Planetarium Shows
in the

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 Playing

January 2 - March 2, 2025

*Alternate Schedule for January 30 & February 18 below!

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 3/2 at 11:00AM

    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+ 

     Run time: 35 minutes 

  • Always showing at 12 & 2 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+

    Run Time Varies: 30-45 minutes

  • Showing until 3/2 at 1pm and 3pm.

    We are all connected. Come and find out how. 

    Join us on a journey into, under, and around the many ecosystems across our planet. Discover how each component fits together, and how the health of each part is vital to the health of Planet Earth. Find out how, with the help of satellites and scientific study, we can understand the links between human activities and climate change, and what we can do to work together to improve the health of our shared home. 

    This visually stunning show is an immersive science film that features beautiful animation and creative storytelling that viewers of all ages can enjoy together. 

    Recommended for ages 6 and up.

    Run Time: 25 minutes

Specialized Planetarium Show Schedules

NASA Day of Remembrance

January 30, 2025

In honor of the members of the NASA family who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery for the benefit all, the agency hosted its annual Day of Remembrance Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024.

11am: 3-2-1 Liftoff!

12pm: Tonight’s Sky

1pm: Capcom Go!

2pm: Tonight’s Sky

3pm: CHRISTA

Discovery of Pluto Anniversary

February 18th, 2025

Pluto was discovered on February 18, 1930, by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Tombaugh used a technique called "planetary hunting," comparing photographic plates taken on different nights to spot any moving object. Pluto was initially classified as the ninth planet, but in 2006, it was reclassified as a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) due to its small size and inability to clear its orbit of other debris.

11am: 3-2-1 Liftoff!

12pm: Tonight’s Sky (Highlighting Pluto)

1pm: From Dream to Discovery

2pm: Tonight’s Sky (Highlighting Pluto)

3pm: From Earth to the Universe

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 Development Director, Katie Marinoff-Silk at the Discovery Center for more information.