Each show is typically 25-45 minutes long. We often accompany the planetarium show with another activity, such as one of our popular 3D tours of Mars, the Milky Way, and the Universe beyond our Galaxy. These feature spectacular astronomical images from the surface of Mars, to dusty nebulae, to dazzling galaxies, rendered in three dimensions with the aid of special eyeglasses and projection screen. For younger visitors (K-2), we recommend the 3D tour of Mars, or one of our Phases of the Moon or Earth's Seasons demos.
The total time for the show and activity is 1 hour.
These programs can only be scheduled during open time slots between Penn State classes. We do our best to accommodate every group, but we may not be able to schedule your group in your first choice of time slot, so please be prepared to give 2 or 3 possible times that you would like to visit.
To schedule a show, please contact:
Chris Palma
814 865-2255
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Planetarium Information
We do not currently offer shows for groups of children younger than kindergarten age. Also, we do not currently offer shows to private groups besides the exceptions noted above. However, our planetarium is open to the Penn State and State College community during a few events each year. Currently, these are:
AstroFest -- Wednesday to Saturday evenings during the Arts Festival
Penn State Parents and Families Night -- Early Fall semester
During the Penn State Fall and Spring semesters, we also open our rooftop observatory on Friday nights for public observing. For more information on this program, check out this webpage!
Although our open house program is closed for the summer, we will be opening the telescopes for public viewing during AstroFest.