It was my first time visiting the Fernbank Science Center for their "Music Under the Moon" event, and it was an incredible experience. Inside the planetarium, the domed projection screen displayed the night sky in stunning 10K resolution, featuring a live view of the moon and surrounding stars. As you recline in your seat and look up at the beautiful visuals overhead, classical musicians perform a creative mix of timeless pieces along with arrangements from Star Wars and other contemporary music. The combination of the music and the immersive visuals made the whole experience feel magical. I had a fantastic time and would absolutely return for another show. It is a unique and memorable way to enjoy live music in a truly special setting. read more

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It's small and has some cool stuff, and the planetarium show was quite good, but the real treat was the late night observatory where you get to look through the huge telescope to see things you've never seen before. I probably wouldn't make the trip just for the regular exhibits, although there's some neat snakes, but make sure you pair it with a show. read more

First, just to be clear, this is the Fernbank Science Center (NOT the Fernbank Museum). They are distinct, though not far from each other. The museum has the big dinosaur skeleton and the older, smaller science center has the planetarium. The center is located in a residential neighborhood less than a half mile from Ponce de Leon Ave. There is ample parking in on-site lots, but be aware that the semicircular driveway out front is 1-way (from right to left facing the building). You enter and pay a $10 fee at a reception desk. From that point, you are free to wander the halls (basically a large square surrounding the planetarium in the center) and look at exhibits - taxidermy-ed wildlife from Georgia, some live snakes and frogs, an active beehive, etc. This is a decent museum for elementary school aged kids. Our two recent visits both focused on the planetarium, which apparently got renovated recently and now boasts a 10k projection system. We attended a string quartet performance presented by Emory University, which was nice. After seeing some of the associated projections shown there, we returned a couple of months later to see an afternoon show on a Saturday (about the Northern Lights). The planetarium show lasted just over 30 minutes and also had a live intro by the staff. From a quick look at their schedule, most of the shows seem geared mostly to kids, but I liked the one we went to well enough. I don't think I'm going to be coming here that often, but I will check their schedule occasionally and see what other new shows may be offered. They also do astronomy presentations via their on-site telescope, but I have not attended these and cannot comment on them. read more

Fernbank Science Center - Special string quartet performance in the planetarium - Museums Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

There is so much to see and do here! I loved reading all the info--there's such a wealth of knowledge packed into this place, it's impossible to take it all in during just one visit. Our group spanned a wide range of ages and interests from grandparents to preschool, and there was truly something for everyone: dinosaurs, fossils, hands-on STEAM activities, environmental science, local exploration, and tons of interactive exhibits. An engaging, educational experience that sparks curiosity for kids and adults alike. We'll definitely be back! read more

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To be clear, I've been in Atlanta for almost 13 years and had never been to the Fernbank Science Center. I have always heard such great things about it but never had taken the time to experience it for myself. As the Mission of the Fernbank Science Center is to provide extraordinary science instruction, exhibits, opportunities and experiences to the DeKalb County School District, the local community and beyond. I was excited to experience all that they had to offer. Furthermore, the science center is dedicated to science literacy and life-long science learning for all people and all ages. This is what has had me wanting to experience the center as a whole. Finally, today was the day. The family and I made it our mission to experience the center today. And we did! The center sits in a beautiful neighborhood yet still offers ample parking. Upon walking in, the staff at the front were super pleasant and helpful as it was our first time. After experiencing the greetings we began to explore the exhibits. The center offers a variety of animals, rocks, activities and a host of other science based elements to keep you engaged as you walk through the main areas. After an insightful journey through the main areas, we made our way to the planetarium. As it is February, the center was hosting a Black History Month special presentation. "Head To The Sky" Head to the Sky is a special planetarium program featuring untold stories of the contributions made by African American scientists in the NASA space program. (source fernbank.edu) More than just a presentation, Head To The Sky is a journey through the side of Black History that you never hear about. This feature was such a breath of fresh air and elevated my personal appreciation for Blacks within the Science space. Though this is a feature of history, it also provides as a source of inspiration for the future. This is truly a must see! Great Science Center. Great Ambiance. Great Customer Service and an overall Great Experience. I'll def be back soon. read more

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Pros: * Ample parking * great shows, check out their website for show info * Telescope in the observatory to watch stars. Free for visitors to check out Thursday & Friday from 9pm - 10pm. * Mini museum Cons: * the show wasn't hd, some of the film was quite blurry. * i wish the planetarium had a in-person show. * Science center was quite old, needs a remodel. read more

Fernbank Science Center - Telescope in the observatory to watch stars. Free to visitors to check out Thursday & Friday from 9pm - 10pm. - Museums Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Small but great ! Lots of things to see in a little space. I especially liked seeing the honeycomb up close. At the time that I was there, there was an exhibition of different species of frogs photographs and I found that very interesting to be able to learn about new frogs that I did not know about before. The kaleidoscope you can step into was very neat. I wish that I was there at the time that it was a planetarium showing all hat I wanted to see. I will definitely go back again.! read more

Fernbank Science Center - Museums Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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This museum is really small. Free admission You can probably see everything in 30 minutes. Still, you can learn a lot, and they do have some live animals. The planetarium is not free $10 for adults and $5 for kids. There are plenty of movies to see. Just make sure you pick something fun if you have kids. read more

Fernbank Science Center - Museums Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Honestly, this would be a much better museum if it was located closer to downtown Atlanta, preferably close to a MARTA Subway station. Exhibits are good, but how do you get there if you don't have a car? I mean, seriously. They should consider relocating to a space closer to downtown Atlanta. read more

We stoped here while in the area because it was free and the reviews said it was small enough to walk through quickly. It is small, a little dark and dated, and the lady at the front was neither personable nor rude, just seemed to not like her job too much. We didn't stay for the planetarium show due to travel time but maybe that would have made the experience a little better. We walked through in about 30 min, nothing too exciting my kids are 16 and 11 so there wasn't a lot for them to do. read more

We had a great time here. When we were in Atlanta we bought the CityPass which included 5 attractions. One of them was the Fernbank Science Center. My son loves dinosaurs so he enjoyed seeing the dinosaur bones. The outside was super cool. It was like a playground in a forrest. They also have a theater with educational movies. We were there around the holidays where they had an exhibition of Christmas trees from different countries. We also got some festive dinosaur tree ornaments at the gift shop. read more

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Not to be confused with the Museum off Science that shares the same name, Fernbank Science Center is a small but educational (and FREE) indoor exhibit center. You can learn about Georgia's native species of animal, plants and birds. There are exhibits about space and some Science hands on activities for children. The outside area consisted of two chicken coops and trailers for educational purposes. It was disappointing to us as we thought there was a trail to walk about. Overall, it was ok, clean and warm way to entertain the children. I have to say this is more for the younger kIddos, mine are tweens and they were done after the first 20 Mins. The center has clean bathrooms, free parking and a visitors desk aTtendad who was not friendly or remotely interested in the patrons, but it's freE so you get what you pay for, right!? read more

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We are members of the Fernbank and all these years we have never visited their Science Center until just recently. The Science Center is not far from the main museum and is across the street from Fernbank Elementary (I did not know they had an Elementary school named after the museum until now). This museum is completely free of charge, but do not let that fool you. They have some really cool artifacts that you will not see at the Fernbank Museum. They have several types of live insects, snakes, lots of birds (stuffed of course) and my favourite space artifacts. I'd definitely recommend checking this place out. [Review #578] (4th Review of 2019) read more

A nice date night with the significant other. We were surprised admissions to the museum is free while the planetarium show is $7. The planetarium show itself was just eh. But I believe the shows vary so you should take a look before going. Psst... There's a Groupon deal for admissions for only $9 for two. The science center was fairly small, but there was a lot of stations and live animals to gawk at. There's also the telescope for the late night star viewing. It's free, but I think it is only opened certain nights. If nothing else above is to your liking, there is a small garden with some paths for you to enjoy. read more

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When I first gazed upon the dinosaur in the atrium I was overwhelmed with emotion. It was breathtaking. I went in the fall. Ghosts were everywhere in the Forrest! Awesome experience. Planning to take my 4 year old grandson this year. read more

My first time at Fernbank was when I was in elementary school for a field trip. I've since gone back a handful of times, but I have no idea why I've never reviewed it! There've been a few updates since I last paid a visit fortunately, and was excited to see the old place! Starting from the parking lot, Fernbank has an outdoor garden with herbs, veggies to the far right corner of the lot and near the entrance to the actual science center, there are various trees from around the world that you can take a look at. It's a really nice kept up area that you can spend a little time. Upon entering the science center, you're met with lots of props, stuffed animals, land environments, geology and really the great majority of the building is dedicated to things like this. The displays are all linked in one big area that wraps around. There are live critters too near the back of the building too, including honey bees putting together an active hive. The actual planetarium entry is $7 per adult ticket, which you can pay for near the entrance. On Fridays there were shows at 7pm and 8pm. We took the 7pm show, which runs about an hour in length. The Planetarium is straight back from the entrance and to the left once you move down the stairs, and the science center is marked with arrows on how to get to the planetarium if you get turned around. The planetarium is about a 25 to 30 minute star gazing trip that has commentary from a live host. They point out the constellations, stars, galaxies and even show you the light pollution of Atlanta, including the stars you see. When they remove that light pollution, the stars are so beautiful and there's so many of them. It definitely makes you rethink where you live, and how quickly you can be to a field with zero light pollution. The second half of the show isn't live, but is an informative show that educates you about space, technology and teaches you the elemental song from the periodic table (yep, it's a song). From the perspective of a kid, and there were a lot of them, they were all very excited! Sure, some of the displays are dated, but many are new and very informative. From the perspective of an adult, even one who isn't into science has a lot to see here, and if they come in with an open mind, you can spend some time here! Located off of Heaton park drive, which can be accessed via Ponce de leon ave, the fernbank science center is maybe a mile away from its much more popular sibling, the Fernbank Museum of natural history that everyone else knows about. Parking here at the sceince center has always been doable for me, but if there are ever events or bus loads of kids, spaces can get tight, so just keep that in mind. I like Fernbank Science center. The planetarium is very cool to experience, and you can also, later in the evening, go star gazing with their large telescope as well. Very informative, very original and pretty fun! read more

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My boyfriend and I visited the Science center this January and we had such a good time! The science center is free, but you pay $7 per adult for the planetarium show. The science center had a variety of attractions including dinosaur bones, taxidermy animals of all sorts, minerals and comets, and interactive science displays for both kids and adults. We spent about an hour exploring the center. The planetarium show was amazing! It was my first time to a planetarium, but my boyfriend had been to one before and he loves science and space so going here was a must on our trip! We saw the show on Black holes and it was so fascinating. We saw constellations projected like we see them in the sky and learned about the myth behind many of them. The host of the show was also entertaining and he shared a lot of interesting facts and some fun, cheesy jokes. This place is a must if you like science and/or space. read more

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I visited the science center primarily for the Planetarium. It was actually a full house which was pretty cool to see! The planetarium presentation included a description of the current night sky and described some well known constellations. They used a combo of old and new technology which was pretty cool! I really enjoyed the show we watched regarding meteors. Since it was a Friday evening we were hoping to go to the observatory but it was closed due to the viewing conditions. The science center itself was pretty outdated with some new things thrown in. We didn't stay long in the center itself because we didn't see anything that really interested us but the planetarium was worth the trip. I would give this a higher score if it was just the planetarium. read more

Fernbank Science Center - Museums Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Is this place really free??? It is too amazing to be no admission. My nanny kiddos had such a wonderful time observing all the inventions and live snakes! We saw a show in the planetarium about earth and fire and it was funny as well as educational. Check Groupon to see if any deals first for the shows since they aren't free. To top off our wonderful first visit was the polite and helpful staff. They actually seem to enjoy their jobs. But who wouldn't want to work here? Absolutely was an enjoyable place to visit with or without the kiddos!! read more

Fernbank Science Center - Snakes! - Museums Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Got the chance to chaperone a school field trip here and unlike the old Fernbank building I'm used to visiting it's much more updated. There was ample parking and much larger inside. It's beautiful for hosting an upscale function like a wedding or art show. We saw the brief show at the planetarium. The kids enjoyed the show and the 3D glasses. The exhibits were suitable for early elementary kids. The dinosaurs were cool even for the older kids, however this is a place to either visit on a school field trip or for the young scientist age 8 and under. read more

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I visited specifically for the planetarium, but discovered a few other treasures along the way. Everything was free as it just happened to be National Astronomy Day. The Planetarium brought me back to my elementary school days. Parking is always free which is always a cool thing when discovering Atlanta. Everyone had a great time. read more

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Show of hands: How many people came here mistakenly thinking this was the Natural History Museum? And how many people walked through here and remembered how much they loved their 4th, 5th or 6th grade science class? Finally, how many people visiting from other cities left here thinking, "Man, I wish they had something like this when I was a kid!"? For nothing other than goofy nostalgia, those of us of a certain age will love this place. A lot. Yes, this science center takes me back to the late 70s and early 80s, when I used to hang out in my city's childrens museum and dream of being an astronaut. This place rocks. It's probably one of the smallest science museums you'll ever visit, and it packs a lot into a small building with a surprising amount of real science exhibits. Yes, some of the older exhibits are dated and in need of a good cleaning. Yes, this place could use a large curatorial sprucing up. But there are three gems here that no other museum in Atlanta has in one place: a working Zeiss Mark V planetarium projector, live reptiles and amphibians, and the Apollo 6 Command Module. To be honest, I enjoyed my hour here in the Science Center more than the three I spent in the Natural History Museum. Thank you, Fernbank Science Center for the timewarp and for proving you don't need huge museum lobbies and overly elaborate exhibitions to get young imaginations excited about science. read more

Maybe it was awesome when it first opened, but not anymore. It's mostly used now just for an event space. Super lame, the knights in armor was really cool, being it was temporary. All the other "exhibits" are old and dusty. I've seen amusement parks with better dinosaur modals than the Fernbank. Really would not recommend. read more

Memory lane. I haven't been to Fernbank since I was a kid in elementary school in Dekalb County. We used to come to the planetarium. This is as real as Fernbank is. Everyone thinks about the other Fernbank, not this one. What's awesome is that admission is FREE for the museum. It's small but it's educational and surrounded by wonderful people. The planetarium does have a fee but it's only $7 for adults and $5 for students & children. You can view the showtimes and hours. Honestly, when I went, I don't remember the other part of the museum because as a kid, we only went to the planetarium. Not only are there displays of dinosaurs and animals found in Georgia, there are live reptiles and bees too. There is also a library but was closed by the time I got there. I never knew about the observatory, which is also FREE. It's open on Thursday and Friday nights from 9 - 10:30 pm, depending on weather. OMG, we went there to look but there were some clouds in the sky. I was happy to at least go there to check it out even though the skies weren't as clear. Planning to come back again soon!! PS - you can view my personal blog for a longer review and more pics! read more

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You gotta love free science museums! Okay, so donations are encouraged, and I DO encourage you to donate, but truly, this is a wonderful (and affordable) fun option for an outing with the kids, friends, or even a fun date. The science center hosts the planetarium which offers a few really cool half-hour long shows- I've seen "Black Holes" and "Chasing the Ghost Particle" and both were interesting and informative (if not a bit over my head.) If you've never experienced a planetarium before, I highly recommend it- just to have the experience. Some nights (I'm not sure exactly which ones), they open the observatory up to the public and allow patrons to look through the huge telescope at various happenings far above us. A very humbling experience. If you're there on an evening where they offer this, take the opportunity! The science center also boasts a number of small exhibits on various things including local wildlife, bees, meteorites, supernovas, the oli spill, social balance, etc. Not a huge place, but lots to see and do! Check them out! read more

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This place has been around for a minute and I have never had a chance to truly check it out. Last Friday completely changed that but in a sad way. I love Science but felt like this was a little lacking. The Earth, Moon and Sun was a fun showing to watch but the audience was what killed if for me. Kids were running around and playing as we were trying to watch the show. I give the announcer his due as he tried to get people involved and make it more interactive but the people and their kids just didn't seem like they were into it. My gripe isn't for the center but for the people buying the tickets. If you don't plan on watching the show why spend your money on the tickets just so your kids can run around? As far as the Center, I would recommend that there be some sort of rule about parents needing to watch their kids during a show. It's a good chance for kids to get hurt if they aren't watched after by their guardian. read more

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First, it's free. Free. Almost nothing has changed since the first time I visited as a kid. There are displays of dinosaurs and animals. Has a real Apollo space shuttle, real moon rocks and meteorites. The planetarium recently was upgraded to 4K. The shows are hit and miss. The night sky show I found very entertaining. read more

Fernbank Science Center - 50th anniversary - Museums Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Found a Groupon deal for the Planetarium for 4 tickets @ $15...no brainer--purchased! The show was supposed to start at 3 and they asked that attendees arrive 30 minutes before the show. There was no penalty for arriving 15 minutes before show and they started at about 3:07 so touché. Show was informative...kind of boring as the presenter seemed to be over it by the last show of the day. The projections on to the dome was pretty cool. When they put the lights out to illuminate the stars in the "sky" it was prime opportunity for me to sleep beneath the stars. I checked that off the bucket list of my things to do in Atlanta with children. read more

Fernbank Science Center - Museums Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Absolutely amazing! My wife and I are in our early 30's and it was great for us. Very informative when it came to eclipses and we are looking forward to the total eclipse coming August 21. We brought our 4month old daughter and she was super good during the 35 minute show. Staff was helpful and great. Can't wait to go back and watch other shows. read more

Fernbank Science Center - Fernbank planetarium show - Museums Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

We had so much fun. I used to come here on field trips as a child. I brought my husband back to see the planetarium. We really enjoyed ourselves. It was 5 dollars at the door read more

I do not recommend this for a field trip or even a family trip. I bought the Groupon for a great deal- 4 tickets for 12 dollars! That's the best part of the review. The movie was educational and mildly entertaining however, I came for the presentation on the night sky and that part was only 5 minutes. I think they should spend at least 30 minutes with the star projector machine for those who make the trip out to Fernbank. I can watch a video about the moon from home. I wouldn't recommend at all. read more

My daughter is fascinated with all things science. I am thrilled that she is. As I work in Information Technology. To fuel her passion, we are always looking for things to do science related. At the Fernbank Science Center there are exhibits of all types. Truly a fun experience for free. Then there is the Planetarium inside the Science Center that you can experience for a small fee. So much fun and a great learning experience for all. Both young and old. I highly recommend. read more

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The original Fernbank. A true Atlanta treasure. Most people know about the planetarium, but have you been to the observatory? There are cool exhibits for children, frequent activities for budding scientists of ALL ages, and some very nice, paved trails for walking (and environmental education). I have fond memories of Fernbank stemming all the way back to my elementary school days, and I'm glad children of ALL ages continue to benefit from this great resource. read more

it is free admission if you just wanted to look around! i enjoyed it so much! i enjoyed looking at 'real" reptiles and amphibians (they are amazing) and bees!!! they opened at 12pm, but the door looked like it was closed all the time, so you jus gotta brave yourself and push the "entrance" door! i waited whole 10 minute outside thinking they would open a window in the middle and sell tickets!! sadly planetarium times are specific but only $7! usually happens on thursday to saturday or weekdays, but check on their website for everyday update! they are pretty good at it! observatory is only thursday and friday 9-10.30pm definitely blew my mind! read more

This is Fernbank's counterpart and includes the planetarium, which offers excellent viewing of the night sky on select nights. I was fortunate enough to see the early collision of asteroids on Jupiter from here and it was a great experience! The building itself houses very little compared to the main museum, but it's still a fun spot to check out. One interesting thing you can do is walk the trail from here all the way to the main museum! It's not open during the winter I believe, but it's a great walk during late spring to early autumn. Highly recommended! read more

I liked this place, but I wish I had known about the observatory before I came here. Maybe I'll make another visit out here just for that. I took my parents here because they were visiting from out town, and this is one of places that interested them. We got tickets to the planetarium ($5 each, because of student and senior discounts) and browsed the museum before the show. There weren't a ton of people or children, which I'd say is a huge plus. The place wasn't very big, but there are some really neat things. Some live snakes and other reptiles and amphibians, some information on various scientific things... nanotechnology, space, nature. The planetarium show we went to was 100% for kids. It would have been nice if there was some kind off distinction for all ages shows versus kids shows, but I guess information about the moon is a thing kids are more interested in? Our show was at 1pm, and my favorite part of the program was the last 10 minutes, when they went over the current night sky. It was really interesting, and rather beautiful seeing the constellations up there, and getting a brief run down on them. Definitely a great relaxing place to take out of town adults that isn't super crowded like the zoo or aquarium, and it's probably more enjoyable if you go to the observatory. read more

Newsflash: A nearly once-in-a-lifetime event is coming August 21... A total solar eclipse!!! This is where the moon completely blocks out the sun in the middle of the day! You will need to drive about 100 miles if you want to witness totality - where it gets dark and the stars come out in the middle of the day because the sun is completely eclipsed. It's definitely worth the drive! If you wind up staying here in Atlanta, much of the sun will also be covered up but the effect will not be nearly as dramatic. As an astronomy geek, this is as good as it gets. I therefore headed to the Fernbank planetarium today to see a special show about the eclipse. The show is offered daily and simulates what you will see during the eclipse as well as providing a lot of information about the eclipse. The line to get the tickets was very chaotic and unfortunately they do not offer online ticket sales. And to add insult to injury, apparently they do not begin selling the tickets until 30 minutes before the show! It was therefore a very lengthy line that moved at a glacial pace. On the bright side, they waited until all of the sales were completed and everyone was seated before beginning the show. As for the show, I have mixed feelings. On a positive note, the experience was quite interesting as it beautifully simulated the overall experience of witnessing a total solar eclipse. On the other hand, I do not feel that they did a good job explaining some of the more technical aspects of the eclipse. In fact, I think I could have done a much better job explaining the more technical details and therefore make it a more interesting program. It's nice and dark in there, making it easy to fall asleep! They therefore need to keep things as interesting as possible! But all in all, it was a nice experience and it's always worth checking out the planetarium. If you haven't been in a while, it's always nice to sit back, relax, and check out the beautiful stars in the planetarium. Each show also includes a segment on what is currently going on in the night sky. In addition, you can also check out the science museum, which has various exhibits ranging from the space program to different kinds of animals. There is even information about nanotechnology! See you in the shadow of the moon on August 21st!!!! read more

I love this place. It's an old school/county owned museum complete with a planetarium, telescope and Apollo 6. THAT'S RIGHT.. APOLLO 6!! And it's FREE! Plus the library and nature walk outside are nice too. read more

This is a very cool place ! I have taken my kids on several occasions . The staff is always extra friendly ! Always check online for discounts (groupon/living social) ! We LOVE the planetarium. They have a black history laser show they just presented . I think everybody should check it out . You won't be disappointed . read more

Fernbank Science Center - Beauty :) - Museums Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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I love the Fernbank Science Center! This science center has the best Planetarium I have ever been to! We came see "Solar Quest" on Saturday afternoon and it was an amazing experience! the instructor was very professional and knew what he was talking about! The prices are so fair and you can even use Groupon! I recommend coming to see the shows in the planetarium, they are fun and educative! read more

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