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Planetarium
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
Aurora: Lights of Wonder **NEW SHOW**
Planet Earth's aurorae are more than just a beautiful sight, they are ongoing proof of Mother Nature's planetary protection system that keeps life on Earth safe from the lethal dangers of outer space. Come enjoy fantastic footage of the Northern Lights at their most spectacular while also learning about the fascinating science behind the lights and what they mean for us here on Earth.
Showtimes:
- Saturday, May 17th with Kyle Watters
- 12:30 PM [1 left, as of 5/2 at 1:56pm]
Ticket Prices
- 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)
The Queen Light Show: From Mercury With Love
The Sac State Planetarium is excited to bring a new show to our dome.
"The Queen Light Show: From Mercury With Love" is a thrilling musical adventure featuring eleven hit tracks from the legendary rock band, paired with 1970s-style laser light show effects.
Enjoy classics like Another One Bites the Dust and Bohemian Rhapsody on our massive Dolby 5.1 surround sound system while wild and captivating visuals play across our 2,500 square foot dome theater screen.
This show has a runtime of 38 minutes.
Note: This show features rapidly flashing colored lights and may not be appropriate for guests with sensitivities to such conditions.
Showtimes:
- Saturday, May 10th
- 12:00 PM
- 1:30 PM
Ticket Prices
- ALL TICKETS: $17 ($15 ticket + $2 per ticket charge)
- Running Time: ~40 minutes
Kid's Day
Have a budding astronomer in your house? Want to do something fun with them on the weekend? How about a trip to the Sac State Planetarium?! Our Kid's Day shows are geared towards an elementary age audience, and feature some of the same material that students see in our field trip shows during the academic year.
All Kid's Day presentations will be hosted by our very own Sac State students who work with field trip groups during the semester. Shows will include amazing full-dome visuals of our Solar System, galaxy, and universe, as well as a time for Q&A with your host at the end of the show.
Running time~ 1 hour
Showtimes:
- Saturday, May 10th with Jason Johnson
- 10:30 AM - The Solar System
- 3:00 PM - Black Holes
Ticket Prices
- 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)
Stars of the Pharaohs
Learn about the astronomy of the ancient Egyptians! What did the Ancient Egyptians know about The North Star? Why are the pyramids arranged the way they are? What is the Dog Star? Find out all this and more as explore the Stars of the Pharaohs.
Showtimes:
- Saturday, May 10th
- 5:00 PM
- Saturday, May 31st
- 5:00 PM
Ticket Prices
- 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)
Backyard Astronomy
Our Northern California night sky is constantly changing with the seasons, but always offers fascinating targets to learn about and observe. Come join our night sky expert, Laura Legé, as she explores the stars and constellations that will be up in our sky tonight and some of the myths behind them.
Showtimes:
- Saturday, May 10th
- 6:30 PM
- Saturday, May 31st
- 6:30 PM
Ticket Prices
- 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)
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.
- Paid ticketed events include free parking on the TOP FLOOR of Parking Structure 2 ONLY, starting 1 hour prior to event start time. There is no free parking for Field Trips.
- Daily/hourly parking permits (valid in student parking spaces) are required otherwise. To purchase an $8 daily (or $4 two-hour) parking permit:
- 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.
- When you arrive on campus, pay with cash or credit at any permit machine located in all student parking lots/structures; view the campus map for locations.
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.
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.
Stay Connected
Find out about upcoming show dates by following the Planetarium's social media accounts (found on their website) and/or joining their mailing list!