Public Programs
Public programs are offered on Friday evenings throughout the year at 7:30 pm (May through September at 8:30 pm) and Saturday afternoons during the academic year at 1:00 pm. Admission to all public programs is $8 for adults and $6 for children, seniors and UToledo community members (children 3 and under are free).
We accept credit card and cash payments. All shows are first-come, first-served - reservations and advanced ticket purchases are not available. Doors open 30 minutes before the show, during which time you can explore the displays in our lobby. (Note the time change to 8:30 PM as of May 1.)
The planetarium (show) portion of the program is approximately one-hour, while the
observing session on Friday night will continue until everyone has had a chance to
take a look through the telescope. More information below.
Spring 2025 Schedule
Dynamic Earth
Friday evenings at 7:30 PM from April 4 to April 25, 2025
Dynamic Earth explores the inner workings of Earth’s great life support system: the
global climate. 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.
The Case of the Disappearing Planet
Saturday afternoons at 1:00 PM from April 5 to April 26, 2025
A radio announcement… an excited phone call… and our sly gumshoe, Skye Watcher, is on the case. Explore with Skye and discover what happened to the ex-planet Pluto as she tracks down clues that stretch back hundreds of years! Audiences will have great fun with this unique program that looks into the changing status of planets in our Solar System.
The Hot and Energetic Universe
Friday evenings at 8:30 PM from May 2 to May 30, 2025
The Hot and Energetic Universe presents the basic principles of electromagnetic radiation and the natural phenomena related to High Energy Astrophysics. High Energy Astrophysics plays a key role in understanding the hot and violent Universe. High Energy Astrophysics opens a window into the hot gas in clusters of galaxies, which are the most massive objects in the Universe, and the hot gas accreting around supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies. It also provides important information about our own Galaxy, including neutron stars, supernova remnants, and stars like our Sun which emit copious amounts of high energy radiation.
The Solar System Show
Saturday afternoons at 1:00 PM from May 3 to May 31, 2025
Looking to explore way-out worlds? Then join our kid crew reporters and rambunctious planets for The Solar System Show! The Solar System Show is hosted by kids who do all the science reporting and narration. The program includes a toilet paper solar system and the cow that landed on the Moon. It’s out there… enjoy!
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What you can expect:
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A live guided tour of the Toledo night sky
You will learn about the constellations visible from Toledo and any planets visible to the naked eye. We also typically discuss one "hot topic" in astronomy, such as the discovery of new planets around other stars, or the latest NASA discover on Mars.
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The full-dome presentation
Whether we are traveling inside a black hole, taking a tour of the moon with Elmo, or learning about the skies over Toledo, you and your family will simply be amazed at the full-dome immersive show. -
An open-ended question and answer session
Our expert host will answer all of your astronomy questions, whether they pertain to the live tour of the night sky, the feature presentation, or any other astronomy question that you might have. -
Observing at Brooks/Ritter Observatory
You will be escorted over to Brooks Observatory atop McMaster Hall to view the stars and/or planets through our new 14 telescope. On the first Friday of every month, we instead observe with the Ritter 1m (40 in) telescope. This telescope is the largest active telescope east of the Mississippi and is still used by the astronomers at UToledo for their research. All observing is weather permitting!