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Sacramento State Planetarium A Proud Feature of the Ernest Tschannen Science Complex

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Sacramento State Planetarium

May at the Sac State Planetarium

This May, we have four returning popular shows, including the ancient Egpyt show "Stars of the Pharaohs." We are also featuring the special premiere of a BRAND NEW show, "Aurora: Lights of Wonder"! More info below!

Sac State Planetarium viewed from a drone flying overhead

The Sac State Planetarium is located on the east side of campus, just north of Parking Structure II and the Hornet Bookstore. Interested in coming? For K-12 students, talk to your teacher about coming for a field trip. For Sac State students, come take an astronomy class IN the planetarium. For the general public, come see one of our public shows! Join our email list or follow us on social media to stay up to date, and check below for more info on each of these ways to visit the planetarium!

Public Shows & Public Show Ticketing

Public shows are held at the Sacramento State Planetarium every month. Unless otherwise noted, all shows are hosted by Sacramento State faculty members from the Department of Physics and Astronomy. As such, schedules vary from month to month depending on the availability of our faculty, but generally shows are offered on one or two weekends per month. All ticket sales are made through the Hornet Ticket Office website, or you can call directly at (916) 278-4323. All public shows run 60 minutes in duration.

Information on each month's public show offerings is made available around the beginning of that month. This website is updated monthly, and interested guests can also sign up for our email list or follow us on social media to be sure to always have the latest information. General admission is only $5 (except for Queen, which is $15), while Sacramento State students (with OneCard) and kids 12-and-under are free (though a ticket still needs to be "purchased" for admission).

Returning this month are a newly updated version of Laura Legé's "Backyard Astronomy: The Sky Tonight" show and a pair of Kid's Day shows. Our popular Queen rock opera show returns for another month as well. Making a special return is our popular ancient Egypt show, "Stars of the Pharaohs." And finally, we are excited to premiere a brand-new show this month, all about the Northern Lights! Come join us on Saturday, May 17th for a special premiere showing of "Aurora: Lights of Wonder." Tickets go on sale Friday, May 2nd at 12:00 noon and will be sold through the Hornet Ticket Office website.

Booking Field Trips

Spring 2025 field trips are now available for booking! The Sac State Planetarium offers field trips for K-12 classes of 20 or more students with no admission cost. Classes will still be required to arrange their own transportation and pay for any applicable parking fees, however.

Field trip reservations are available mornings and afternoons, five days a week. We utilize an online booking system for reservations. Each group will have the Planetarium to themselves for their field trip, so we request a minimum of 20 students and we can accommodate up to 90 people at once. All planetarium shows are booked as 60-minute appointments. Your planetarium field trip host will start the show with a live, interactive tour of our solar system and galaxy. Your show may also include a fulldome film, with several options available to choose from, depending on the instructor's desires.

To make a reservation for your class:

  1. Please schedule a field trip on our booking website. You will receive an email confirmation from Appointlet. Any questions regarding field trips can be directed to planetarium@csus.edu.
  2. Teachers or group organizers must complete the Sac State Minors on Campus form immediately after making your reservation. Groups that fail to complete the form within 48 hours of making a reservation may forfeit their spot. Any questions regarding the Minors on Campus form can be directed to Nayeli Gonzalez at Risk Management.

Classes arriving by bus should be aware of the bus dropoff procedures. Classes arriving by parent/chaperone cars can click here for info on parking and permits.

Field Trip Booking Website

Giving

It is the goal of the Sacramento State Planetarium to offer science education to everyone in the greater Sacramento area. It is important to us that cost not be a barrier to enjoying a public show at the planetarium. This is why our ticket prices are so low. This also means that our revenue cannot cover the costs that come with running and maintaining such a fine facility. We are reliant on the support and donations of our Sacramento community to keep this planetarium open for years to come.

Make A Donation to the Planetarium

Donors may also be interested in our “Seat Under the Stars” campaign, where a $1,000 donation will allow you put your name, or the name of a loved one, on a plaque that will be permanently affixed to one of the seats in the planetarium.

Seat Under the Stars Campaign

Contact Us

Still have questions? You can get in touch with the planetarium team by email or phone: