Downing Planetarium

Have you been to the planetarium? Last night I went to the planetarium at Fresno State for the first time and saw the Pink Floyd dark side of the moon show. Really cool, I was really impressed with the atmosphere and sound quality. Very kid friendly and they have a great gift shop. Definitely going to go back and see other shows. The best part…the price! Adults: $5.00, Seniors: $4.00, Children/Students: $3.00. Looks like they a cute show specifically for kids too. Afterwards I got to go out to their telescope and see Jupiter and 4 of its moons… for free. They had a great docent out there showing us constellations with a very impressive laser.

My son and I drove 3 1/2 hours from Los Angeles for the 2 shows on Friday night. Yes, we’ve been to Griffith Observatory in LA and many others but this might be a new favorite. The professor who teaches at the college was just an absolute delight and his commentary before and after complimented the shows wonderfully. Afterwards he brought out the telescope for a viewing of Betelgeuse. His obvious ease and friendliness with people made the whole experience so much more meaningful than the impersonal planetarium experiences elsewhere. We love all things space much more because of tonight! Keep up the great work.

I just went to the Downing Planetarium for the first time last night. It was awesome, the showing was about Dark Matter and was named Phantom of the Universe. The only reason I didn’t give the full five stars is because the seats are very uncomfortable. Keep in mind that I am 6’6” tall though and seating may be very comfortable if your are of average height and weight. Otherwise it was an amazing experience and I would love to go again.

2 pm showing of several winter/Christmas videos shown on full overhead dome. (Not just a part of dome) Nice professional presentation by speaker. Approximately half of the seats were empty. . I think there was a later showing as well. Don't miss the coin drop gravity well in the lobby. Bring change !

Planetarium shows lose all the beauty of space when they rely on blurry, over-illuminated movies to provide information to visitors. The observational astronomy tour of the night sky was way too short.