Upcoming Opportunities

Planetarium

On October 20, 1958, Floyd Blair of the Charles Hayden Foundation threw the switch to light the stars in New England's first major planetarium. Over the ensuing 50 years, millions of patrons have been introduced to the wonders of the universe at the Charles Hayden Planetarium.

This domed, 240-seat facility provides a unique environment for 45-minute-long interactive programs, most featuring a live presenter.

The Planetarium reproduces the night sky for any location on Earth, on any day in years past or in the future, creating a view that simulates the three-dimensional sky. It can accurately reproduce the apparent motions and cycles of the sky in time-lapse fashion, to demonstrate processes that occur over time. More significantly, the Planetarium also creates a highly immersive environment.

These unique strengths enable the Planetarium to present information in ways that other media cannot. With the planned renovations, the Planetarium's potential as an educational venue will be vastly increased, and the Planetarium will engage visitors across the spectrum of science and technology disciplines and topics.

Premier Partnership

Learn more about our Premier Partner program.

Temporary Exhibits

Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear
Opens Sunday, October 12
Fear is a normal part of everyone's life, but remains a misunderstood emotion. Goose Bumps! allows visitors to experience fear in a safe and enjoyable environment, measure their physical responses, understand the science behind the emotion, and reflect upon its personal meaning. Developed by the California Science Center and supported, in part, by the Informal Science Education program of the National Science Foundation under grant ESI-0515470.

Learn more about this exhibit.

Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids
Opens Sunday, October 26
For thousands of years, humans everywhere have brought mythic creatures to life in stories, songs, and works of art. Today these creatures, from the powerful dragon to the soaring phoenix, continue to thrill, terrify, entertain, and inspire us. We seem to catch glimpses of these creatures all around us: hiding beneath the ocean waves, running silently through the forest, and soaring among the clouds. Some symbolize danger. Others, we think, can bring us luck or joy. Together, these mythic creatures give shape to humankind's greatest hopes, fears, and most passionate dreams.

Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org) in collaboration with The Field Museum, Chicago; Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau; Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney; and Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Atlanta.

Learn more about this exhibit.

National Geographic Crittercam: The World through Animal Eyes
Summer 2009
Investigate the natural world from a new perspective! This exhibition explores ongoing research with National Geographic Crittercam, a scientific video and data gathering tool safely worn by wild animals. Based on more than 20 years of invention and research collaborations spanning the globe, Crittercam offers new insights into animal behavior and provides clues about how to protect our planet's creatures and the world we share.

With multimedia activities, evocative environments, and mesmerizing firsthand footage, the exhibit allows visitors to experience the world from an animal's point of view.