Planetarium

Witness South Central Pennsylvania’s largest Planetarium and immerse yourself in the cosmos!

With Spitz’s SciDome XD projection system, audiences can travel anywhere in extreme definition. Audiences are surrounded by visuals where our movie-like shows make you feel like your part of the show, including the sensation of flying on Earth or through the universe.

Whether it’s the night sky from Lancaster, Pa to Sydney, Australia to the moons of Jupiter or traveling to the far reaches of the Milky Way Galaxy, you’ll see the universe in a whole new light, with the help of Starry Night Dome software.

Thanks to our 2015 Capital Campaign, our planetarium is no longer limited to astronomy and can now venture into the Earth Sciences. We can show you how the Arctic ice has changed over time, live locations of earthquakes, high definition satellite views of the Earth, and fly through the Grand Canyon with the assistance from The Layered Earth software.

Our expert staff of Planetarium Educators will be your guide, answer your questions, and personalize your experience. Be sure to see their own produced show, the Night Sky Tour, and see what’s currently visible while showcasing their own expertise and passion in astronomy!

BIG BIRD’S ADVENTURE

Suggested for children in Pre-K through 1st

Schedule:

Nov. 7 – 11am & 2pm
Nov. 8 – 11am
Nov 14 & 15 – 11am
Nov. 21 – 11am & 2pm
Nov. 25 – 11am
Nov 28 & 29 – 11am

 View Trailer

Join Sesame Street‘s Big Bird and Elmo as they explore the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, a Muppet from the Chinese co-production of Sesame Street. Together, they take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to the starry night sky of constellations and to the moon, where they discover how different it is from Earth.

DARK MATTER MYSTERY

Running time: 30 minutes

Schedule:

Nov. 8 – 2pm
Nov. 14 & 15 – 2pm
Nov. 22 – 2pm
Nov. 25 – 2pm

 View Trailer

Investigate one of the biggest mysteries in astronomy, Dark Matter. What is it? Does it make up the majority of the universe? Join the exploration of this contemporary frontier in astronomy and learn more about the properties of dark matter and the techniques being used to attempt to detect it. Look back at the discovery of the planet Uranus and even further to the evolution of the early universe to understand how the contours of the unknown continue to shape the development of our science in The Dark Matter Mystery.

SEASON OF LIGHT

Nov. 27th – 11am & 2pm
Nov. 28th– 2pm
Nov. 29th – 2pm

Length: 30 Minutes

This NEW planetarium show traces the history and development of many of the world’s most endearing holiday customs, all of which involve lighting up the winter season — from the burning Yule log, sparkling Christmas tree lights and candles in windows, to the lighting of luminarias in the American Southwest and the traditional ritual of the Hanukkah Menorah.