Gene Roddenberry Planetarium

Very small planetarium, but some pretty cool stuff. I came too late for the show, but it is a small theater. Cool because it is free! I was told to come 30 – 60 minutes before the showings (10 am, 1 pm and 3 pm) to reserve tickets to the show.
There are a few interactive things for kids, but everything is a bit outdated. Slow moving screens and exhibits.

I came here today for a event that was open to the public. Usually this planetarium is only open for students during the school year. However since it’s summer and there’s no one to attend they do open up three times a day for the masses. My first thought when I stepped into the planetarium was the fact that although this had been updated into 2011, this place does feel very dated. The computers were slow to respond if they worked at all. This made the computer that had a quiz on it very difficult to use.
Everything turned around once we were able to attend the demonstration itself. The projector that they had is actually one of the fifth biggest in the United States. Not only did it make learning all the stars and constellations very cool, but the curator Cory Smith added a lot to it as well.
Arti small things that would’ve made this a much better experience other than the computers. Number one is have air conditioning in the front entrance. I can tell you I was sweating and I was almost ready to leave (the ac does work well in the theater). Secondly in the auditorium section, it would be nice if the chairs were arranged in a circle facing the center so you can see the whole night sky instead of having to constantly move back-​and-​forth.
The demonstration was very cool and it was free. However what I would like to see is for them to ask for a suggested donation. People could get in for free but they can also donate if they chose. This could make it a good amount of money for the planetarium and update the equipment.