Virginia Skies
Recommended for all ages
Cost: $4 plus Museum admission/$2 members (without voucher)
Explore the skies above you with this exciting
interactive program. One of our staff astronomers will take you on a
tour of the current skies, highlighting visible planets, deep sky
objects, and any upcoming special astronomical events. Once you’ve had
your introductory tour, feel free to ask your astronomy questions!
We’ll use our state of the art planetarium visualization system to take
you to see objects of curiosity and wonder. Different every time you
see it, this program is great for the entire family.
Click here for more information on Virginia Skies
The Friendly Stars
Recommended for ages 5 and under, accompanied by an adult
Cost: $4 plus Museum admission, $2 members (without voucher)
This program is available for private bookings
Introduce your little astronomer to the wonders
of the sky with this gentle and interactive program for preschoolers.
One of our staff astronomers, with some help from our friendly Sun
character Sol and the chatty stars of the night sky, will guide you and
your little ones on a journey from day to night and show you some of
the exciting things you can find just by looking up.
An excellent
“first experience” program for children before coming on their first
field trip with their kindergarten class.
Click here for more information on The Friendly Stars
The Art of Hubble
Recommended for ages 10 and above
Cost: $4 plus Museum admission, $2 members (without voucher)
This program is available for private bookings
For almost 20 years, the Hubble Space Telescope
has produced stunning images that challenge the mind, overwhelm the
senses and fire the imagination. Images such as The Pillars of
Creation, the Hubble Deep Field, The Antennae and many more have become
iconic to the telescope and to the power and dramatic artistic beauty
of the universe in which we reside. Join us as we tour through
Hubble’s impressive art gallery of breathtaking photographs and explore
the science behind the vistas captured by one of the most successful
NASA missions of all time. A companion program to “Beguiled by the
Wild.”
Astronaut
Recommended for all ages
Cost: $4 plus Museum admission/$2 members (without voucher)
The exploration of
space is the greatest endeavor that humankind has ever undertaken. What
does it take to be part of this incredible journey? What does it take
to become an astronaut?
Astronaut, the
latest immersive planetarium show to be created by the National Space
Centre, takes you from Earth into space... and beyond.
Click here for more information on Astronaut
Follow the Drinking Gourd
Recommended for all ages
Cost: Included in Museum admission
This program is available for private bookings
Celebrate Black History Month with this timeless classic program about how slaves in the southern United States used a song and the stars to find their way to freedom. Based on the children's book by Jeanette Winter.
Click here for more information on Follow the Drinking Gourd
A Sky Full of Scales
Recommended for all ages
Cost: $4 plus Museum admission, $2 members (without voucher)
This live program explores how various reptiles use celestial objects for survival and discusses how to scan the skies for starry reptiles hiding above us.
Kaluoka'hina
Recommended for families of all ages
Cost: $4 plus Museum admission/$2 members (without voucher)
To save their home, two fish must touch the Moon. But how? Join Jake and Shorty as they race against time to save their magical reef. An exciting adventure for the whole family, this show makes an excellent companion to Amazon Voyage.
Click here for more information on Kaluoka'hina
Future is Wild
Recommended for ages 6 and above
Cost: $4 plus Museum admission/$2 members (without voucher)
Based on a wildly successful international television series that has been broadcast in over 60 countries around the world, The Future is Wild will give you a glimpse at what might be the future of the animal kingdom on planet Earth. An international team of researchers has been looking into how animals and plants will change and evolve over the next 5 to 200 million years. And a team of over 100 animators and scholars has transformed their ideas into creatures that fly, walk and swim on the Earth of the future.
Oasis in Space
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Cost: $4 plus Museum admission/$2 members (without voucher)
This program is available for private bookings.
Water: our most precious resource. Without it, life could not exist on our planet. Is the reverse also true? If we search for water, will we also find life? Join us as we explore our solar system and discover what makes our world stand out among the Sun’s family of planets. Stunning imagery will captivate you as we journey to, and sometimes even below, the surfaces of our neighbor worlds to discover whether or not life might be possible beyond our home planet.
Our presentation of Oasis in Space is made possible by E&S Spitz.
Click here for more information on Oasis in Space .
Two Small Pieces of Glass
Recommended for ages 6 and up
Cost: $4 plus Museum admission/$2 members (without voucher)
Four hundred years ago, a simple adjustment to a child’s spyglass revealed for the first time an infinite and perplexing universe to our eyes and imaginations. Join us today, as the world‘s great telescopes, born of that serendipitous moment, gaze ever further into the distant past — and into our future.
Fright Light
Recommended for families of all ages
It's a howling good time in the planetarium with this frightfully awesome mix of terror-ific tunes! Wild and weird laser images accompany songs from Black Sabbath, Garbage, The Who and so many more! Come enjoy this laser spook-tacular!
Laser Holidays
Recommended for families of all ages
Cost: $4 plus Museum admission/$2 members (without voucher)
Click here for Holiday Planetarium schedule
Featuring classic holiday favorites like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," modern hits like "Jingle Bell Rock," and unique reimaginings of timesless songs, this is an animated Christmas light display like no other you've ever seen!
Note for daytime laser shows: Due to time limitations, not all songs may be included in every program. Your actual playlist will be determined by your laserist. Get into the holiday spirit with the music of the season and dazzling laser effects!
Star of Wonder: Mystery of the Christmas Star
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Cost: $4 plus Museum admission/$2 members (without voucher)
Click here for Holiday Planetarium schedule
Join us in the Abbitt Planetarium for a truly immersive look at the journey of the magi, as we examine the latest clues and seek once more to understand the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem.