United States Air Force Academy

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To the Stars

Planetarium

Updated Base Access
Temporary Adjustment

The U.S. Air Force Academy has temporarily adjusted processes to access the installation, beginning January 4, 2025. While the installation remains closed to the public, visitors can enter the Academy installation by riding in a vehicle with a DoD ID card holder. Visitors can also request a base pass with a DoD ID card sponsor present from the Pass and Registration Office located at the South Gate.

Entrance to the U.S. Air Force Academy Planetarium and STEM Center.

We offer a diverse range of full-dome and IMAX films, live talks and educational events using our state-of-the-art 8K projection technology and immersive surround sound.

The U.S. Air Force Academy’s Planetarium enhances our Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) outreach and cadet education mission through public shows, field trips, and cadet classes.

Free Public Shows

All public shows are free and open to the public. Military or Department of Defense identification is not required to enter the North Gate with a valid driver’s license. Seating for all public shows is on a first come, first serve basis. We do not accept reservations for public shows. We recommend arriving 10 minutes prior to the show time. Parents and chaperones are responsible for children’s behavior.

The Planetarium is closed on USAFA Graduation Day and federal holidays.

See below for current public show schedule. See bottom of this page for descriptions/running times of Planetarium shows.

Shows are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

Planetarium Field Trip/Group Visit Requests being taken for 2024-25 School Year: Please complete the Online Request Form.


Schedule

All public shows are free, open to the public, and are first come, first seated. Once the planetarium’s 110 seats are filled, the Planetarium is full and additional guests will be asked to attend the next showing. All guests must exit the Planetarium after each show. Guests are welcome to re-queue for the next show, but only after exiting to allow everyone the opportunity to enjoy the Planetarium.

 

Show Schedule
All visitors to the USAFA must have a current DoD ID card or a base pass (see top of this page)
IMPORTANT: The Planetarium does NOT have passes or codes for visitors to get a base pass.
The Planetarium IS open for visitors who are able to come on base, but all visitors must come on base in accordance with current base policy as stated above. Thank you for your understanding of our current situation.
April
Monday, April 28 1:00 p.m. – Black Holes
1:30 p.m. – Oasis in Space
2:00 p.m. – Galileo’s Moon: The Apollo 15 Story
3:00 p.m. – Great Bear Rainforest
4:00 p.m. – Experience the Aurora
Tuesday, April 29 1:30 p.m. – Astronaut
2:00 p.m. – Humpback Whales
3:00 p.m. – Dream Big
4:00 p.m. – Superpower Dogs
May
Friday, May 2* *New Film Premiere: United States Space Force’s Always Above
1:00 p.m. – Always Above & Black Holes
2:00 p.m. – Always Above & Experience the Aurora
3:00 p.m. – Always Above & Great Bear Rainforest
4:00 p.m. – Always Above & Humpback Whales
Evening Show:
5:00 p.m. – Always Above & Live Night Sky and Universe Tour
Saturday, May 3 11:00 a.m. – Live Night Sky Tour
Monday, May 5 2:00 p.m. – Always Above & Live Night Sky and Solar System Tour
3:00 p.m. – Always Above & The Dark Matter Mystery
4:00 p.m. – Always Above & Dream Big
Tuesday, May 6 1:00 p.m. – D-Day: Normandy 1944
2:00 p.m. – Apollo 11: First Steps
3:00 p.m. – Galileo’s Moon: The Apollo 15 Story
4:00 p.m. – Superpower Dogs
Wednesday, May 7 1:30 p.m. – Double Feature: Two Small Pieces of Glass & Live Astronomy Show
2:00 p.m. – In Saturn’s Rings
3:00 p.m. – Fighter Pilot
4:00 p.m. – Always Above & Live Night Sky Tour
Friday, May 9 Noon – Flight Adventures
12:30 p.m. – Eclipses & Phases of the Moon
1:00 p.m. – Volcanoes
2:00 p.m. – From Earth to the Universe
3:00 p.m. – D-Day: Normandy 1944 (limited seating)
Monday, May 12 1:00 p.m. – Homeschool Open House: “Astronomy All Summer Long” & Two Small Pieces of Glass  (Online RSVP Required)

 

School Field Trips and Group Shows

Elementary, Middle, and High Schools may reserve planetarium field trips at no cost. When requesting a school visit, teachers may select from the list of programs found just below our schedule. We also offer live, interactive astronomy shows tailored to your grade’s science standards.

Homeschool groups and classes with fewer than 20 students can join one of our Homeschool Open House Days, listed in our Public Show Schedule. To reserve seats at our Homeschool Open House, register using the link provided next to the show date and time. If your plans change and you cannot attend, please email planetarium@afacademy.af.edu in order for your seats to be opened for other guests.

Educators interested in additional STEM resources and opportunities can find STEM Outreach information here.

Planetarium Field Trip/Group Visit Request
If you would like to schedule a school field trip or a group showing in the planetarium, please click the button below and complete the online request form.

Field Trips or Groups requesting a private show need to be a minimum of 20 people. If you have a special request for less than 20 people, please send a direct email to planetarium@afacademy.af.edu for consideration.

STEM Activity add-on is NOT yet available for 2024-25 school year.
We are currently NOT BOOKING STEM Activity add-ons, only field trips to the Planetarium.

Our Planetarium school field trips and group showings are free of charge as a service to the community provided by the U.S. Air Force Academy.


Cadet Shows

The Planetarium creates an immersive learning environment for cadets that can’t be replicated in a traditional classroom or online environment, leading to greater comprehension of complex topics. Although its primarily used as a source of astronomy and astrophysics education, the capabilities and content have expanded to encompass a variety of disciplines such as biology, chemistry, geology, engineering and history. To discuss how we can support curriculum or schedule a visit Monday through Friday, faculty and staff should email planetarium@afacademy.af.edu.


Directions

To visit the Planetarium, use exit 156 off Interstate 25 and enter the U.S. Air Force Academy through the North Gate. You will need your driver’s license or military ID and proof of vehicle insurance to enter the base. Please be prepared for potential security measures such as vehicle inspections. Foreign national visitors with a passport will need to go to the Pass & Registration Center, just outside the South Gate at exit 150, to obtain a pass.

Learn more about base access and check out the campus map. Please do not follow GPS directions as those will take you to an incorrect location.

Once on base, continue driving straight on Academy Drive for 4 miles and then turn left to park in the visitor lot for Arnold Hall. To the north of the visitor parking, there is a building with a white dome – that’s the Planetarium! Please follow the steps to the front door or use the winding path to the left of the steps for ramp access.

U.S. Air Force Academy Planetarium and STEM Center.

History

The Planetarium was originally built in 1959 and is one of the oldest structures at the U.S. Air Force Academy. With seats surrounding the perimeter and a large projector in the center, the Planetarium was initially used to teach celestial navigation classes to cadets. Due to rapidly advancing computing technology, cadets no longer had a need to navigate by the stars and this resulted in its closure in 2004.

After 15 years of sitting vacant, a passionate group of Academy leaders with the support of private donors spearheaded an effort to not only refurbish the structure, but advance the technology and capabilities inside to serve a new generation of cadets leading the way in space. Although the exterior remains virtually identical to its previous incarnation due to its historical status, the interior now features reclining theater seats and a series of 8K projectors built into the walls that offer a 360-degree near-hemispheric screen to deliver a visually immersive field-of-view to audiences.

On March 4, 2019, the Planetarium officially reopened to the public, welcoming over 45,000 visitors in its first year of operation, including 4,000 K-12 students. With a new mission to enhance STEM outreach to the local community, it quickly became a top-rated attraction and tourist destination in Colorado Springs.