United States Air Force Academy

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To the stars

Planetarium

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.

The Planetarium is closed on 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.

We thank you for your understanding and adherence to these policies.

Please note: All Planetarium shows/times are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

October Show Schedule
Friday, October 11 Noon – Oasis in Space
12:30 p.m. – Live Night Sky Tour
1 p.m. – Great Bear Rainforest
2 p.m. – The Dark Matter Mystery
Saturday, October 12 Noon – In Saturn’s Rings
1 p.m. – Superpower Dogs
2 p.m. – D-Day: Normandy 1944
3 p.m. – Live Night Sky Tour
Monday, October 14 CLOSED – Columbus Day
Tuesday, October 15 2 p.m. – Cosmic Mashups: Gravity, Galaxies, and Supermassive Black Holes
2:30 p.m. – Live Solar System Tour
Wednesday, October 16 Noon – Astronaut
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 pm: Closed for private show
1:30 p.m. – Cosmic Mashups
2 p.m. – Experience the Aurora
Thursday, October 17 1 p.m. – Dream Big
2 p.m. – Black Holes
3 p.m. – From Earth to the Universe
4 p.m. – Great Bear Rainforest
Friday, October 18 Noon – Two Small Pieces of Glass
12:30 p.m. – Cosmic Mashups: Gravity, Galaxies, and Supermassive Black Holes
1 p.m. – D-Day: Normandy 1944
2 p.m. – Fighter Pilot
3 p.m. – Live Night Sky & Universe Tour
4 p.m. – Humpback Whales
Monday, October 21 Noon – Astronaut
12:30 p.m. – Forward! To the Moon
1 p.m. – Live Night Sky Tour
2 p.m. – Dream Big
Friday, October 25 10:30 a.m. – Homeschool Open House: Live ‘Life Cycle of a Star: Stars, Supernovae & Nebulae’ and Black Holes   (Online RSVP Required)
Noon – Live Night Sky Tour
1 p.m. – Double Feature: Two Small Pieces of Glass & Oasis in Space
Monday, October 28 Noon – Live Solar System Tour
12:30 p.m. – Galileo’s Moon: The Apollo 15 Story
1 p.m. – Oasis in Space
2 p.m. – D-Day: Normandy 1944
Tuesday, October 29 2 p.m. – Experience the Aurora
3 p.m. – Double Feature: Robot Explorers & Live Robotic Solar System Exploration Update
4 p.m. – Superpower Dogs
Wednesday, October 30 1 p.m. – Astronaut
2 p.m. – Apollo 11: First Steps
3 p.m. – Volcanoes
4 p.m. – Humpback Whales
Thursday, October 31 Halloween Special
Noon – Special Live Show: ‘What’s Scary in Space?”
1 p.m. – Black Holes
2 p.m. – Special Live Show: ‘What’s Scary in Space?”

 

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.

View across terrazzo looking west

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.