Planetarium Shows for School Groups
Visit the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium
Back to K–12 Group Tours and Field Trips
The Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium offers a wide variety of programs in our state-of-the art domed theater. With interactive live programs and recorded presentations, teachers will find content to fit their learning objectives with immersive learning.
School Showtimes
9:30am, 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm
All shows are 45 minutes long, with the exception of Your Sky Tonight. Recorded shows are followed by a 15 minute live portion.
Your Sky Tonight
This show is live! (30 minutes)
Grade Levels: K—1
Explore the wonders of the night sky with your youngest learners. From planets to constellations, your class will learn all about the sky they can see that night!
Life Science Earth and Space Science Physical Science
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Out of this World
This show is live!
Grade Levels: 2—6
Explore the solar system in a show where you are the copilot! Investigate the Moon, be the first humans to land on Mars, fly through the rings of Saturn, or find out what makes a planet a planet. No matter which planet (or Pluto) is your favorite, you’re sure to learn something new on this tour of our planetary neighborhood.
Earth and Space Science Physical Science
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Minnesota Night Skies
This show is live!
Grade Levels: 2—12
The skies above Minnesota carry a hidden treasure trove! Join our expert staff in discovering the seasonal constellations, visible planets, and other astronomical objects that you can see in your sky tonight.
Earth and Space Science Physical Science
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Minnesota in the Cosmos
Recorded show
Grade Levels: 3—7
Explore the deep cosmic and geologic history of the land beneath our feet through the eyes of a boy on a field trip to Interstate State Park. Starting with the formation of the solar system, follow along on this uniquely Minnesota journey through time and space.
Life Science Earth and Space Science Physical Science
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Mysteries of Your Brain
Recorded show
Grade Levels: 3—7
Jump into an animated adventure following a girl and her crow companion as they explore what makes the human brain so special. Together you’ll zoom along the paths of neurons, find out how human and animal brains differ, and experience illusions on a grand scale! Along the way, you’ll learn how your brain makes you, well, you, and see that ultimately, we each have the power to change our brains.
Life Science Earth and Space Science Physical Science
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We Are Guardians
Recorded show
Grade Levels: 3—8
We Are Guardians looks at how our world, its peoples and ecosystems are intrinsically connected, and how with the help of satellite monitoring we can examine the links between human activities and climate change.
Life Science Earth and Space Science Physical Science
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Mars: The Ultimate Voyage
Recorded show
Grade Levels: 4—8
On a 2 year journey across space, how will astronauts stay motivated? How will they stay healthy? What challenges will they face along the way? The Bell original production, Mars: The Ultimate Voyage, dives into these questions while showing what the first journey to Mars might look like—and how creativity, communication, and collaboration come together to ensure safe, deep space travel.
Life Science Earth and Space Science Physical Science
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Habitat Earth
Recorded show
Grade Levels: 6—12
From the tallest trees to the smallest fungi, your class will dig into the dynamic relationships in our connected world. This cinematic program features stunning renderings of both biological and human-built networks (and of how they intersect!), taking your class on an incredible, immersive journey through the interconnectedness of life on Earth.
Life Science Earth and Space Science Physical Science
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Supervolcanoes
Recorded show
Grade Levels: 6—12
Supervolcanoes looks back at rare classes of eruptions that have marshaled the energy that lurks, like a sleeping dragon, beneath the surface of planet Earth. The program moves beyond Earth to explore the impact of giant volcanic eruptions around our solar system. Audiences will fly down to Neptune’s frigid moon Triton, and onto the ultimate volcanic world: Jupiter’s moon Io. On a visit to a legendary North American hot spot, Yellowstone National Park, the film asks: can a supervolcano erupt in our time?
Life Science Earth and Space Science Physical Science
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