Planetarium

Parking Information

The Sacramento State Planetarium is located in the Ernest E. Tschannen Science Complex (Science II)

The closest parking to the Planetarium is Parking Structure 2.

STARTING IN OCTOBER 2026, ALL VISITORS WILL NEED A $5 PARKING PERMIT
- Student and Staff permit holders may park as their permit type allows
- All permits require license plate information
- Methods to purchase a 2-hour or discounted daily parking permit for $5:
  - Purchase online:
    Purchase a discounted daily pass here
  - In person:
    Pay with cash or credit at any yellow permit machine located in all student parking lots/structures; view the campus map for locations.
  - Sign up for a PayByPhone account and download the app. When you arrive on campus, enter location number "5115" into the app to pay your parking fee.

Please view our campus map for parking lot locations.

Passenger Loading

Dropping off guests? There is a small parking lot of temporary parking spaces between the Bookstore and the Planetarium entrance that will get a vehicle the closest possible.

Parking map for Planetarium — The closest parking to the Planetarium is Parking Structure 2.

Campus Map Pay-by-Phone

Sac State Student Tickets

For shows that offer free tickets to Sac State Students, please follow these steps:

Login here with your student credentials
If menu header doesn't read Student/Faculty/Staff Tickets, please go to menu (3 horizontal lines on mobile) and click Student Tickets to access the correct sales flow
Select Planetarium
Select "Buy Now" under the name of the event you want to attend
Add your free student ticket
- Add any tickets that need to be purchased on this screen as well
Follow sales flow to complete transation
Once sale is complete, please be sure to download your mobile tickets to your digital wallet
- Tickets may be found in a link of an email titled "Your mobile tickets have arrived" OR from the menu, under My Tickets, in the section called "My Upcoming Events"
Present the QR code on the mobile ticket at the door for entry
- If any paid tickets need to be transferred, please follow the steps located here

JWST: The Fourth Year

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has completed four full years of image releases! At this point, we are not surprised by the continuous stream of gorgeous new space imagery, but in this last year NASA has really granted us some amazing views! We have seen little red dots that may be hiding supermassive black holes; we have seen NASA teamups with JWST data being combined with data from other telescopes to give us otherworldly views of the cosmos; we have even been given brand new looks at objects that we thought we already knew but can now see in a whole new light (literally!). Join us for an updated version of our JWST show, featuring all new material from some of the best images and video released over the course of the last year. Stare in awe at the beauty and be amazed at the science behind it all as your astrophysicist host explains not only what you are seeing, but why it appears the way it does. Our big universe gets bigger every year, come explore it with us!

Showtimes:

Friday, October 23rd
- 6:00 PM with Dr. Rodolfo Barniol Duran
Saturday, October 24th
- 2:00 PM with Kyle Watters [SOLD OUT]
- 5:00 PM with Laura Legé

General Admission: $7 ($5 ticket + $2 per ticket charge)
Kids 12 and under: FREE (but must claim ticket)
Sac State Students: FREE (but must claim ticket)

Purchase tickets here

Encounters in the Milky Way

Our Milky Way Galaxy is home to not only our solar system, but hundreds of billions of other stars as well. Space is big, but with that many stars flying around, encounters are bound to occur. And not just with other stars, but other galaxies even! Come learn about the fascinating history (and future!) of our galaxy as we learn about "Encounters in the Milky Way."

Running time~ 1 hour

Showtimes:

Friday, October 23rd
- 7:30 PM with Dr. Rodolfo Barniol Duran [SOLD OUT]
Saturday, October 24th
- 3:30 PM with Kyle Watters [SOLD OUT]
- 6:30 PM with Laura Legé [SOLD OUT]

General Admission: $7 ($5 ticket + $2 per ticket charge)
Kids 12 and under: FREE (but must claim ticket)
Sac State Students: FREE (but must claim ticket)

Important Information

There are absolutely no food or drinks allowed in the Planetarium.
Zooming through the universe on a 360º screen may cause motion sickness, please be advised.
Field Trips are not handled by Hornet Tickets; please visit the booking site.
- Parking is not free for field trips. Please visit the UTAPS site for more parking information
Will Call is available at the door or can be picked up in advance at the Hornet Ticket Office.
Doors open about 15 minutes prior to show time. There is no late seating.
There are no refunds for shows missed. Exchanges or refunds well in advance so that seats may be re-offered to the public may be considered.
Shows are about an hour long, including a presentation, often a short film, and Q&A time.

Purchasing Tips

The most SUCCESSFUL way to purchase tickets to the overwhelmingly popular Sacramento State Planetarium is online.
Customers who have created an account with paciolan (our NEW ticketing company) and are successfully logged in at the exact time tickets are released have had the best luck in procuring these hot tickets!
Create your account in advance and have your login information available to have the best chance at purchasing!
Please know that while we do our best to accommodate those who call in, we cannot be as fast as the internet and are unable to select tickets once they are in the virtual shopping carts of online customers.