Soar into space in the New Jersey State Museum’s Planetarium! With our Ultra-High Resolution 8K projection system and our 140 spacious, specially-designed reclined seats, your experience is sure to be comfortable and out of this world! Our dynamic and knowledgeable planetarium presenters will take you on tours of New Jersey’s skies and beyond.
Public Show Times: Weekdays: Tuesday – Friday, 2:30 pm Saturday and Sunday: 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm & 3:00 pm Summer Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm
Public shows are roughly 50 minutes total, with full-dome planetarium films preceded by live star talks presented by planetarium staff. Shows for our visitors 8 and younger are roughly 30 minutes long with no pre-show star talk.
The Public Show Schedule changes monthly and is listed in our Calendar of Events. Also see our Calendar of Events to find out about our special public programming!
The last Saturday & Sunday of each month, a Spanish language show is available at 11:00 am.
Ticket Information: Children 2 and under -------------------------Free Children 3 to 12 --------------------------------$5 Ages 13+ ------------------------------------------$10 Seniors/Students/Veterans --------------$9 NJSM Foundation Members -----------------------$2 off all tickets Families First/eWIC Cardholders -----------------------up to 4 free tickets Active Military (Labor Day – Armed Forces Day) -----------------------Free for service member, and $1 off up to 4 tickets Active Military (Armed Forces Day – Labor Day) -----------------------up to 6 free tickets NJEA Cardholders ------Free for cardholder, and $1 off up to 4 tickets Groups of 15 or more -----------------------$5 per person.
We accept cash and credit/debit cards.
Advanced ticket sales are not available; box office opens 30 minutes before the first show
The Museum participates in the Blue Star Museum Program. From Armed Forces Day in May, through Labor Day, those on active duty military service and up to five family members receive free admission to a Planetarium show. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), DD Form 1173-1 ID card or the Next Generation Uniformed Services (Real) ID card.
School/Group Visits
To schedule a school or community group visit to the Planetarium, call (609) 292-1382 or email njsm.reservations@sos.nj.gov
Happy Birthday from the New Jersey State Museum!
Bring your child to the Planetarium for their birthday and receive a free gift! Just tell the box office when buying tickets and give them the birthday child’s first name. They will give your child the free gift and the Planetarium will announce the birthday before the show! If you call three or more business days in advance, the Planetarium will also add a banner to the dome to celebrate! To add the banner, contact Jacob.Hamer@sos.nj.gov
Book a Private Show*
Experience our Ultra-High Resolution 8K projection system in an exclusive private show for you and your friends, family or community group. Reservations must be made three weeks in advance. Final head count and full payment is due two weeks in advance with no exceptions. Contact Reservations at (609) 292-1382 or email njsm.reservations@sos.nj.gov.
Private shows includes:
We offer two options:
1. During regular Museum operation hours: $300 for up to 40 people and $5 per person for each additional person up to 140. These private shows are only available on these days and times:
2. After-hours for an additional fee: $500 for up to 40 people and $5 per person for each additional person up to 140. After-hours private shows are available on these days and times:
*Please note: This option is for one show only. This is not a space rental. If your group requires planning for a business event including food, presentation stage, sound system or other special considerations you must contact NJSM.rentals@sos.nj.gov to secure a rental contract for use of space. Birthday parties cannot make private use of the public spaces in the building.
One Sky Project gathers together six short films, each of which centers on the perspective of a different culture or indigenous society from around the globe. Organized around the themes of “Finding Patterns” and “To Seek Far,” the films utilize stunning animation to bring to life incredible stories that showcase how various cultures have interpreted our one night sky. The films include “The Forge of Artemis” (Greece), “Thunderbird” (Diné/Navajo), “Jai Singh’s Dream” (India), “Celestial Canoe” (Canada/Innu), “The Samurai and the Stars” (Japan), “Hawaiian Wayfinders” (Hawai’i), and an epilogue to connect them all.
A great deal of astronomy is done in the nation of Chile, due to its special climate and location, which creates stable, dry air. With its high, dry, and dark sites, Chile is one of the best places in the world for observational astronomy. “Big Astronomy: People, Places, Discoveries” explores three observatories located in Chile, at extreme and remote places. It gives examples of the multitude of STEM careers needed to keep the great observatories working. The show is narrated by Barbara Rojas-Ayala, a Chilean astronomer.
Our most popular show! Discover Earth’s place in the universe, and the patterns in the motion of sun, moon and stars with the help of clever Coyote.
Narrated by Academy Award-winner Lupita Nyong'o, Worlds Beyond Earth tells the story of the surprisingly dynamic worlds that orbit our Sun. Based on authentic scientific data from groundbreaking space missions, the show takes viewers on an exhilarating adventure through our cosmic neighborhood. Immersive visualizations showcase the solar system with unprecedented accuracy, including a landing on the cratered surface of our own Moon, a dramatic flight through the swirling rings of Saturn, and soaring encounters with distant worlds of active volcanoes and buried oceans.
One Sky Project gathers together six short films, each of which centers on the perspective of a different culture or indigenous society from around the globe. Organized around the themes of “Finding Patterns” and “To Seek Far,” the films utilize stunning animation to bring to life incredible stories that showcase how various cultures have interpreted our one night sky. The films include “The Forge of Artemis” (Greece), “Thunderbird” (Diné/Navajo), “Jai Singh’s Dream” (India), “Celestial Canoe” (Canada/Innu), “The Samurai and the Stars” (Japan), “Hawaiian Wayfinders” (Hawai’i), and an epilogue to connect them all.
Astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, a native of Montclair, New Jersey, was the second man to stand on the surface of the moon. The visor in his helmet shows a reflection of Astronaut Neil Armstrong (first man on the moon) taking this picture, as well as one footpad of the Lunar Module Eagle and the United States flag planted next to it.
Official Site of The State of New Jersey