Public
Shows
COVID Related Information and Policies
All tickets must be purchased in advance.
No at the door tickets at this time.
Drake Planetarium may cancel shows due to COVID at any time and refund ticket holders.
Refunds are only applicable if Drake must close the facility.
Cleaning procedures take place before and after each show.
Public Shows currently Unavailable until further notice.
School groups/Private Groups - Please browse our shows below
HUBBLE Vision 2:
A breathtaking odyssey through the universe, as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope, featuring gorgeous imagery of the planets, stars, galaxies, and more!
Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has provided incredible images in unprecedented detail to astronomers, and made an astonishing array of discoveries — from nearby objects in the solar system to the most distant galaxies at limits of the observable universe.
The best and most exciting Hubble images have been woven into an engaging story of cosmic exploration, bringing the wonders of the universe to audiences everywhere. HUBBLE Vision 2 is a fascinating tour of the cosmos — from Earth orbit.
Destination Solar System:
Space Express Tours—the first tour company in deep space—offers a variety of adventures including its most popular trip, Destination Solar System. This out-of-this world jaunt takes place on board the fastest ship in the Space Express fleet and is the only vehicle equipped with Space Jump™ technology.
In Destination Solar System, passengers will travel hundreds of millions of miles in just seconds on an adventure-filled tour led by Jesse, an enthusiastic, knowledgeable—but inexperienced—tour guide, and Max, a highly advanced, fully-integrated onboard computer. Tours of the hottest hot spots and the coldest, stormiest and most spectacular sights in the Solar System await curious space explorers of all ages.
One World, One Sky. Big Bird's Adventure
Follow Sesame Street's Big Bird and Elmo as they explore the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, a Muppet from Zhima Jie, the Chinese co-production of Sesame Street. Together, they take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to the moon, where they discover how different it is from Earth.
One World, One Sky is a brilliant spectacle of light and color as the furry friends watch the stars twinkle over Sesame Street. Children attending the show can interact as they watch, drawing constellations and counting the time it takes the sun to set. The show aims to nurture a child's natural sense of wonder about the night sky while forging cross-cultural connections, and bridging kids across nations through a common bond in learning about the sky together.
From Earth to the Universe
The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious, has been the subject of campfire stories, ancient myths and awe for as long as there have been people. A desire to comprehend the Universe may well be humanity’s oldest shared intellectual experience. Yet only recently have we truly begun to grasp our place in the vast cosmos. To learn about this journey of celestial discovery, from the theories of the ancient Greek astronomers to today’s grandest telescopes, we invite you to experience From Earth to the Universe.
The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket
Drake Planetarium is proud to offer one of the most popular space journeys for children and their families, “The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket”
Thanks to our creative and talented friends at Clark Planetarium,
you’ll see and feel the highest levels of detail and animation of any planetarium in the world.
Back to the Moon:
A program sponsored by Google, review our lunar exploration past and then learn about current efforts to return to the Moon..
"In case you haven’t heard, the Moon is trending again… and in a big way. Like in the glory days of the 1960s and 1970s, our big white space neighbor is enjoying the attention of lunar explorers. Only this time, they’re going back to the moon for good."
Follow the Drinking Gourd:
A wonderful story of human determination, hardship, and innovation based on the book by Jeanette Winter.
Many African American slaves managed to escape to the North by following the Big Dipper, which they called, "The Drinking Gourd."
According to legend, the song was used by a conductor of the Underground Railroad, called Peg Leg Joe, to guide some fugitive slaves. Learn all about this and more! (Live Sky Show beforehand that will teach you how to Follow The Drinking Gourd!).
Two Small Pieces of Glass:
The Amazing Telescope
While looking through the astronomer’s telescope, the students, along with the planetarium audience, explore the Galilean Moons, Saturn’s rings, and spiral structure of galaxies. During their conversation with the astronomer, they also learn about the discoveries of Galileo, Huygens, Newton, Hubble and many others.
Crazy Cosmonauts! :
Follow the adventures of a couple of young cosmonauts, their pet, and a witty computer, as they take a mission into space! Join the excitement and quest with these adventurers on the Moon! Check out a solar storm and achieve a new perspective on the world!
(Appropriate for all ages).
The Dark Matter Mystery -
What keeps Galaxies together? What are the building blocks of the Universe? What makes the Universe look the way it looks today? Researchers all around the world try to answer these questions.
We know today that approximately a quarter of the Universe is filled with a mysterious glue: Dark Matter. We know that it is out there. But we have no idea what it is made out of. Join the scientists on their hunt for Dark Matter with experiments in space and deep underground. Will they be able to solve the Dark Matter Mystery?
Out There -- The Quest for Extrasolar Worlds -
Tells the story of how human curiosity has driven us to look outwards for millennia, to discover and explore new and distant worlds and to find the unfamiliar and extraordinary forms of life that could exist in the mysterious realms of the Universe.
The Quest will transport viewers from this world to entirely new and foreign ones. The show features the primitive science fiction of early civilizations, to the future space missions that will observe the Universe in greater-than-ever detail and travel to the surfaces and oceans of moons in our Solar System
FRACTALS ROCK! :
Zoom into the infinite world of fractals in this dramatic and beautiful live fractal show. Accompanied by original music in stunning surround sound, Fractals Rock is an awe-inspiring immersive journey that will expand your mind and delight your senses
Expedition Reef :
Embark on a journey into the hidden world of coral reefs in this all-digital planetarium show exploring some of our planet’s most biodiverse—and critically threatened—ecosystems.
Dive into the heart of the iconic Philippine coral reef as thousands of tropical fish flutter by. Travel the globe to explore coral reefs teeming with life and learn how scientists are racing to develop sustainable solutions to protect these vitally important ecosystems for the future.
Along the way, discover how corals live, breathe, and reproduce, supporting a quarter of all marine life on Earth and providing critical benefits to human communities in our ever-changing world.
Dinosaurs At Dusk:
A learning adventure of a father and his teenage daughter Lucy, who share a fascination for all things that fly.
You’ll travel back in time to meet the pterosaurs and the ancestors of modern-day birds: the feathered dinosaurs. Lucy and her father navigate from continent to continent, looking for clues about the origins of flight.
When time runs out they experience first-hand the cataclysmic “last day” of the dinosaurs.
Science content includes topics such as continental drift, proper motion of stars, asteroids and impacts, extinctions and the convergent development of flight among species.
Don't see a show? Let us know!