Bring the Planetarium to You!
Our portable planetarium allows us to bring the universe to you! It is an immersive learning environment where participants experience planetarium shows and can experience the universe at their fingertips!
These programs in our traveling dome can be brought to your school or location of choice. It's perfect for classes, science fairs, community events, and more!
Click here to request the traveling planetarium
Visit Requirements
We cannot set up the portable planetarium if your facility does not meet the following minimum requirements per the State Fire Marshal.
- There must be 12 feet or higher ceiling clearance so sprinkler heads, smoke detectors and light fixtures will not be compromised.
- Minimum room dimensions must be 25’x25’ to allow for a safe emergency egress of three feet around the entire planetarium.
- Two grounded 120-volt standard electrical outlets on separate circuits are required to power the dome. We may need to run extension cords across the floor.
- The portable planetarium can only be set up indoors
- Equipment arrives in heavy, wheeled cases. A ramp, large elevator or level entry is required—no stairs.
- Staff will need a 10-minute break between each session to reset the theater.
Total setup time: 1 hour
Total take-down time: 1 hour
Pricing
For locations within a 30 mile radius of UMD:
- $250 for the first hour of shows - includes 1 hour of setup, 1 hour of takedown, and travel
- $60 for each additional hour of shows
- Staff require a 10 minute break between shows, and an additional 30 minute break for events 4 hours or longer
For locations outside of this radius, please contact us ([email protected]) for pricing.
Book the Traveling Planetarium
What we need from you:
- Establish an arrival time that begins 1 hour prior to the first session/show
- Directions to an unloading location
- Name and number of contact person on the day of your visit
- A start and end time for each session
- We can work out the exact schedule of shows after we confirm a date and timeframe
- We need a 10-minute break between each session for audience turnover, resetting the dome, and staff break
- For events of 4 hours or longer, we require an additional 30 minute break for the educators
- Grade level(s) or age(s) of participants
Requests should be made at least 3 weeks in advance to ensure availability. We will make an effort to accommodate late requests, but they are not guaranteed.
Click here to request the traveling planetarium
Weather Travel Policy: We may postpone a visit due to extreme weather conditions. These decisions are made based on the National Weather Service’s alert system and local school closings. We will use the contact number you provide to notify you in the event of a postponement, and will reschedule the visit at no cost.
Program Options
- Program Length: Shows are typically 25-30 minutes plus 5-10 minutes to transition groups in and out of the dome.
- Group Size: The portable dome can hold 20-30 people depending on age of participants and how close people are willing to sit.
- Program Schedule: We require 10 minute breaks in between each of the programs, an additional 30 minute break for the planetarium educators for events 4 hours or longer, 1 hour for set up before the first program, and 45 minutes for take down after the last program.
- You can schedule different shows for different ages/grade levels for your event
- For live, interactive shows, we will schedule a maximum of 6 per day. Pre-recorded shows do not have a limit.
You can choose from any of our tours of the universe with Dgistar 7 or any of the pre-recorded shows. Click here to see our program options
Visitor Guidelines
A gym, auditorium, or cafeteria is a great location for the traveling planetarium. Minimum room dimensions of 25’ x 25’ and a 12’ ceiling, clear of any low-hanging fixtures such as lights or projectors are required. Indoor use only.
The traveling planetarium is a unique environment, but please be mindful of the following tips to improve your group’s experience:
Flooring
The dome has no floor so we recommend setting up on carpet or mats for students’ comfort. Please make sure the floor is clean and mats, if being used, are in place prior to setting up the dome.
Behavior
- Visitors should not touch any equipment, and no food, drink or gum is allowed.
- Voices are amplified inside the dome and even quiet chatter makes for a noisy environment.
- Some visitors may feel dizzy at times due to the motions of the images. If that happens, they should close their eyes for a few seconds and it will pass.
Media/Press
You are welcome to invite the local press to see the traveling planetarium program. This can help with fundraising for this and future school programs.