Our Planetarium features a fully upgraded Ultra-High Resolution 8K projection system, so your experience is sure to be out of this world!
From the ancient Maya to adventures on Mars, we have shows for all age groups and interests.
Shows are 25-45 minutes long. Most shows also include a New Jersey Sky Talk. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled show time.
Advance reservations and payments are required. Show times are 10:00am, 11:00am and 1:00pm Tuesday through Friday from September through June. The first group to book a show time chooses the show; suggested shows are listed below.
**Spanish version available, please indicate interest when making reservation.
Cost: $5 per person, including leaders and chaperones.
Trenton Public Schools and Title 1 schools receive a 20% discount.
Group Size: Planetarium seats 140 people, larger groups will be scheduled for two or more shows. Minimum group size of 15 attendees.
When a reservation is complete groups will receive a confirmation and an invoice. Payment is due two weeks before arrival. Groups can update total attendance numbers at the two week deadline before final payment. If payment is not received within that two week period the New Jersey State Museum reserves the right to cancel the reservation.
Shows begin promptly at the scheduled time. We are unable to issue refunds for late arrivals.
Reservations and Information: Email Reservations.njsm@sos.nj.gov
Please Note: All in-person programs are subject to change per COVID-19 health and safety regulations. We reserve the option to reschedule or cancel programs if we are unable to safely serve you.
The following shows have been suggested by our Planetarium staff, keeping NJ curriculum standards in mind, ordered for our youngest students at the top to our oldest students at the bottom.
The Moon teaches young children about the Earth and the Moon, and how observations can help us better understand the world around us.
Grades: PreK-2 (Run Time: 26:58)
One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure begins on Sesame Street when Elmo's friend, Hu Hu Zhu, visits from China. Big Bird, Elmo and Hu Hu Zhu take viewers on an exciting discovery of the sun, moon, and stars. They also learn about the Big Dipper and the North Star. Elmo and Hu Hu Zhu then take an imaginary trip to the Moon where they learn that the Moon is a very different place from the Earth. They even pick the North Star as their friendship star to always remind them of their shared joy of looking up at the sky together.
Grades: 1-4 (Run Time: 32:28)
Based on the book series by Mary Pope Osborne. Adventure through space with brother-sister team of Jack and Annie….and their Magic Tree House! Learn about what it is like to live in space as well as where we are going in the future.
Grades: 3-6 (Run Time: 23:00)
The exploration of space is the greatest endeavor that humankind has ever undertaken. What does it take to be part of this incredible journey? What does it take to become an astronaut? Experience a rocket launch from inside the body of an astronaut. Explore the amazing worlds of inner and outer space, from floating around the International Space Station to maneuvering through microscopic regions of the human body. Discover the perils that lurk in space as we subject ‘Chad’, our test astronaut, to everything that space has to throw at him.
Grades: 3-6 (Run Time: 28:33)
Explore the relationship between the Earth, Moon and Sun with the help of an amusing character Coyote (adapted from Native American oral traditions). Examine how the Earth, Moon and Sun work together as a system, with a look the Moon's orbit, craters, phases and eclipses. Young children and audiences of all ages will appreciate learning the science behind the myths.
Grades: 4-8 (Run Time: 26:00)
Every star has a story. Some are as old as time, faint and almost forgotten. Others burn bright and end their lives in powerful explosions. New stars are created every day, born of vast clouds of gas and dust. Through every phase of their existence, stars release the energy that powers the Universe. Journey to the farthest reaches of our galaxy and experience both the awesome beauty and destructive power of STARS. Suitable for general audiences..
Grades: 4-12 (Run Time: 35:14)
Season of Light explores the reasons humans are so fascinated with lighting up our lives during the December holiday season. It’s an exploration of the astronomical meanings behind seasonal traditions, including the “Star over Bethlehem”. Season of Light is a specialty program with an emphasis on astronomical and cultural themes related to the holiday season. Its educational impact is achieved through a set of multidisciplinary ideas woven through the program that help relate different holiday traditions and astronomy to the lives of students, families and the general public.
Grades: 4-12 (Run Time: 34:02)
Tales of the Maya Skies immerses viewers in the wonders of Maya science, cosmology and myth, as we are taken back in time to the jungles of Mexico and to the cities and temples of the ancient Maya. The beautifully illustrated story reveals how the Maya scholars developed a sophisticated understanding of astronomy, architecture, and mathematics that enabled them to predict solstices, solar eclipses, weather patterns and planetary movements, and through this knowledge make sense of the world around them.
Grades: 4-12 (Run Time: 24:03)
Join us on a spectacular journey to witness the most beautiful, powerful and mysterious weather phenomena in the solar system. From a storm the size of a 100-megaton hydrogen bomb, to a 400 year old hurricane, to a dust tempest that could engulf entire planets, you’ll be glad you live on Earth!
Grades: 4-12 (Run Time: 25:10)
Join us as we take audiences on an incredible journey from the far reaches of our known universe to our own planet. It is an extraordinary story of human ingenuity and incredible engineering, describing how the technology that transports us through space is paving the way for devices and applications (apps) we use every day. Discover how space exploration is shaping your world in this new fully immersive show.
Grades: 4-12 (Run Time: 24:14)
Dynamic Earth is an ultra-high resolution full-dome production, narrated by actor Liam Neeson. The show explores the inner workings of Earth’s climate system. With visualizations based on satellite monitoring data and advanced supercomputer simulations, this cutting-edge production follows a trail of energy that flows from the Sun into the interlocking systems that shape our climate: the atmosphere, oceans, and the biosphere. Audiences will ride along on swirling ocean and wind currents, dive into the heart of a monster hurricane, come face-to-face with sharks and gigantic whales, and fly into roiling volcanoes.
Grades: 4-12 (Run Time: 33:15)
Humankind has always sought to understand the mysteries of the Universe and speculated about the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Today we know of thousands of exoplanets — planets located outside our Solar System — that offer valuable information about our own planet, its origins and life on Earth. We’re on the cusp of making some fascinating discoveries. But how will they change our lives? Suitable for all audiences.
Grades: 4-12 (Run Time: 38:00)
“Touch the Stars” dramatically showcases the robotic spacecraft used in the exploration of our solar system and the galaxy beyond. The film traces the path to space through the history of NASA’s probes, orbiters, and landers—from the heart of our solar system and the surface of its planets and moons to the grand tour of the Voyager spacecraft through the outer planets and beyond. Created with the cooperation of NASA and Lockheed Martin, and using the latest high definition imagery and scientific data, fulldome show “Touch the Stars” engages audiences through the use of real footage and 3-dimensional vistas, transporting us to planets and distant stars alongside these heroic robot explorers for an unforgettable voyage.
Áróra is an immersive full-dome show that transports audiences to Iceland to learn the story of the aurora, the northern and southern lights. Voyage through time and space to find out how auroras are caused by the Sun, how Earth’s auroras have siblings across the solar system, and how different cultures have explained this majestic and mysterious phenomenon.
General Audience (Grades 6+)
A great deal of astronomy is done in the nation of Chile, due to its special climate and location, which creates stable, dry air. With its high, dry, and dark sites, Chile is one of the best places in the world for observational astronomy. “Big Astronomy: People, Places, Discoveries” explores three observatories located in Chile, at extreme and remote places. It gives examples of the multitude of STEM careers needed to keep the great observatories working. The show is narrated by Barbara Rojas-Ayala, a Chilean astronomer.
General Audience (Grades 6+)
The largest structures in the universe evolve over timescales much longer than a human lifetime, so how can we understand how the universe has changed over time? Luckily, there is a way for astronomers to look back in time. DESI, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, is mapping out the positions of millions of galaxies from Kitt Peak National Observatory, Arizona to reveal how the universe has evolved over the last 13.7 billion years. Meet the astronomers who are designing and using DESI to map our universe and take a trip history of our universe!
Grades 4-12. (Run Time 23:00)
Based on authentic scientific data from groundbreaking space missions, Worlds Beyond Earth takes viewers on an exhilarating journey that reveals the surprisingly dynamic nature of the worlds that orbit our Sun and the unique conditions that make life on our planet possible. Immersive visualizations showcase the solar system with unprecedented accuracy, including a landing on the cratered surface of our own Moon, a dramatic flight through the swirling rings of Saturn, and soaring encounters with distant worlds of active volcanoes and buried oceans. Worlds Beyond Earth was developed by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org).