The Lawrence Hall of Science
The public science center of the University of California, Berkeley.
Open Daily 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Closed December 24 & 25 Open New Year’s Day View Additional Hours >
We’ll bring our science programs to you.
We partner with school districts to support science learning. We offer district-wide elementary, middle, and high school programs, either virtually or in-person.
We collaborate with a range of partners to innovate in science education. Together, we go further.
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Shows at 11:00 a.m, 1:00 p.m, and 3:00 p.m.
Exhibit
Shows: $5 + Admission
Explore the solar system and beyond in our Planetarium! Join us for our live interactive shows for guided exploration of topics like constellations, missions to other planets, and more. Or drop in between shows for Planetarium Pilots, a self-guided experience where you control the dome and choose where to explore! Appropriate for all ages! (Some small children may not yet be confident about sitting in a very dark space.)
$5 + Admission
Throughout history, different cultures have had varying traditions around the night sky. Discover what you can see in the night sky during the Winter months in our updated seasonal show! Follow your star map and learn the Chinese names for planets; the Viking, Maya, Hindu, and Roman tales of deities associated with the Sun and Moon; Navajo traditions of winter constellations, and more!
Discover what you can see in the night sky during the Fall months in our updated seasonal show! Follow your star map and learn the Chinese names for planets; the Viking, Maya, Hindu, and Roman tales of deities associated with the Sun and Moon; and search the sky for what people of southern African call the “Backbone of Night”.
Throughout history, different cultures have had varying traditions around the night sky. Explore what you can see in the summer sky as the planet rotates, bringing new sights into view! Follow your star map and explore Viking, Roman, Chinese, and other traditions around celestial objects in our solar system and beyond.
One Sky is a collection of short planetarium films about astronomical traditions of indigenous cultures from around the world. Discover how we are all connected by one sky. Includes films from The Forge of Artemis (Greece), Thunderbird (Navajo), The Samurai and the Stars (Japan), Hawaiian Wayfinders (Hawaii), and One Sky Epilogue.
The Sun provides Earth with light that brightens our sky and warms us up. But the Sun is also a dynamic and moody star. It has many cycles in the sky, and it also has a cycle of magnetic activity that is peaking right now. Explore outbursts of energy from the stormy Sun and how they create space weather that can have many impacts here on Earth and throughout the solar system.
Did you know that over 70% of Earth’s surface is water?! Join us for an exploration of our planet’s ocean! This interactive program will tour fascinating geological features and habitats overflowing with life in the deep. Discover how the ocean responds to a changing climate.
Have you ever wondered about how different cultures thought about the celestial bodies in our solar system? Discover what you can see in the night sky this spring in our updated seasonal show! Follow your star map and explore Chinese, Mediterranean, and Mesoamerican traditions around the Sun, Moon, and planets.
Prepare to be blasted with the Planetarium shrink ray! Hop aboard a submarine smaller than a grain of salt to explore the human bloodstream. We’ll learn how your blood works to keep your body healthy and happy. Then, we’ll meet a patient with sickle cell disease and work together to make her feel better, using the gene-editing treatment CRISPR—which was developed by scientists right here at U.C. Berkeley!
Included with Admission
Go on a self-guided tour of the universe in this all-new Planetarium experience! Drop in to control the dome and choose which planets, moons, and more to explore. Learn all about space from Planetarium voice overs as you fly around the universe!
All of our programs are live and interactive, packed with exploration, activities, and questions.
Access + Comfort
Immersive Technology
This innovative audiovisual experience is brought to you by our uniquely-sourced components.
Our programming is active in 220+ planetariums worldwide
View our open access materials for planets, moons, and prehistoric monuments from our Planetarium Activities for Successful Shows
Built in 1973, ours was the very first participatory planetarium. Instead of a lecture-style experience, visitors are invited to engage and actively explore the cosmos.
Admission
General
Age 3+: $20
Kids under 2: FREE
Members: FREE
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Videos brought to you by The Lawrence Planetarium at UC Berkeley, hosted by John Erickson, the Director of the Planetarium.
We are installing new state-of-the-art space visualization software and projectors in our planetarium. We will offer space shows once this is complete later in January. In the meantime, we are using the dome for a Biotech Adventure!