Planetarium Shows provide a unique experience for your students to engage in the world around them and the Museum’s content.
Drop In Planetarium Shows are offered regularly at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. These programs do not require a reservation and are free but do require a ticket (obtained at the planetarium’s box office) to participate. In addition to a ticket for the planetarium, a free timed-entry pass is required to visit the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.
Please note that only the showtimes listed below are free, other planetarium showtimes require a purchased ticket.
At the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
Tickets are available for purchase on site at the National Air and Space Museum for Planetarium Shows throughout the day. Information on these shows is available on Smithsonian Theater's website.
What can we learn through exploring our universe?
Register to reserve a unique virtual experience for your students to engage in the world around them and the Museum’s content online. Each show lasts approximately 45 minutes and will be hosted on Zoom or Teams. If your school uses a different platform, please note your platform preference within your registration.
Reserved programs are intended for school groups, homeschool groups, and community-based organizations serving youth that meet the minimum program requirements. If you have questions about your organization’s programming needs that don’t meet our program requirements, please contact NASMTours@si.edu.
Free Experience Available for Groups of 10 or More
What can we see looking up toward the sky? Journey with museum educators to explore Earth’s sky, and discover how patterns and motions of the Solar System affect our everyday lives. Observing the Sky is adaptable for grades K-8. Be sure to select the appropriate grade level within your registration.
If you would like to inquire about an alternate program start time please contact the Tours and Reservations Office at NASMTours@si.edu
Free Experience Available for Groups of 10 or Less
We offer monthly Shared Virtual Planetarium Shows for groups that don’t meet the minimum 10 participants for a reserved Virtual Planetarium Show. What can we see looking up toward the sky? Take a facilitated journey to explore Earth’s sky, and discover how patterns and motions of the Solar System affect our everyday lives. This shared program is for homeschoolers and smaller groups in grades K-8, these interactive shows are led by museum educators and will be hosted on a Zoom Webinar.
These shows are offered once a month on a Thursday at 1:00 pm ET via Zoom Webinar and have a combined capacity of 300. There is no minimum participant number in order to register for these shows. Please note that these shows are “shared” which means that there are other registered participants in the program.
Observing the Sky, will be available for learners in grades K-8 on the following dates at 1:00 pm ET:
Virtual Planetarium Shows are made possible by the generous support of Barron Hilton and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the Thomas W. Haas Foundation, and the Hillside Foundation - Allan and Shelley Holt.