America’s Musical Journey

Available on: YouTube (free) as well as Apple TV and GoUSA TV via Roku
Go on a cross-country journey celebrating the unique diversity of America’s musical heritage.

Download the Educator’s Guide

 

Coral Reef Adventure

Available on: Amazon Prime
Explore the world’s most beautiful and endangered coral reefs across the South Pacific. Follow filmmakers on an expedition documenting coral reefs, their ecosystems, and the importance of the creatures that live there.

Download the Educator’s Guide

 

Decoding the Weather Machine

Available on: PBS, NOVA Season 45 Episode 7 (free)
Recently, earth has been experincing extreme weather events, and many scienctists agree: something’s up with the weather. Climate change is causing weather to be hotter and more erratic. Cut through the confusion around climate change in this documentary.

 

Dinosaurs Alive!

Available on: Vimeo (free through June 15, 2020), also available in Spanish and French
Go with some of the world’s preeminent paleontologists as they research the earliest dinosaurs of the Triassic Period to the monsters of the Cretaceous. Uncover evidence that the descendants of dinosaurs still walk (or fly) among us.

Download the Educator’s Guide

 

Dolphins

Available on: Amazon Prime
Wondering how dolphins communicate? Watch this Academy Award nominated documentary to get a playful, up-close look at the dolphins of Alaska, Patagonia and the Bahamas. Discover new perspectives on their remarkable intelligence.

Download the Educator’s Guide
View additional educational resources

 

Dream Big: Engineering Our World

Available on: Vimeo on Demand
Transform how you think about engineering in this documentary narrated by Jeff Bridges. See the inspiring stories of innovations big and small and the engineers behind them while thinking about ways to create a more sustainable future for us all.

Download the Educator’s Guide
View additional educational resources

 

Hubble

Available on: Amazon Prime
Journey through distant galaxies, and go with astronauts as they attempt the most important task in NASA’s history. This film, narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, gives an inspiring look into the Hubble Space Telescope’s legacy.

Download the Educator’s Guide

 

Humpback Whales

Available on: Vimeo on Demand
This extraordinary journey, narrated by Ewan McGregor, takes you into the mysterious world of one of nature’s most awe-inspiring marine mammals. Get an up-close look at how humpback whales communicate, sing, feed, play and take care of their young.

Download the Educator Guide
View additional educational videos

 

Mummies

Available on: Vimeo, also available in Spanish and French
Piece together the archaeological and genetic clues of Egyptian mummies. Follow researchers and explorers to one of the greatest finds in modern history: the late 19th century discovery of a cache of forty mummies, including twelve Kings of Egypt, among them the legendary Rameses the Great.

Download the Educator’s Guide

 

National Parks Adventure

Available on: Vimeo on Demand
Looking for an adventure? Robert Redford takes us on an ultimate off-trail journey into the nation’s untamed wilderness in places like Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and many more. Soar over red rock canyons, hurtle up craggy mountain peaks, and venture into other-worldly realms.

Download the Educator’s Guide
View additional educational resources

 

St. Helens: Out of the Ash

Available on: PBS Documentaries (free)
On May 18, 1980 Mt. St. Helens erupted and captured the attention of the world. Watch the story of the cataclysmic events of that day, and the miraculous resiliency of Nature as life returns out of the ash.

 

The Living Sea

Available on: Amazon Prime
This mesmerizing Academy Award-nominated film brings together the sounds of Sting and the voice of Meryl Streep with the wonders of the ocean. Celebrate the beauty and diversity of the ocean and explore our relationship with this complex and fragile environment.

 

Van Gogh: Brush with Genius

Available on: Amazon Prime
Retrace Van Gogh’s artistic journey from the time of his first canvases at age 27 to his death 9 years later—a period during which he painted more than 900 paintings. See his art take on new life in this experiential film.

 

Wild Ocean

Available on: Vimeo, also available in Spanish and French
Explore the interplay between man and our endangered ocean ecosystem in this award-winning film. See one of nature’s greatest migration spectacles, an underwater feeding frenzy, as well as an epic struggle for survival where all ocean life collide with the most voracious sea predator, mankind.

Download the Educator’s Guide

What is Kanopy / Hoopla?

Kanopy & Hoopla are two distinct streaming services that have partnered with library systems throughout the nation to provide free access to any and all members of the library! All you need is a library card and you can log-in from home on your computer or phone (both sites have their own apps), and stream movies (even compatible with Chromecast, Roku, and other such devices). Each service has it’s own amount of “credits” available each month; you use them to “check out” a film, at which point you have three days to stream them before they’re automatically “returned”. It’s like getting a film from the library, but from the comfort of your own home! Perfect for the quarantine blues, especially given that both services have a massive selection of films, including plenty that you can’t find on any of the other major streaming services.

How do I sign up?

First, make sure you have a library card through your local library! If you don’t, many systems have adjusted to the coronavirus crisis by allowing for online registration for a virtual “e-card”, which will let you access any of their digital services. For example, here are the pages for the Seattle, King County, and Snohomish/Isle County library systems. Once approved, and given your library card information, you can oftentimes log-in directly through Kanopy & Hoopla’s websites, or follow links provided on your library system’s pages, such as these ones found on the Seattle, King County, or Snohomish/Isle County websites. And be sure to check around beyond just those– many of these systems also have additional services they offer online that you can access with your card!

Films On Kanopy

Now that you’ve gotten them set-up, you’re probably thinking– but where do I start? Well lucky for you we’ve gone through and picked out five films from several genres that we think will make the perfect use of your new streaming services, and we’ve tried to focus on stuff that you probably haven’t even heard of! We’ll show you stuff to keep the kids entertained after a long day of at-home education, films to learn and grow about the world around you, science-fiction & horror that can thrill or make you think, and finally, a selection of movies we personally recommend as great watches. Kanopy is excellent specifically for it’s wide selection of foreign, arthouse, and lesser known films, so there’s plenty to poke around and find! And be sure to check out Kanopy’s specifically curated section for kids, Kanopy Kids!

Kids

A Town Called Panic (2009):

A French children’s film with absolutely delightful stopmotion adventure starring characters based off children’s toys.

Ernest & Celestine (2012):

French animated film and a beautiful critically-acclaimed fable that was even nominated for an Academy Award!

Patema Inverted (2013):

A mind-bending anime sci-fi film about heroes in a dystopian world that will undoubtedly delight and entrance!

Nocturna (2007):

A fantastical blend of fairy tales with an almost alien world to tell a story about a young boy recovering stars from the sky.

Dinosaurs Alive! (2007):

A short documentary on what we know about dinosaurs, how they look, and what paleontologists can learn from fossils!

Educational

NOVA: Black Hole Apocalypse (2018):

A PBS’ documentary series on everything we know about black holes.

Anthropocene: The Human Epoch (2019):

Haunting documentary examining the environmental effects across the globe of mankind’s recklessness.

Rodents of Unusual Size (2018):

A documentary that looks at the impact giant South American swamp rats have on the livelihoods of Louisiana fishermen.

The Poisoner’s Handbook (2014):

Learn all about the development of forensics science at the turn of the century, a time when most American’s medicine cabinets easily contained everything you’d need to pull off a murder.

At the Fork (2016):

The facts of the modern farming industry, and the way the meat we eat is raised and treated, is explored candidly and with a balanced eye in this documentary.

Science-Fiction

High Life (2019):

A cerebral, slow-burn film, focusing on the years-long dramas and turmoils of a colony of ex-felons sent into the farthest reaches of space as part of an experiment.

Death Watch (1980):

A grim satire that predicted our future of reality television superstars.

Coherence (2014):

Mysterious events occur at a dinner party on the evening of a comet passing over Earth– but is that all that is at play?

Brain Damage (1988):

A classic 80’s “B-Movie”, Brain Damage focuses on a teenager besieged by an alien parasite that leaves him euphoric– and craving brains!

Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB (1967):

Before he made Star Wars, legendary director George Lucas created this incredibly ambitious science fiction short as part of his film school graduation.

Horror

Ringu (1998):

See the original Japanese ghost story that inspired the “J-Horror” craze in America! It’s a classic of Japanese horror cinema for a reason.

Good Manners (2017):

A Portugese horror film with an unbelievable ending, about a nanny whose client might have more to ask of her than she expects.

Black Christmas (1974):

One of the classics of the 70s horror & slasher craze, Black Christmas has been so foundational it was remade twice (!!) in America!

Fury Of The Demon (2019):

A mockumentary about the existence of an allegedly cursed film, one that drives audiences who watch it to madness and terror.

Suspiria (1977):

A fantastically weird horror film from legendary Italian director Dario Argento, Suspiria is a cult classic with incredible & striking visuals. A must-see!

IMAX Staff’s Personal Recommendations

First Reformed (2017):

An incredibly moving film about a priest’s crisis of faith and radicalization of his politics in the face of corporate environmental destruction and the commodification of his local parish.

Leave No Trace (2016):

A heartbreaking & sympathetic portrait of a father & daughter who sleep outdoors due to the father’s traumatic history, and the tensions that arise.

The Fits (2016):

Young tomboy Toni finds herself drawn into the allure of her school’s dance troupe, just as a mysterious plague of seizures & fits seems to overtake them.

Lady Vengeance (2005):

A revenge thriller like no other. Absolutely not for the faint of heart, but one of the most intense explorations of anger & obsessive resentment in cinema.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014):

A groovy, moody Iranian film about a skateboarder vampire girl in an alienating industrial city, and her neighbors aspirations to get out by any means necessary.

Films On Hoopla

Even if Kanopy doesn’t seem up your alley, Hoopla is absolutely worth exploring to make quarantine a bit more bearable– in addition to offering more credits each month, Hoopla also allows library patrons to check-out comics, television shows, even music! Their movie selection is also a lot broader than Kanopy’s, offering a wonderful mix of mainstream, obscure, and fun lowbrow films– think of it as a throwback to the selections you used to find at old video rental stores! But, the options can also be a little paralyzing, so here’s some specific titles we recommend checking out!

Kids

Moomins And The Comet Chase (2016):

A stopmotion romp about Moomins that captures the heart and charm of the inspiring series!

Penguin Highway (2018):

A critically acclaimed anime that focuses on a young boy’s investigation into the mysterious appearance of penguins in his hometown village!

All Dogs Go To Heaven (1989):

The greatest of Don Bluth’s studio’s work––this Burt Reynolds vehicle about a con artist dog who finds himself acting as a young orphan’s guardian angel.

Babar: King Of The Elephants (1999):

This film follows the life and accomplishments of Babar, a gentlemanly elephant who returns home to the forest after being separated and raised in Paris.

The Pokémon Movies (1998–):

The first three Pokémon films, a great nostalgia trip for those who were young’uns in the late-90’s or early-2000’s!

Educational

Australian Penguins (2017):

A short, charming little documentary about the smallest species of penguins known to man who live– surprisingly– on an island off the coast of Australia.

Chernobyl: 30 Years On (2016):

This documentary examines the lingering effects of the nuclear meltdown, and precautions that must still be taken to this day to keep people safe.

Wolves: A Legend Returns To Yellowstone (2007):

National Geographic presents one of the definitive documentaries on wolves, the lives within their packs, and their place within the Western ecosystem.

Citizen Autistic (2013):

A critical look at the organization Autism Speaks from members of the autistic community and their families.

Beyond The Myth (2010):

A culture-turning film that looks at the misconceptions and fears surrounding pitbull dogs.

Science-Fiction

Color Out Of Space (2020):

A recent adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s story, this kaleidoscopic tale of extraterrestrial terror stars the legendary Nicolas Cage at his finest.

Brazil (1985):

Terry Gilliam’s classic satire of bureaucracy run amok imagines a far-futuristic technological utopia– except, of course, for endless red tape.

Beyond The Black Rainbow (2012):

An experimental film that teleports the viewer to a dream-like world of complicated experiments, imperiled psychics, and nightmares.

The Last Man On Earth (1964):

A truly foundational post-apocalyptic film of a man surviving in a world seemingly emptied by a mysterious plague.

Equilibrium (2003):

A fun, futuristic action movie about a police officer who recognizes that the emotion-suppressing technology that his society relies on may actually be making the world a dystopia.

Horror

Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2007):

A fun little satire of slasher films, Behind the Mask is framed as a mockumentary where a group of film students follow a killer aspiring to be the next Jason Voorhees.

The House Of The Devil (2009):

A pitch-perfect tribute to horror films of the 70s & 80s, drawing inspiration from the media obsession with Satanic cults, this movie FEELS like it came from that time period.

C.H.U.D. (1984):

A cult classic! Cannibalistic Humanoids Underground Dwellers are stalking the homeless and the vulnerable in New York—can they be stopped before they overrun the city?

Grave Encounters (2011):

This found footage horror film pits a crew of overconfident TV hosts against something they never thought they’d actually find– an real haunted house.

Timecrimes (2009):

A Spanish horror film that mixes time travel, murder mysteries, and the inescapable specter of death to make for a psychologically haunting and gruesome experience.

IMAX Staff’s Personal Recommendations

The Reflecting Skin (1990):

Touching on topics of murderers, guilt, trauma, war, patriotism, and selfish desire, this film is dense with an uneasy tension that resolves as upsettingly as it begins.

Promare (2019):

Easily the most critically-acclaimed anime film released last year, Promare is a can’t-miss experience that was plagued by limited screenings and sold-out shows.

The Host (2007):

A Korean monster film that focuses on a family whose daughter is kidnapped by a mutant creature, and their struggle against bureaucracy and government indifference to get her back.

Wendy And Lucy (2008):

A quiet portrait of a homeless girl and her dog, as she tries to survive and scrounge enough together after her car breaks down while traveling through Oregon.

Mandy (2018):

A truly psychedelic, neon-soaked wide-awake nightmare of a film, starring Nic Cage living through the intrusion of otherworldly beings and cult members into his and his wife Mandy’s tranquil life in the PNW.

Convenience Charges – A convenience charge will be added to any sale made via telephone or internet, varies in cost depending on the event, and is assessed on a per ticket and/or per order basis. Pacific Science Center members do not pay per ticket convenience charges (though an order charge may apply). These charges are non-refundable.

Delivery Charges – No delivery charge will be added to tickets picked up on-site at Will Call or an automated Kiosk. For most events you will have the option to have your tickets mailed to you if they are ordered at least 14 days in advance. A delivery charge will be added to these orders. This charge is non-refundable.

Ticket Exchanges and Refunds – Tickets noted with “No Refunds or Exchanges” cannot be refunded or exchanged at any time. For all other tickets, no refunds or exchanges will be offered after the event has begun or the entry time has passed.

Refund or exchanges requested via phone or email should be submitted at least 24 hours in advance of the event start time to ensure they are processed. Service fees are non-refundable.

In the case that your ticketed event is cancelled by Pacific Science Center for any reason your ticket will be exchanged at no cost, or fully refunded including service fees. The exchange or refund must be arranged for within four days of the cancelled event or the refund or exchange will no longer be available.

An exchange charge of $4 per order will be applied to all exchanges.

For refunds or exchanges please contact Guest Services at GS@PACSCI.ORG or (206) 443-2844.

Camp Transfers and Refunds – Requests for transfers must be made over the phone at least one week prior to the camp start date by calling (206)443-2925. Cost: $20 per transfer.

Requests for withdrawal from camp must be made at least two weeks prior to the camp start date. No refunds will be given within two weeks of the camp start date. A $100 processing fee will be retained per camp session.

Schedule subject to change without notice.

Arrive early – Movies start promptly, so please allow ample time for entry to ensure that you can safely find a seat.

The Boeing IMAX Theater is the Ultimate IMAX Experience on Seattle’s biggest screen. Immerse yourself in a cinematic experience like no other as spectacular films come to life on a screen six stories high (60 feet) and 80 feet wide. The IMAX sound system is a visceral experience with amazing range, pitch perfect, daily tuning, and pin point accuracy. There are no bad seats in the house. Our 3D films take advantage of our state-of-the-art IMAX 3D® technology, putting you right in the action. The 373-seat theater features plush, comfortable seating, a full-service concession stand, and an enthusiastic staff trained to make your IMAX experience great. Read about the Boeing IMAX Theater renovations in this Geekwire article.

The PACCAR IMAX Theater boasts a screen measuring 35 feet in height and 60 feet from side to side. In operation since 1979 and completely renovated in 2011, the theater seats 218 for 3D movies, 295 for 2D and 321 for lectures and other such events. See for yourself the difference in clarity, color, and movement brought to you by IMAX.

By purchasing tickets to Pacific Science Center’s IMAX films, you not only enjoy a premier theatergoing experience; you also support science education for children and families throughout Washington state.

IMAX® is a registered trademark of the IMAX Corporation.

Both IMAX theaters are wheelchair accessible. The PACCAR IMAX and Boeing IMAX Theaters each accommodate six wheelchairs and reserved companion seats. Additionally, the Boeing Theater has four accessible seats for patrons with disabilities with arms that fold out for easier access.

• To access the PACCAR IMAX Theater via wheelchair, go to the glass elevator just outside our Grossology Bathrooms in Building 5 and go up one level. Or go to the entrance to Building 1 where you’ll see a marked elevator. Take that elevator up one level, exit through cafe and proceed across upper courtyard taking a right to theater entrance once you’ve reached Building 5.
• To access Boeing IMAX Theater via elevator, proceed to the Upper Boeing Lobby. Next to our public restrooms is an elevator that will take you down to the lower lobby. Once you exit the elevator go left to theater entrance.

Theater Closed Captioning

Closed captioning is available for some movies, which is indicated on each listing. If closed captioning is needed, please speak with our theater staff at the show.

Learn about Accessibility at PacSci