and it becomes hard to watch the movie. You have to sit in the back to get a full view of the screen.

First off, it should be noted that the Tuttleman IMAX is the real deal. The Cherry Hill IMAX is not real, rather they just made the screen a bit larger and added some better quality sound.
The Tuttleman is a domed IMAX, and it is massive. I had the opportunity to watch Interstellar here last year, and it was impressive.
The whole thing needs a major update, though. You are slightly deceived, though, when going into the theater. It is a really neat experience to see the ridiculously huge IMAX reels going through the process to project the image on screen. This whole spectacle makes waiting in line a lot more fun.
However, when you get inside you realize that it hasn’t been updated in a long time. The screen, while very impressive in size, needs to probably be replaced. Many of the patches are visibly worn out, and it distracts from the movie.
The worst part though is the seats. The seats are so bad. They are so worn out; padding/​stuffing is coming out and feel like they’re going to break. I’ve truly never been that uncomfortable watching a movie before. They need to put in completely new seats. It’s a shame, because it’s a beautiful cinema and is actually a real IMAX theater!
In the future, I will drive out to King of Prussia instead to watch IMAX movies. I hope an update is in store for the Franklin Tuttleman theater.

DO NOT GO HERE! So bad! We left after ten minutes because it’s impossible to watch a movie with such a horrible setup. We sat in the top middle, which is ideal, and we still couldn’t see. Imagine sticking your face an inch away from the tv and trying to watch a movie. Not only can you not see anything, but it hurts to watch. We were having to look back and forth, up and down, so not fun.
Aside from being impossible to watch, seats are the worst (no recline), it’s very dirty inside (garbage everywhere), and you’re crammed in like sardines (neighbors touching, no isle space to walk).

I mean, it’s hard to say bad things when it really isn’t the theater’s fault. IMAX theaters are awesome in a way — it’s a whole other level of movie experience with the amazing sound and feeling like you’re in the action. But the fact is, most movies shown in IMAX aren’t properly reformatted for it. So that makes it hard because you have to constantly turn your head and neck, and that can be painful for long movies. I kind of wish the seats would recline so that you could wouldn’t have to strain your neck as much. In terms of food, it’s okay, but nothing amazing, and a little worse than your average movie theater food. Overall, it’s your average, semi-​old, IMAX theater– go here if you want to watch a movie in IMAX but beware of some of the things I said!

WORST seats ever! They are like your Grandma’s 1960s armchair that doesn’t recline and has no cushioning under the super-​scratchy covering fabric. I have never before sat in movie seats that were worse, and I’ve done a movie marathon in a little theater in Bar Harbor Maine fully populated by threadbare couches and folding chairs.
The dome screen is awkward, and I had to sit near the top to keep from getting dizzy. It was also really easy to see the separate panes of the dome screen through the projection. The FI goes on about how the Omnimax projection system is so cutting edge, but I didn’t see that at all. Contrary to claims made, I found the picture blurry and markedly shaky.
Unless and until they do a full renovation of this theater, I will not be back.

We went here as part of my partners birthday. I bought tickets online, not first checking the reviews on here. We went to see The Hobbit on December 29, 2012.
We arrived early, having finished dinner earlier than expected and having no where else to go — and the folks at the info desk were friendly. The doors opened about 9:00 for the 9:15 show.
I agree, the seats are really uncomfortable, especially for a long feature movie such as this — and, yes, the view is blurry and not particularly clear — but, you do get immersed in the movie, so there’s the extra star…
This theater needs an update — as do many of the attractions at the Franklin. I probably will not be going back — it just wasn’t the special experience I was hoping for.

Imma go 3 stars here… I ding one on the absolute crap layout… Seems out dated. Crowd control was a debacle when you include the museum. Ding another on the snacks. Blame that on the museum as well. Have to buy the snacks in the museum… Note, you will likely finish them in line to get into the theatre. I won’t, ding a star, but bring a sweatshirt! Man, even I was cold! And I’m never cold! Oh, also IMAX tip… Sit as high as you can! Near the middle! Net net… This seems like a random add on to the museum. Don’t feel obligated to attend. It’s not unique and you would likely have a better experience at a IMAX only theatre!

It’s an older theater and it definitely shows its age. I’ve been here for a few different movies now [and growing up spent my fair share being awed by IMAX here]. It could use an update. The seats are pretty god awful at this point.
Sit in the middle towards the top to get the best view. But plan on dealing with some sort of neck and back pain if it’s a long movie.

Listen, don’t listen to all the reviews. If you’re craving a great experience and feel like celebrating at the movies on a holiday, please come here!
I watched Dark Shadows here with my sweetheart at 5:15 pm, in a totally cool, very quiet theatre. We had our run of the place. It was so amazing!
Here is the secret to IMAX: If you want a completely revelatory, no sense of time or space or anyone else, sit in the middle — you will be in a world of movie. No stairs, no people, no one beside you, you are laying face up, just you and movie!
If you want to feel like you are more at the movies, sit just a little above or below the projector, then you can see the theatre, etc. My favorite is in the middle, where I lose all sense of time and space — whoo hoo!
Yes, it’s a little expensive, but if you are close-​by, it’s well-​worth the price. (save the online fee and just buy it there — not too much worry about crowds on holidays…) It’s a special place, and the best thing is relaxing on the Franklin Stairs in the mid-​evening twilight, for one of the best views in the city…

Seen pearl jam 20 last night. Awesome experience ! The film was not in IMAX so blurriness, neck pains weren’t a problem. I even found close parking on 19^th street. clean restrooms, clean people and no ignorant talkers, cell phone, texters disrupting the film… Overall a very cool experience.
Only complaints: seats were beat up and uncomfortable & they need to spray some febreeze in there. Lots of funky odors present (sweaty ass, hoagies and mildew rolled into one)