South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, US, is set to open one of the largest planetariums in the southeast and the only permanent 4D theatre anywhere in the state.

The main feature of the expansion is the 145-seat planetarium, which will present both educational and entertaining programmes about earth and astronomy, as well as art, music and history.

Thanks to the museum’s partnership with NASA and use of closed-circuit television, students and other visitors will enjoy real-time experiences from space on the planetarium’s dome. The planetarium dome will show visitors Impressionist art, the Pyramids and the world of the dinosaurs from a non-astrological perspective.

The 2,500sq ft (232sq m) Boeing Observatory features a world-class telescope as well as an outdoor viewing terrace with additional telescopes. Also on display will be a priceless collection of telescopes, the oldest dating to 1730.

The 4D Theater is the only permanent theatre of its kind in South Carolina and will offer programming that complements other museum exhibits and popular movies, starting with Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs: The 4D Experience along with the new blockbuster exhibit, Dinosaurs: A Bite Out of Time and the educational film, Planet Earth: Pole to Pole 4D Experience.

The expansion works, which cost an undisclosed sum, are expected to contribute more than US$19m (€14m, £11.2m) to the state’s economy – with spending on hotels, food and other travel-related activities coming from an estimated 260,000 visitors on an annual basis.

The new addition, opening to the public on 16 August, will play a central role in the museum’s new distance learning initiatives, which particularly focus on the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).