A new, 169-seat 4D auditorium opened Friday at the Maritime Aquarium with officials promising that it's going to be even better than the old IMAX theater that will soon be demolished.

When construction on the Railroad Bridge forced the IMAX theater to close, staff at the aquarium saw an opportunity for growth.

"This is the biggest capital construction project we've had in the history of the aquarium since we opened 32 years ago," says Jason Patlis, president and CEO of the Maritime Aquarium.

Dave Sigworth, of the Maritime Aquarium, says the new theater will offer "all of the sensory overload that the kids love, and the parents have to deal with."

The theater is built to show featurettes in 3D complete with multimedia effects like falling snow.

Museum staff say by night it will be a great venue for lectures, community gatherings and maybe some Hollywood films.

Aquarium visitors can currently catch two shows an hour. The shows include a mini-documentary about sharks and a comedy short featuring characters from "Ice Age." Both are complete with the 4D bells and whistles you might expect from a theme park theater.

MORE: End of an era: Popular IMAX theater at Maritime Aquarium closing its doors

"It's crazy. I mean things are coming at you out of the screen and next thing you know suddenly there's a splash and you're spritzed," says Sigworth. "So, it's hilarious and it's fun, but then especially with the shark movie it's also educational as well. And especially if you think about it, we have the largest collection of large sharks in New England here, so it's a great tie in to our exhibitry as well."

Visitors are encouraged to buy their tickets ahead of time on the museum website. 

Aquarium officials say there will be a grand opening early next month.