Planetarium Shows
The Abbitt Planetarium is open for PUBLIC SHOWS on select days.
NOTE: General Admission is required. Planetarium ticket can be reserved as an add on.
Cost: VLM members FREE (but must reserve seat), non-members $6 with general admission
Groups up to 40 people may reserve tickets in regularly scheduled shows. PRIVATE SHOWS must be reserved for groups of 41 to 71 guests. For a list of available shows for private groups, please visit the Group Planetarium Shows page here.
Daily tickets can be purchased at the front desk or through the website using the links below. For questions on group Planetarium shows please call the Reservations Office at 757-534-7410, Monday – Friday, 9 am – 4:30 pm. Large groups are encouraged to book their tickets in advance, as seating for regularly scheduled shows is limited. Private planetarium shows must be booked at least 7 days in advance.
List of Scheduled Shows
Planetarium shows will occur on the days of the week listed below.
When choosing a showtime, please click one of the below links and navigate to the selected time area of the page, then click Other times: to reveal other ticket options. Clicking on the intended time will allow you to reserve tickets for that show time.
Please note: Seating for the planetarium shows occurs 5-10 minutes before the show time, and guests should arrive accordingly. Seating cannot occur after the show starts, as this will interrupt the show for the guests already seated.
Dates | Days of the week | Planetarium Program |
March 22 – May 19 | Friday, Saturday & Sunday | Virginia Skies (12:30pm) Eclipse 2024 (1:30pm) |
April 6-7 | Saturday & Sunday | Eclipse 2024 (12:30pm) Eclipse 2024 (1:30pm) |
April 8 | Monday | Eclipse 2024 (10:30am) Eclipse 2024 (11:30am) Eclipse 2024 (12:30pm) |
Description of Shows
Explore the evening skies above Virginia in this classic planetarium presentation. A staff astronomer will discuss seasonal constellations as well as any planets visible. Additional topics may be explored depending on celestial happenings around the time of your visit.
Explore the wonders of the night that can only be seen by telescope.