How to Schedule & Book a Visit

Notes & Reminders to Consider When Planning a Visit

1. The Northcountry Planetarium is available for pre-K through 12th grade school groups on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9:30 a.m. and noon, and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.
2. The Northcountry Planetarium is also available for special interest groups on Tuesday and Thursday mornings between 9 a.m. and 12 noon, and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. Additionally, one Saturday per month is reserved for special interest groups and or longer format astronomy workshops. Please contact our NCP staff for availability.
3. When requesting a show, please give some consideration to the constitution of your “visiting group”; their age, grade level, school curriculum, maturity, life experiences, interests and whether or not they belong to a classroom or a special interest group. In addition, please remember to relate the party size and your anticipated mode of transportation to campus to the NCP staff.
4. Please note that our planetarium theater can only accommodate 40 seated individuals, including students, teachers, parents, or any other chaperon(s). Parties greater than 40 individuals must make arrangements for additional show sessions.
5. Please note that the Northcountry Planetarium may be closed or operate under limited hours during regularly scheduled college holidays and recesses such as Thanksgiving, Winter Recess, Spring Break, Summer Recess, etc.
6. Due to the limited availability of program dates and times during our academic semesters, all show bookings are first-come, first-serve.
7. When booking a specific program title, you may wish to allow for slightly more time in your schedule than is indicated for the show’s runtime to accommodate travel to and from your transportation and/or student questions.
8. Please keep in mind we are a planetarium, not an observatory. Our ceiling does not open to reveal the actual night sky to be observed with a telescope; rather our dome shaped ceiling remains closed and acts as a hemispherical projection screen for the planetarium projector to accurately simulate the celestial phenomena of night sky as well as their locations and natural motions.
9. Due to the nature of the delicate optics, electronics and other equipment food, beverages and gum are not allowed in the planetarium theater.
10. Classroom teachers, parents or other responsible adult chaperons must remain in the planetarium theater with their students or special interest group throughout the entire presentation.
11. Mobile devices (cell phones, smart watches, tablets, etc.), laptops, flash cameras and all other electronic devices should be turned off and stowed prior to entry into the planetarium theater.
12. As it is the nature of our facility to accurately simulate the night sky, the planetarium theater will become dark, very dark. Please advise and prepare your students accordingly prior to your arrival.
13. We ask that all patrons remain seated during presentations, as walking about in the dark can lead to injury of yourself as well as others. If you must leave, we ask that you please do so with extreme care. Please note that due to the dark environment there will be no re-admittance until the program’s conclusion.
14. We are pleased to offer handicap accessible parking and entry access as well as accommodation for three wheelchairs per show.
15. Due to limited parking in the Hudson Hall area, large numbers of cars or buses may be directed to other parking venues. The closest designated parking for planetarium guests is the Hawkins Hall P2 parking lot which is accessible from Cornelia Street. Should P2 be full, or otherwise unavailable, please be prepared to walk across campus from neighboring parking areas or drop guests at either the Hawkins Hall vehicle and pull out on Beekman Street or the Hudson Hall front entrance and then park your bus or vehicles elsewhere on campus. For further information about arrival and parking options please contact our staff at [email protected] or 518-564-3168.