William Knox Holt Planetarium

"The Best Planetarium in the Whole World"
—The Planetarian, Journal of the International Planetarium Society

Explore the skies in a small friendly planetarium, where questions and activities are part of the show.

Planetarium shows
Every Saturday and Sunday, plus holidays (see schedule below).

Planetarium tickets
(after museum admission)
$3.00 — Adults
$2.50 — Ages 18 and under

Tickets are sold at the Information Desk on a first-come, first-served basis. Planetarium Passes should be exchanged at the Information Desk for tickets.

Most programs are recommended for ages 8 and up.
Children under 6 will not be admitted except for Flying High and Journey to the Moon (for ages 4-7).

Schedule

December 20, 2008-March 15, 2009
Saturday and Sunday, plus Holidays.*
1:00 p.m. - Flying High (designed for ages 4-7)
2:15 p.m. - Northern Lights (for ages 8 yrs and up)
3:30 p.m. - Constellations Tonight (for ages 8 yrs and up)
* Holidays include Jan. 19 & Feb. 16.

March 21-June 14, 2009
Saturday and Sunday, plus Holidays.
Daily shows: 4/06-4/17/09**
1:00 p.m. - Journey to the Moon (designed for ages 4-7)
2:15 p.m. - Moons of the Solar System (for ages 8 yrs and up)
3:30 p.m. - Constellations Tonight (for ages 8 yrs and up)
** Special schedule M-F: 1:45pm "Journey to the Moon" & 3:00pm "Constellations Tonight" only

June 15-September 13, 2009
Saturday and Sunday, plus Holidays.
Daily shows: 6/15-8/21/2009
1:00 p.m. - Flying High (designed for ages 4-7)
2:15 p.m. - Strange Planets (for ages 8 yrs and up)
3:30 p.m. - Constellations Tonight (for ages 8 yrs and up)

Events

Saturday Night Stargazing
Every 1st & 3rd Saturday of the month, year-round. For more information, please check our stargazing page.

Programs

Constellations Tonight
The lore of the stars and other treasures of the sky come to Earth in our planetarium. Learn to identify the most prominent constellations of the season in the planetarium sky with a simple star map. Keep your map to help you find the constellations in the real nighttime sky.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.

Flying High
Take an imaginary trip into space. Start the excursion by speeding though a whole day in our planetarium "time machine" and then identifying the Big Dipper. Take off with the launch of a spaceship and learn how things move in space, how astronauts eat food in a weightless environment, and how satellites are put into orbit. Don't worry, you’ll return safe and sound!
Recommended for ages 4-7.

Journey to The Moon
Pack your astronaut bags with everything you need for an imaginary trip to the Moon. Start with a time traveler’s view of the changing shapes of the Moon as viewed from Earth. Then land on the Moon and go for an imaginary stroll with lots of “lunatic” excitement and adventure.
Recommended for ages 4–7.

Moons of the Solar System
Take a tour of the fascinating worlds that orbit Earth and other planets. Discover the reasons for Moon phases and eclipses. Explore Jupiter’s moons as Galileo saw them 400 years ago, and see modern images from the Galileo space probe and more!
Recommended for ages 8 and up.

Northern Lights
A dazzling spectacle, the northern lights have baffled humankind for centuries. What are these gigantic displays of light draping their brilliance across the polar sky? How did ancient peoples react to these celestial phenomena? How do we explain the northern lights today? Learn this and more in our exciting Holt Planetarium program.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.

Strange Planets
Astronomers have found a galaxy of planets lurking light years from our solar system! Strange Planets explores these extrasolar planets, but how do you find a planet orbiting another star? Is it even possible? Learn the latest astronomical techniques for identifying extrasolar planets and measuring their size, mass, and temperature. Then find an easy-to-spot star in the night sky that has an extrasolar planet orbiting it!
Recommended for ages 8 and up.