Hubblo Dome exhibit opens at Thalian Hall
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A new international exhibit is giving visitors to Thalian Hall a chance to step inside a fully immersive entertainment experience.
The attraction not only offers a unique way to experience music and storytelling, but also provides a glimpse of what’s ahead as Thalian Hall continues a major renovation and transformation plan.
Québec’s Hubblo Dome is the newest immersive exhibit at Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts.
Much like the planetarium, visitors sit inside the dome that surrounds them with a 360-degree viewing experience.
The attraction was created by a Montreal-based company.
It features a variety of immersive shows, including a visual journey through Pink Floyd’s iconic album “The Dark Side of the Moon” and a two-part presentation exploring the aurora borealis before taking audiences on a day-long adventure on Mars.
For visitors Morgan Britton and Drake Matthews, even a brief preview left a lasting impression.
“It was really impressive,” Britton said.
“This is my first time doing anything like that so it was really cool to get the experience,” Matthews added.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Monday to officially open the exhibit, with city leaders on hand to mark the occasion.
The installation is located in the former Wilmington City Council Chambers.
Thalian Hall CEO Shane Fernando said Hubblo offers visitors a preview of the space’s future transformation into the hippodrome, a planned venue designed to host immersive entertainment experiences.
“A theater is performing a scene in the Gobi Desert. Well at the press of a button, the floor turns to sand, you have a 360 degree desert horizon around you. So that is what this experience is, in a sense, on a miniature scale. It’s in this dome behind me, but imagine this entire room,” Fernando said.
Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo said Hubblo coming to the Port City from Canada will help the city and area’s reach grow moving forward.
“I think we’re beginning to see that more and more of that where we see things that have happened in bigger cities now coming to the city of Wilmington,” Saffo said. “Obviously as the area has grow, as the community has grow, these unique experiences now are coming into our city every single day. To have this Hippodrome right here in Wilmington is an unbelievable experience.”
The exhibit will only be in the Wilmington through June 30, 2026.
More information and ticket details are available through Thalian Hall’s official website
