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.
Tickets are required for all programs in the planetarium in addition to museum admission. They can be purchased at the museum entrance desk.
Planetarium Tickets (in addition to museum admission where appropriate)
- Adults: $5 per program
- Seniors 65+ & Children ages 2 - 12: $5 per program
- All CIS Standard Members $4 per program
- Children under 2 years: $1 per program
- CIS Enhanced Members FREE
Public Planetarium Programs
Time travel like never imagined! Explore ancient civilizations. Witness the birth of the universe. Journey to the edge of a black hole. In Tales of a Time Traveler, you will discover that time is not so easily defined. Time is illusive, impossible to hold. It can't be owned. It can't be stopped. Time travel surrounds you – from the biological clock in your brain and the changing shadows on a sundial, to the history of life on Earth. Then the story expands to the lives of stars, the time scale of the Big Bang, and the distortion of time by gravity. Narrated by David Tennant.
Recommended for Grade 7 and up.
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. The album explores themes including conflict, greed, the passage of time, and mental illness, the latter partly inspired by Barrett's deteriorating mental state.
This program is usually available every Friday evening at 9pm. Please check out our daily planetarium schedule for specific show times and dates.
This is not a laser show.
This program contains explicit lyrics. Parental discretion is advised.
Recommended for Grade 10 and up.
Journey back 2000 years to Bethlehem as we examine the possible scientific explanation for the Star the wise men followed to find the baby Jesus. Using recorded sightings of significant astronomical occurrences during related historical events, we’ll investigate possible dates for the birth of Jesus. We'll see which of these signs in the sky could have been remarkable enough to cause the wise men to travel across the desert from Babylon to Bethlehem just to see a newborn King. This modern retelling of the Christmas story is sure to charm and captivate audiences of all ages.
Let It Snow features a new variety of festive classics from Frank Sinatra and Chuck Berry to Burl Ives and Brenda Lee, and includes a stunning multi-media finale by the Trans Siberian Orchestra. The soundtrack is visually enhanced with thematic animation and all-dome scenery in the audiovisual setting of the Acheson Planetarium. The 32-minute program is a fun and entertaining experience for all ages, especially families.
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:
