PLANETARIUM SHOWS BY AGE GROUP
PRESCHOOL AND UP
In My Backyard (Preschool-Grade 1)
Children’s entertainer Fred Penner and his helper, Arnie the Arrow, set off to explore things large and small in Fred’s backyard. This show is a fun and participatory journey through the wonders of the outdoors, from the colors of the rainbow to the seasons, from “Great Bear” star stories to the moon and planets.
30 minutes.
Magic Sky (Preschool-Grade 1)
This program introduces the youngest stargazers to the sun and moon, the cause of day and night, and the stars and the pictures they make in the sky.
40 minutes.
Mystery of the Missing Season (Preschool-Grade 3)
Join young Angelo stargaze in his backyard as he helps a pair of visitors from the planet Dipnot figure out why their world does not have seasons, while ours does.
35 minutes.
Star Signs (Adaptable to Any Age)
What’s up? What’s new? What’s current? What’s coming? Find out in this live-narrated look at the current seasonal sky and the latest news in astronomy and space.
50 minutes.
GRADES 2 AND UP
Cowboy Astronomer (Grades 2 and up)
Experience a unique view of the sky and what we're learning about it from the viewpoint of a modern-day cowboy. Narrated by cowboy poet and humorist Baxter Black.
35 minutes.
The Dinosaur Chronicles (Grades 2 and up)
An original Taylor Planetarium production, this program reviews the lives of dinosaurs-including what the earth was like when they were alive, what killed them, and what the world might have been like if they hadn’t become extinct.
45 minutes.
Larry Cat in Space (Grades 2 and up)
Join in an adventure for the youngest astronauts and their families as Larry Cat stows away on a rocket ship to the moon.
35 minutes.
Space Pioneers (Grades 2-4)
Students observe sun, moon and planet motions and the Earth-moon system, meeting astronomy pioneers who helped us understand them. Through astronauts and space missions, students see their role as future space pioneers. Live narrated.
45 minutes.
GRADES 4 AND UP
Planet Quest (Grades 4-6)
Students learn about the appearance and motion of planets while searching the current evening sky. Then they blast off on a trip through the solar system for close-up views and the latest planetary role as future space pioneers. Live narrated.
50 minutes.
Planetbound (Grades 4 and up)
Take a wild and wacky tour of our solar system with colorful characters looking for places that could support life. A fast-paced fun trip to nearby planets!
25 minutes.
Stars of the Pyramids (Grades 4 and up)
Come explore the skies of the ancient Egyptians and learn how their amazing contributions to science continue to influence us today. Help unravel the mysteries of the star and pyramids within the unique audio and visual environment of the planetarium theater.
30 minutes.
Starsteps (Grades 4 and up)
Students learn about stars and their characteristics under the current night sky, and then travel into space for encounters with our sun, stars, galaxies, and the Big Bang. Live narrated.
50 minutes.
GRADES 6 AND UP
Here Comes the Sun (Grades 6 and up)
Explore the science and the lore of the most important star in the universe to us - the Sun! The show features the work of MSU researchers. An originial production of the Taylor Planetarium.
45 minutes.
How to Build a Planet (Grades 6 and up)
This planetarium program complements the permanent exhibit, Landforms/Lifeforms. In this program, the audience explores the forces that shaped the Earth and life. Earth as a planet is compared to neighboring planets Venus and Mars from the eyes of astronomers and space scientists.
45 minutes.
Hubble Vision Update (Grades 6 and up)
Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has provided incredible images in unprecedented detail, from nearby objects in the solar system to the most distant galaxies at the limits of the observable Universe. Taking the best and most exciting Hubble images, this show weaves a tale of cosmic exploration and discovery. Included is information on the most recent Hubble shuttle mission.
35 minutes.
Perceptions (Grades 6 and up)
Find out how our perceptions of the universe have changed, from the way our earliest ancestors thought about the heavens, to the advent of new technologies which continue to expand our view of the cosmos.
40 minutes.
Skywatchers (Grades 6 and up)
This originial Taylor Planetarium production is all about humankind's fascination with the sky. This show recounts our efforts to understand the sky, from the earliest sky watchers, through the invention of the telescope, to the Hubble Space Telescope and modern views of the universe.
40 minutes.
The Final Frontier (Grades 6 and up)
Experience a rambunctious look at the human desire to “conquer” space, through science fiction and fact, and the more than three decades of man space missions. Relive events in the past, like Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon, and contemplate the future as we move into the frontiers of space. An original production of the Taylor Planetarium.
41 minutes.
Timestalkers (Grades 6 and up)
What does time have to do with the sky? A detective and his sultry client take a romp through time to learn the astronomical basis of timekeeping. Fast-paced fun!
30 minutes.