• Free shows Tuesday & Thursday at 7:00 PM, and Sundays at 2:00 PM
• No tickets, no prior reservations
• Please arrive at least 15 minutes in advance.

AVAILABLE SPECIAL EVENTS

 

Observatory Nights - @ Hardin Planetarium

On select Tuesday nights of each month at 8:00 PM central, guests may join us to explore the night sky in the observatory next door free of charge.  This will follow immediately after the Tuesday night planetarium show, and will depend on weather.  Alternative dates are offered in case of cloud cover.

 

• Tuesday 12 November (Rain date 11/14)
• Tuesday 3 December (Rain date 12/5)

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"A Nightmare on Physics Avenue”

Tuesday 29 October
6:00 PM to 8:30 PM @ Kelly Thompson Hall

Free, public event featuring Halloween-themed science activities and demos, as well as a Trunk-or-Treat event in a nearby parking lot.

The Trunk-or-Treat event begins at 5:30 PM and extends to 6:00 PM in College Hill Lot, across from Cherry Hall. Visitors not intending to join the Trunk-or-Treat are asked to park in the nearby Hub Lot if arriving before 6:00 PM.

The “Nightmare on Physics Avenue” activities begin at 6:00 PM at the entrance to Kelly Thompson Hall, allowing guests to walk up and through the second floor, experiencing physics-based thrills centered around Halloween scares. Physics students and instructors will explain the underlying science, and there will be a hands-on activity with token prizes for correct entries. This event continues until 8:30 PM.

 

Full details in the press release

 

We regularly host school groups and any other group interested in a show. You can request such an event via the menu at the top of the page.

WKU's Hardin Planetarium has full dome of 40 feet, with a 360° surround view by way of a Digitalis Epsilon digital projector. All of this is done in a classic 1967 architectural icon of the WKU campus. We custom design most of our own shows for public education, and all either are or include live interactive performances.

Public Parking:

1) Along State Street

2) Two spots in the lot between Ogden College Hall and Kelly Thompson Hall

3) College Hill Lot, up College Heights Blvd. on the right

4) Chestnut Street North Lot, at the corner of Chestnut and 14th Ave, two blocks from the Planetarium 

Bus Unloading:

» Download the bus unloading map (PDF)

Wheelchair Accessibility: A ramp from State St. provides access to the building's main floor. The below lots are only available on weekends or after 4:30 PM.

1) Two spots in a tiny lot behind the building, at the end of a driveway from State St. That lot is lower than the building, so it is an uphill climb.

2) Three spots in the lot between Ogden College Hall and Kelly Thompson Hall.

3) The large parking lots on top of College Heights Blvd. The path from there is down hill.

Mailing List:

Many of our guests prefer to be notified of our events. You can sign up below or at the planetarium.