Community & Public Services

The Northcountry Planetarium at SUNY Plattsburgh is committed to and providing quality astronomy and space science awareness for our local community.

May 2023 — We are not currently accepting any booking requests due to equipment malfunction.

Please contact us with any further questions or inquiries at NorthcountryPlanetarium@plattsburgh.edu

Public Programs

Our planetarium facility performs as a 360-degree multimedia sky theater, allowing visitors to experience live, interactive programs as well as automated productions that feature realistic night skies and virtual journeys through our solar system and distant deep space phenomena.

Please join us in our quest to help children of all ages expand their universe.

Notes & Reminders to Consider When Planning a Visit to the Northcountry Planetarium

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 the night sky as well as their locations and natural motions.
Due to the nature of the delicate optics, electronics and other equipment, food, beverages and gum are not allowed in the planetarium theater.
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.
Parents and/or other adult chaperons must remain in the planetarium theater with their children throughout the entire presentation.
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 group or family members accordingly prior to your arrival.
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.
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 call our staff at [email protected] or 518-564-3168.
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.

Special Interest Groups

As the Northcountry Planetarium at SUNY Plattsburgh is committed to promoting and providing quality astronomy and space science awareness for our local community, we are delighted to host presentations and workshops for special interest groups, clubs and other social organizations. Please consider a visit to the Northcountry Planetarium when planning outings and activities for your special interest group or club.

We are available for special interest groups on Tuesday and Thursday mornings between 9 a.m. and noon, and Wednesdays between 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Additionally, one Saturday per month is reserved for special interest groups and or longer format astronomy workshops. Please contact us at [email protected] or 518-564-3168 for programming availability.