The Acheson Planetarium is currently closed for a roof replacement. The project is expected to be completed by mid-October. Stay tuned for new shows when the Acheson Planetarium reopens!
Step beneath the dome of the Acheson Planetarium and watch the universe come alive. A planetarium is a theater designed to recreate the night sky indoors, using advanced projection to surround you with stars, planets, and galaxies in motion - no telescope or clear skies required. Here, that technology becomes something more: stars ignite overhead, galaxies swirl in vivid color, and music-driven shows turn sound into spectacle. Equal parts classroom and cosmic stage, it’s a place where curiosity expands, imagination takes orbit, and the universe is always within reach.
The Acheson Planetarium, supported by the Michael and Adele Acheson family, at Cranbrook Institute of Science is an intimate theater that allows you to immersively explore and experience the universe in rich color and detail.
Interested in learning more about astronomy? Would you like to download your own star chart or sundial? The main astronomy resource page contains astronomy resources, local astronomy club information, NASA/JPL mission information, late breaking astronomy news and more!
Visitor Tips
- Programs begin promptly. We suggest you arrive an hour before showtime. Always leave yourself enough time to park the car, purchase tickets, check your coats and strollers, visit the restrooms, etc.
- Planetariums are not like movie theaters. Planetariums are too dark to allow audience members to come and go as they please (it is dangerous and disruptive). Latecomers can not be admitted.
- Visit the restrooms before the program begins. Once the lights go down, visitors can leave but are not permitted to reenter (see above).
- Planetariums are great places for kids, but to recreate a nighttime environment the planetarium theater has to be dark. Note that strollers are not permitted.
- Please turn off cell phones and other noisy electronic or light-emitting devices while inside the theater.
- No children under the age of 16 are permitted in the planetarium unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
- Note: food and drink are not permitted in the planetarium.
Planetarium Tickets (in addition to museum admission where appropriate)
- Adults: $6 per program
- Seniors 65+ & Children ages 2 - 12: $6 per program
- All CIS Standard Members: $5 per program
- Children under 2: $1 per program
- CIS Enhanced Members: FREE
Tickets are required for all programs in the planetarium in addition to museum admission. They can be purchased at the museum entrance desk or in advance at:
To access member tickets, enter the last name and membership number associated with your membership.
Public Planetarium Programs
Join us at the Acheson Planetarium for an entertainment show like no other - The Dark Side of the Moon. The eighth album by the English rock band Pink Floyd. Originally released on 1 March 1973, on the label Harvest, it built on ideas explored in the band's earlier recordings and live shows, but departs from instrumental thematic by founding member Syd Barrett.
This is not a laser show.
This program contains explicit lyrics. Parental discretion is advised.
Recommended for Grade 10 and up.
The sky is covered with spectacular galaxies, hazy nebulae and sparkling star clusters. This program examines a variety of these riches. Many of the images we will see were rendered by our staff Program Presenter, Jan Fiolka. Double Feature: “AI think, therefore AI am.” Step into the mind of AI-ME, a generative intelligence on a journey struggling to define its identity.
Recommended for Grade 3 and up.
Thirty light years from Earth, a signal finally arrives. “Frequency: 199X” drops you into a distant space station just now tuning in to the raw, analog heartbeat of the 1990s. Grunge, alt-rock, and radio anthems pulse through the cosmos as Black Hole Sun, Kryptonite, Smells Like Teen Spirit, and more ignite a cascade of vivid, immersive visuals.
Recommended for Grade 3 and up.
In June 1953, the Committee on Education made a proposal for the purchase and installation of a Spitz Planetarium to the Annual Meeting of CIS Trustees. In December the same year, L. James Bulkley and Dr. Robert McMath were appointed and authorized to act as a committee of two to pursue the Spitz Planetarium. During 1954, CIS Trustee William Edward Kapp drew up architectural plans for the Planetarium addition at no fee as his contribution to the project. The Spitz Model A-1 projection instrument was also obtained, a gift of Detroit Edison Company. The construction contract was awarded to Killfoile-Wendeln Construction Co. and groundbreaking took place on March 30, 1955.
Some portions of our planetarium programming appear courtesy of:
