Ever
wondered what that big building is next to the Star Tower? Today, it’s used for
storage and the Club Blood maze at Halloween Haunt. However, at one time it was
known as the Lockheed IMAX Pictorium Theater, featuring a 65 foot tall by 89 foot
wide screen. The Pictorium ran from 1978 until 2001, and remained closed until a
one-weekend opening in 2004. It has since been closed for good.
The beginning
The
Pictorium opened in 1978 with the film “Man Belongs to Earth,” and at the time
was the only IMAX theater in California. Dubbed as the “world’s largest motion
picture experience,” the Pictorium underwent a $1.5 million renovation in 1992
that gave the theater the ability to screen 3D IMAX films, the first being “The
Last Buffalo.” The last film to be shown in the theater (possibly) was “Siegfried
& Roy: The Magic Box” in
2001.
The actual audio recording that was
used during the intro of the Pictorium’s 1994 showing of “Destiny in Space” has
been posted online.
The recording (which sounds like the same voice that welcomes you to the
Vortex) describes the dimensions of the screen and other information about the
theater.
The following pictures are from inside of Six Flags Great America's Pictorium, which is nearly identical to the Santa Clara version:
Recent years
 |
| The final days of the Pictorium. "Lockheed Presents: Pictorium" has since been painted over. |
However,
2001 was not the last year for the Pictorium. In 2004, Paramount hosted the
third annual ParaCon Festival, and anime films were being screened in the
Pictorium. According to an article, the IMAX
equipment was gutted, and instead, the films were being shown through a video
projection system set up in the back row of seats. After this event, the
Pictorium was never open as a theater again.
The
reasoning behind the Pictorium’s shuttering doesn’t go any farther than “It cost too much
to run.” One other factor behind the closing could have been the superior IMAX
dome theater that opened in neighboring San Jose’s Tech Museum of Innovation in
1998.
 |
| Overview of Club Blood, taken high above in the Pictorium (image from www.morganrichardsonart.com). |
Permits
were issued in 2008 to remove the
seating and construct a steel platform inside the theater, although if the
plans went through is unknown, because the seats can still be clearly seen.
Speculation
It’s
possible that the Pictorium is also being used today to store props for Halloween Haunt. During
the season, props from Haunt mazes can be seen around the building. Also, this video could have
possibly been filmed inside the theater, judging by all the Haunt props and
echoes (from a high ceiling, perhaps?). The railing in the background looks
similar to the theater’s railings. EDIT: The video was filmed in the Showtime Theater, not the Pictorium.
 |
| Cornstalkers' outhouses behind the Pictorium |
Other
rumors say that the Pictorium is badly water damaged (possible), and that it is
haunted (very unlikely).
Do
you have any Pictorium memories or images that you would like to share? Feel
free to post them in the comments!
Stay
tuned for the next installment in the “Lost Attractions” series—Skyhawk!
I say it's haunted by the ghost of the Whizzer.
ReplyDeleteThe video wasn't filmed in this theater. It was done in the showtime theater. Also, there is a good portion of the seats that are still intact. A portion of the front seats was taken out to make way for Club Blood for haunt. It is being used as a storage space for some items for haunt. In the back of the building as shows in the picture you posted the larger props are stored. There are two oversea containers that store the rest in the employee parking lot. From what I have heard working there the Pictorium does have some water damage and at this point it would be to much money to try and restore it.
ReplyDeleteCool stuff, will be looking forward to more CGA retro-ness!
ReplyDelete^^Thanks for the clarification about the video. I made a note in the article. Thanks also for the additional info.
ReplyDelete^I found some cool Skyhawk images, and even a corny commercial, will be posting soon!
The Pictorium was the Greatest Movie theater to date. I am now finding out today 6/12/12 that the theater has closed. So sad, I compare every IMAX theater to Great America's screen and sound. That was the best thing at Great America. It gave you at least 40 minutes of movie time and chance to seat down and relax in A/C at the park.I haven't been to Great America since 1998, but I can see why, because that park went straight down hill after my last visit. They have removed some of the best feature of this park.I found out because I was trying to find out the size footage of the screen itself and this information came up. I am very pissed off now. They ripped out these attraction to for profits,them greedy ASSHOLES.
ReplyDeleteYou said it. The pictorium was simply awesome. No other movie experience has ever come close to watching a movie in the pictorium. It's such a shame they let if fall apart. I can still remember sitting in the cool A/C theater on a hot day back in the 80's and listening to Walter Kronkite narrate a movie on the space shuttle. I still remember feeling the vibrations when the shuttle left the platform, it was like I was there.
DeleteDisney executives, if you read this, consider adding it as an attraction to disneyland. You won't be sorry.
does anyone remember the name of the movie where people were parasailing and windsurfing and running boats in the ocean open sea? I want to see this documentary? again.
ReplyDeleteAs a former Theatre Attendant.. the name of that movie was "Speed".
ReplyDeleteNo, it wasn't Speed
DeleteQuestion? I vividly remember (back in the mid-to-late 80's or early 90's a movie they used to show in the pictorium at the santa clara great america. I recall seeing some roller coasters in the movie; one of them, I want to say, was a white wooden one (maybe American Eagle or Colossus). I also remember them showing a drag racing competition. Might this have been "Speed" as well?
ReplyDeleteYup. Speed. I was a theater attendant back in the 80's. I would give the opening spiel, and run after the goofs that tried to exit early through the non-curtained doors! The audience would all LEAN to the left then right when the car went racing around the hill side. I remember distinctly water flooding out the floor just below the screen after heavy rains when the bay waters rose.
DeleteIs Speed available online for viewing? I'd love to watch it again!
DeleteTHAT was Speed
DeleteI worked there during "The Last Buffalo". Awesome theatre. Good times.
ReplyDeleteSo did I!!!
DeleteAnyone see "Behold Hawaii" there? That was my first film there & it scared the bejeezies out of me lol. Sitting dead middle & that ocean just suddenly appears. When your scared of deep water, its enough to send you into fits of thinking your going to drown. That theater is very dear to me and its so sad that its no longer used.
ReplyDeleteThe finest IMAX theater ever built in California. It had the second largest movie screen made of one continous piece of material in the world at one point.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame it has been gutted and will never be restored to its former glory.
I went here many times through the 80's and 90's. It was simply the most incredible movie theater I have ever seen in my lifetime. I have all the IMAX DVD's that were shown here (the space shuttle series), but watching them only makes me long for the real experience. I felt like I was actually in space looking down at the planet, and give me chills just remembering these experiences. Yes, I agree with the previous poster that Disney or someone should recreate this type of theater. It was almost like 3D without the glasses. I could not believe the resolution of the screen, you could not focus on the entire screen. You had to only look at part of it. So every time you saw the same movie you were guaranteed to see something new you did not see the last time. I could write all day and I have mentioned this theater to many people over the past years since it closed. I regularly go to the IMAX at the Metreon in SF and it is so small compared to the Pictorium. I also agree with the first poster. It's must have been haunted by the ghost of the Whizzer.
ReplyDeleteI always had an eerie feeling walking by the old whizzer site
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing the whizzer footers in the pond right by carnation ice cream in home town square creepy
ReplyDeleteand now the Six Flags Great America one is gone too, forever. (sniff) I guess all great things must come to an end.
ReplyDeleteYes very sad
DeleteThe Gurnee whizzer is still there
DeleteYes it is still going strong
DeleteI tripped across your site quite by accident and oh my, does this ever bring back some great memories.
ReplyDeleteI was the second member if the original technical staff that ran the projector in the theater. The first was the supervisor I reported to. I was hired as part of the original theater crew before the theater opened, helped with the final installation, and ran the projector for the first season and part of the second.
This had to be the coolest job I ever had. You mentioned that the first movie shown was called “Man Belongs to Earth”. To be honest, I don’t remember that name (not disagreeing with you, I just don’t remember). The thing is, whatever it was called, we all thought that first movie was incredibly boring. The second season we upgraded to “To Fly”. Now that was a great movie and it really showed off what IMAX could do.
You also mentioned that the Pictorium was the only IMAX theater in California when it opened. While technically true, there was at that time an Omnimax theater in San Diego. Also built but the IMAX people, the Omni was similar in design to what was later installed in San Jose’s Tech museum (dome design with the lifting projector).
I was drafted out of the theater to work in the tech services group during my second season in the theater, but I was the one that did all of the repairs on the projector (lamp replacements, fixed bearings) and repaired then film when it broke. I even was sent to the sister theater in Gurnee Illinois once to repair their film. I even got called back a few times as a contractor after I decided to concentrate on my education. I guess I was cheaper than calling the IMAX service people ��
Anyhow, thanks for reminding me that I used to actually have fun at work…
Dear anonymous (if you ever see this reply) and other readers looking for memories, I am Steven and I also worked in the Pictorium for the 1979 season as an usher. Anonymous, as you correctly recall, the Pictorium showed the film "To Fly" in 1979. I regret not confidently recalling the names of the projection booth staff after these 40+ years though I vaguely recall one of them might have been named "Bill". Was that correct and was that you? There are times when I can almost recall the usher-presented opening comments given to the guests just before the film and I sometimes wish that I could fully remember them (and write them down) for posterity. Thank you for posting your memories. I spent three more seasons in the Theater department at Marriott's Great America, moving through positions and theaters and, ultimately, ending as a Lead Theater Technician. Again, thank you for your comments.
DeleteTheir former usage is now gone. The one in Santa Clara is a maze or some storage and the one in Gurnee is now an air launched coaster
ReplyDeleteI want to see "the last buffalo" again, is it possible to watch it online? I've d
ReplyDeleteSearched but haven't found it.
I was a projectionist there in the early 80's. During the "To Fly" film Era.
ReplyDeleteAnd I was "Imax Man"!
The infamous character I created.
Who did the ushers spiel completely wrapped in Imax leader tape film, like the Michelen Man, once only!
I think the spiel was.......Ladles & gentlemen, boys & girls, welcome the the Imax Pictorium. The screen you see before you measures 65 feet high & 89 feet wide. The largest indoor movie screen in the world. (A Guiness world record 1981 ish issue.) And now Marriots Great America & Imax man brings you.........To Fly!,
We would spray water down from the projection booth window on the taudience during the loud waterfall scene.
But close the window before anyone turned around to look. It had 36,500 watts of amplification of all Crown amps. The audio was Magnasinc Movieola 35 mm.
Imax is 70 mm x 70 mm each frame with is 4 times bigger than regular 35 mm film format.
Theater Ops managers were ex Disney employees..
I am George Isaac. Mike Cawood & John Murphy worked with me.
A farmhouse near the Yankee clipper burned about 100 years ago killing 4 family members. 3 burned . 1 drowned escaping the fire.
2 haunted the Great Amerixan Music Hall Theater & 1 haunted the Bugs Bunny Theater. But the 4th never showed up at the pictorial. We looked and waited.
G.A. Even purchased Special Ghost lamps from New York to control the haunting. Which consisted of appearances, moving tweetsy birds head to the stage. And rearranging the mixing board to loud settings that had to be lowered prior to them being powered up.
And wet puddles where the drowned ghost left behind.