Planetarium Shows
in the

Planetarium Theater

While you’re visiting the Discovery Center, take a journey to outer space in our planetarium theater!

Our planetarium has been updated and is better than ever!

In late 2022, we began our planetarium upgrade by partnering with SSIA Technologies to update our servers, software, and audio systems to the latest technology. In addition, we installed brand new carpets, seating, and state-of-the -art 10k projectors. We’re proud to be one of the four planetariums in North America with these high resolution projectors!

Thank you to all our donors and Corporate Members who made this project possible—we are so excited to share our upgraded theater with everyone!

Please note before purchasing your planetarium tickets:

  • Planetarium tickets are an add-on to general admission tickets and won’t be accepted without proof of general admission tickets.

  • Planetarium show ticket sales stop 10 minutes before our shows are scheduled to begin, to make sure everyone gets to the planetarium theater in time for the show to begin.

  • If you pre-purchase tickets to a show, you must still check in at the front desk when you arrive to receive your admittance sticker.

  • Planetarium ticket holders are expected to be present outside the theater doors 5-10 minutes before each show. We need to create a very dark environment for you to be able to see the stars, so once the audience is seated, the show begins and no late seating is allowed.

  • Early departure is permitted but re-entry is not permitted. The Discovery Center is not responsible for refunding tickets due to late arrive or early departures.

  • Planetarium shows run approximately 25-45 minutes.

  • The planetarium show schedule is subject to change without notice.

Now Showing

April 10- June 16, 2024

Please note planetarium tickets are an add-on to general admission tickets.
Planetarium tickets will be not be accepted without purchase of general admission tickets.

  • Showing until 6/9 at 11:00AM

    Most fulldome shows are about the universe. Our story is about how hard it is to get there.

    Elon is a hamster scientist who lives on a dump yard. He tries to fit in the local rats’ community but nobody takes him seriously. The rats aren’t interested in his scientific experiments which often fail in practice.

    One day Elon hears a crash. On his garden he finds a crater and a damaged robot inside. How did he get here? Elon fixes the robot and finds out that he fell from a space ship which is going to prepare Mars for colonization. But the ship leaves in three days.

    And that’s how Elon’s great adventure starts. Will he manage to get the robot back to his ship before it leaves with all the robot’s friends? 3-2-1 Liftoff! Is an adventurous animated film about courage and wits you need to have to get in space and back.

    Recommended for ages 4+

  • Showing until 6/9 at 12:00PM

    Ever wondered what it will take for astronauts to travel to the Moon, Mars and beyond? On this long journey, what challenges will astronauts face? How will they stay motivated and healthy on their spacecraft so far away from Earth? This Bell original planetarium show Mars: The Ultimate Voyage, explores these questions and more!

    On a two year journey to Mars astronauts will face extraordinary challenges—long distance, a closed environment, isolation, altered gravity, radiation. What will it take to get astronauts to Mars—and back—safely? This new, animated planetarium production highlights NASA research and training initiatives that are preparing the next generation of astronauts who will head to Mars. The film shows how creativity, collaboration, communication, and expertise in a diverse number of fields are key for the success of deep space travel—while also inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals! Witness what it takes to embark on the first human mission beyond Earth’s orbit.

    The Bell Museum collaborated with NASA and the University of North Carolina Morehead Planetarium and Science Center to create this planetarium show. The work was funded by a NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) Award 80NSSC20M0028 to the Bell Museum through the Regents of the University of Minnesota.

    Suitable for General Audiences (5+)

  • Showing until 6/9 at 1:00 PM

    Journey from NASA’s test facilities all the way to Pluto and experience the excitement of today’s space missions. Immerse yourself in the adventures and extremes of spacecraft engineering—from the design of missions like the James Webb Space Telescope and New Horizons, to the rigors of testing, launch, and space operations. When humans dare to dream, we create truly amazing things. Recommended for ages 6 and up.

  • Always showing at 2:00 PM

    Tonight’s Sky is our own, ever changing planetarium show! Experience our educator-led, live show about what's visible in the sky the night of your visit. Tonight’s Sky is a tour of all of the wonders of the night sky, with a member of the Discovery Center's Education Team serving as your guide.

    Recommended for ages 5+.

  • Showing until 6/9 at 3:00 PM

    Take a journey through the solar system and the universe beyond. Learn how telescopes and space probes have changed our understanding of planets, moons and other celestial objects. Recommended for ages 6 and up

Freedom Energy Logistics Adopts Planetarium at McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center

In an exciting new partnership to make new discoveries in astronomy and space science accessible to New Hampshire families and visitors to the Granite State, Freedom Energy Logistics of Auburn, NH has adopted our planetarium theater.

“We are delighted to play a part in encouraging those of all ages to engage in leading edge science in the museum dedicated to New Hampshire space pioneers Christa McAuliffe and Alan Shepard,” notes Bart Fromuth. “I will never forget my first visit to the planetarium as a student on a school field trip. The experience was transformative. As a father, I want that experience for my children. As a business leader, I want to encourage students of all ages to engage in science, technology, engineering, and math at the Discovery Center’s Freedom Energy Logistics Planetarium and be inspired to pursue careers in these fields.”

The Freedom Energy Logistics Planetarium originally opened in 1990 in a facility named the “Christa McAuliffe Planetarium”. In 2009, the original organization quadrupled in size, expanded its mission to include both Christa McAuliffe and her hero, Admiral Alan B. Shepard, Jr., and reopened as a 45,000-square-foot, two-story science museum. Its name was legally changed in April 2009 from the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium to the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. From 2009-2011, five key areas and several exhibits in the new museum were adopted by community-oriented corporations. The new three-year partnership between Freedom Energy Logistics and the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center has reopened the possibility of adopting and naming additional key spaces and activities in the center, ranging from a board room to a major function room to a science playground. Interested companies and individuals are invited to contact Executive Director Gerulskis at the Discovery Center for more information.

Coming Soon

June 12- September 20, 2024

Please note planetarium tickets are an add-on to general admission tickets.
Planetarium tickets will be not be accepted without purchase of general admission tickets.

  • Showing until 9/20 at 11:00AM

    Most fulldome shows are about the universe. Our story is about how hard it is to get there.

    Elon is a hamster scientist who lives on a dump yard. He tries to fit in the local rats’ community but nobody takes him seriously. The rats aren’t interested in his scientific experiments which often fail in practice.

    One day Elon hears a crash. On his garden he finds a crater and a damaged robot inside. How did he get here? Elon fixes the robot and finds out that he fell from a space ship which is going to prepare Mars for colonization. But the ship leaves in three days.

    And that’s how Elon’s great adventure starts. Will he manage to get the robot back to his ship before it leaves with all the robot’s friends? 3-2-1 Liftoff! Is an adventurous animated film about courage and wits you need to have to get in space and back.

    Recommended for ages 4+

  • Showing until 9/20 at 12:00PM

    Join our expedition to Mars and enjoy a thrilling experience where you'll dive into the depths of seemingly bottomless canyons and brave the violent winds that sweep across the Red Planet's icy dunes. One Day on Mars will take you to a world that humans could well visit in just a few decades in our ongoing search for life.

    Recommended ages 6+

  • Showing until 9/20 at 1:00 PM

    Ever wondered what it will take for astronauts to travel to the Moon, Mars and beyond? On this long journey, what challenges will astronauts face? How will they stay motivated and healthy on their spacecraft so far away from Earth? The new Bell original planetarium show Mars: The Ultimate Voyage, explores these questions and more!

    On a two-year journey to Mars astronauts will face extraordinary challenges—long distance, a closed environment, isolation, altered gravity, radiation. What will it take to get astronauts to Mars—and back—safely? This new, animated planetarium production highlights NASA research and training initiatives that are preparing the next generation of astronauts who will head to Mars. The film shows how creativity, collaboration, communication, and expertise in a diverse number of fields are key for the success of deep space travel—while also inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals! Witness what it takes to embark on the first human mission beyond Earth’s orbit.

    The Bell Museum collaborated with NASA and the UNC Morehead Planetarium and Science Center to create this new planetarium show. The work was funded by a NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) Award 80NSSC20M0028 to the Bell Museum through the Regents of the University of Minnesota.

    Recommended for ages 5+

  • Always showing at 2:00 PM

    Tonight’s Sky is our own, ever changing planetarium show! Experience our educator-led, live show about what's visible in the sky the night of your visit. Tonight’s Sky is a tour of all of the wonders of the night sky, with a member of the Discovery Center's Education Team serving as your guide.

    Recommended for ages 5+.

  • Showing until 9/20 at 3:00 PM

    Created in partnership with Chief Paul Pouliot and Chief Female Speaker Denise Pouliot of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook and Abenaki People, produced by Film Unbound and with technical support by SSIA Technologies, and written by Paul Pouliot, this 100% New Hampshire-made show tells stories of the night sky from the perspective and cultural traditions of the indigenous peoples whose ancestors first settled in the Granite State over 12,000 years ago. Recommended for ages 5 and up.