Holiday

For the 2020 holiday season, the Abbitt Planetarium will open on Saturday, December 19 for a showing of Laser Holidays at 11:30am and Mystery of the Christmas Star at 1pm.

Mystery of the Christmas Star will also be available as an add-on to Nature Nights Holiday Lights on November 27 and 28, December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19. See details.

Seating will be limited to 20 people and masks will be required.

Lasers paired to music are a great way to celebrate holidays throughout the year in the Virginia Living Museum’s Abbitt Planetarium.

Daytime shows cost: VLM members free, non-members $4 plus Museum admission.

Evening shows cost: VLM members $3, non-members $6.

Purchase Tickets Now

List of Shows

Laser Holidays

2020 Date: Saturday, December 19.

Time: 11:30am.

From Randy Travis and James Galway to The Jackson 5 and Burl Ives we’ve got everyone’s favorite holiday classics – and even a few that might just become your favorite! Celebrate the season with the music and magic of Laser Holidays.

COVID-19 protocols will be followed. Social distancing and mask requirements will be observed while inside the Planetarium and all indoor museum areas. Seating is limited to 20 people.

Due to time limitations, not all songs may be included in the program. Your actual playlist will be determined by your laserist.

Show Playlist

Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy by Tchaikovsky
Up on the Housetop by The Jackson 5
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer by Burl Ives
Winter Wonderland by The Eurythmics
Deck the Halls (orchestral)
Jingle Bell Rock by Randy Travis
White Christmas by Bing Crosby
Christmastime by The Smashing Pumpkins
Oichie Chiun (Silent Night) by Enya

The Chipmunk Song by Alvin and the Chipmunks
All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth by Spike Jones and His City Slickers
Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree by Ronnie Spector and Darlene Love
Frosty the Snowman by The Cocteau Twins
Carol of the Bells by David Foster
The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole
All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey
We Wish You a Merry Christmas by Jame Galway

Closed Thanksgiving and December 24 & 25.

Cost daytime shows: VLM members free, non-members $4 plus Museum admission

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Mystery of the Christmas Star

2020 Dates: December 19

Time: 1pm.

Evening Shows: Available as an add-on to Nature Nights Holiday Lights on November 27 and 28, December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19. See details.

Since 1965, we have journeyed in the footsteps of the Magi, seeking the identity of a mysterious star which foretold the coming of a king. Over the years, the scientific thinking has changed, archaeology has revealed new clues about the lands in which these events took place, and our understanding of who the Magi might have actually been has grown. The show was completely revised in 2008 to offer a truly immersive look at the journey of the Magi while examining the latest clues and seeking once more to understand the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem.

Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, this presentation includes only the full dome production of Mystery of the Christmas Star. It is made possible by E&S Spitz.

Social distancing and mask requirements will be observed while inside the Planetarium and all indoor museum areas. Seating is limited to 20 people.

Recommended for ages 8 and up

Closed Thanksgiving and December 24 & 25.

Cost daytime shows: VLM members free, non-members $4 plus Museum admission

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Follow the Drinking Gourd

Saturdays in February at 4:30pm

Cost: Admission free, does not include admission to the Museum.

“Follow the Drinking Gourd” takes us back to the days when freedom was nothing more than a dream for those held in slavery. Some looked for hope to a certain constellation with its bright shining star. The story is a poignant and inspiring tale of one African-American family’s desperate flight to freedom and how they used constellations to guide the way. The program is based on a children’s book, “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter. This production incorporates historical images from the local region, Winter’s original artwork and music by Lovey Williams into a timeless experience that can be enjoyed by all ages.

July 4th Spirit of America Laser Show

5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10pm

Cost : VLM members $3, non-members $6

Please purchase tickets in advance. This show is likely to sell out.

Join us in the Abbitt Planetarium for a celebration of America. Spirit of America mixes great patriotic music with America-inspired rock & roll and songs that have defined American music. Rock on to great artists like John Fogerty, Garth Brooks, Lee Greenwood and so many, many more.

Recommended for ages 6 and up.

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This program made possible by Heck Industries.

Show Playlist

God Bless America by Celine Dion
Hoedown by Aaron Copeland
Centerfield by John Fogerty
Fifties Medley by Various Artists
The Star Spangled Banner by KISS

Servicemen on Parade by Aaron Copeland
Standing Outside the Fire by Garth Brooks
Pink Houses by John Cougar Mellencamp
Only in America by Brooks & Dunn
State Medley by Various Artists
God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood

Fright Light October

It’s a howling good time in the Abbitt Planetarium with this frightfully awesome mix of terror-ific tunes! Wild and weird laser images accompany songs from Black Sabbath, Garbage, The Who and so many more! Come enjoy this laser spook-tacular!

Please note that a selected group of the songs listed here will be played at any given show. Your show’s playlist will be determined by your laserist. For more information, contact us at (757) 595-1900

2019 Dates: October 18 and 19 at 8:30pm, October 26 at 6, 7:30 and 9pm

Family-friendly shows at 6:30 and 7:30pm, full shows at 8:30 and 9pm.

Fright Light tickets

Cost: Members $3, Non-members $6

Show Playlist

Thriller by Michael Jackson
Godzilla by Blue Oyster Cult
Monster Medley by Various Artists
Close Encounter of the Third Kind by John Williams
Enter Sandman by Metallica
Men in Black by Will Smith
Attack of the Radioactive Hamsters by Weird Al Yankovic
Re: Your Brains by Jonathan Coulton
Firestarter by Prodigy

Dead Man’s Party by Oingo Boingo
Iron Man by Black Sabbath
Horror Movie Medley by Various Artists
Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd
Push It by Garbage
Frankenstein by The Edgar Winters Group
The Devil Went Down to Georgia by The Charlie Daniels Band
Feed my Frankenstein by Alice Cooper

Holiday Magic

Dates: 2019 (Museum closed Thanksgiving, December 24 and 25)

Time: Days and times vary. Check the calendar.

Holiday Magic is a delightful celebration of the holiday season that the whole family will enjoy! Featuring timeless classics and songs from the holiday specials we loved as kids, as well as modern holiday music, this show has something for everyone. Ring in the holiday season with the most amazing light show in town!

Show Playlist