Upcoming Opportunities

Planetarium

On October 20, 1958, Floyd Blair of the Charles Hayden Foundation threw the switch to light the stars in New England's first major planetarium. Over the ensuing 50 years, millions of patrons have been introduced to the wonders of the universe at the Charles Hayden Planetarium.

This domed, 240-seat facility provides a unique environment for 45-minute-long interactive programs, most featuring a live presenter.

The Planetarium reproduces the night sky for any location on Earth, on any day in years past or in the future, creating a view that simulates the three-dimensional sky. It can accurately reproduce the apparent motions and cycles of the sky in time-lapse fashion, to demonstrate processes that occur over time. More significantly, the Planetarium also creates a highly immersive environment.

These unique strengths enable the Planetarium to present information in ways that other media cannot. With the planned renovations, the Planetarium's potential as an educational venue will be vastly increased, and the Planetarium will engage visitors across the spectrum of science and technology disciplines and topics.

Premier Partnership

Learn more about our Premier Partner program.

Temporary Exhibits

Frogs: A Chorus of Colors
Opens Friday, February 13, 2009
Frogs come in an astonishing array of colors — from brilliant orange to bright blue to dazzling red. This vivid assortment of hues hints at the remarkable diversity that exists among the many frog species inhabiting the globe. Frogs are found in nearly every environment on Earth, and their survival strategies range from surprising to outright bizarre.

Learn more about this exhibit.

National Geographic Crittercam: The World through Animal Eyes
Summer 2009
Investigate the natural world from a new perspective! This exhibition explores ongoing research with National Geographic Crittercam, a scientific video and data gathering tool safely worn by wild animals. Based on more than 20 years of invention and research collaborations spanning the globe, Crittercam offers new insights into animal behavior and provides clues about how to protect our planet's creatures and the world we share.

With multimedia activities, evocative environments, and mesmerizing firsthand footage, the exhibit allows visitors to experience the world from an animal's point of view.