The AutoNation® IMAX® Theater at the Museum of Discovery and Science (MODS) will debut Secrets of Great Salt Lake on December 19. The new giant-screen documentary offers an immersive look at one of the most unusual and fragile ecosystems on the planet, presenting a cinematic journey that connects prehistoric history, modern wildlife and the people working to protect a vital watershed.
Narrated by Emmy Award®-winner Mike Rowe and directed by Tyler Mifflin, the film explores how water links every part of life on Earth. Viewers travel back to the era when mammoths, camels and saber-toothed cats roamed the shoreline of ancient Lake Bonneville and follow the dramatic natural events that shaped the Lake into what is now Utah’s Great Salt Lake.
“This film brings forward a story that helps guests understand how connected we are to the natural systems around us,” said Joseph P. Cox, president and CEO of MODS. “Our IMAX documentaries are designed to spark curiosity and motivate learning. Secrets of Great Salt Lake gives families, learners and lifelong explorers a compelling look at an ecosystem that is changing in real time. It encourages all of us to think about the future we want and the role science plays in shaping it.”
The film showcases the Lake’s extreme environment, where brine shrimp, birds and other species survive in water five times saltier than the ocean. The Lake supports trillions of brine shrimp, the tiny creatures many people grew up knowing as sea monkeys, offering a relatable entry point into understanding this remarkable food web. Audiences also see how the Lake depends on freshwater originating in the Rocky Mountains. Snowmelt moves through forests of aspen trees that form one of the world’s largest living organisms, flows into wildlife refuges that support millions of migrating birds and eventually reaches the Lake basin where pronghorn and bison roam the islands.
Secrets of Great Salt Lake introduces viewers to the scientists, tribal leaders, farmers and youth who are working to sustain the Lake and the communities connected to it. Their stories underscore what is at stake as water levels shift and conservation becomes more urgent.
Presented with sweeping cinematography produced for giant screens, the IMAX experience places viewers inside landscapes, wildlife habitats and historical events with clarity and scale that deepen the emotional impact of the story.
Secrets of Great Salt Lake is produced by SK Films in partnership with the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation, Mission Partners Entertainment Group and Dorsey Pictures. The film is family-friendly and has a run time of 40 minutes. For more information, visit secretsofgreatsaltlake.com.
The AutoNation® IMAX® Theater at the Museum of Discovery and Science is located at 401 SW 2nd Street in Fort Lauderdale. Secrets of Great Salt Lake is included in the MODS Discovery Pass, an all-in-one ticket that includes Museum exhibitions, live science demonstrations and one IMAX documentary film, and the MODS Discovery Pass Plus, an all-in-one ticket that includes Museum exhibitions, live science demonstrations, one HoloTheater screening and one IMAX documentary film. For tickets, please visit mods.org/tickets and for showtimes, please visit mods.org/showtimes.
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All photos courtesy of SK Films
Posted: December 11, 2025
