“Where are we going?” host Mike Davis asks the audience inside the theater.

Two seconds of silence.

“Space?” asks one small boy.

“No, we’re going on a jetpack adventure! THEN to the moon!”

The enthusiasm of the host is contagious. We silence our cell phones, slip on our 3D glasses, and wait for the adventure to begin.

The San Diego Air & Space Museum opened its 3D/4D Zable Theater this summer. The first of its kind in Balboa Park, the 36-seat theater uses standard 3D technologies but kicks the experience up a notch with (surprisingly plush) seats that move with the action and sensory effects like mist, wind, and dramatic lighting. During the screenings, kids yelp and cover their eyes to shield themselves from the gusts of air and 3D objects that seem to hurtle toward them. Parents in the audience are less animated but seem no less enthralled by the action.

The theater’s current films Jetpack Adventure and Fly Me to the Moon were created specifically for the 3D/4D environment. Played continuously each day, the films are free with museum admission—a perk that host Mike labels “Free-D.”

If you’re spending an action-packed day in the park, the Zable Theater is an excellent spot to rest your feet and be entertained. For parents who would rather wait outside than fly through space, the museum has a surveillance camera inside the theater and a monitor outside of the exit door so adults can skip the film but still keep an eye on the action inside.

>>Visit the San Diego Air & Space Museum website for details about the film, museum admission prices, and directions.