Join us for part 1 of 7 of our James Cameron Series in the Perpetual Guardian Planetarium, on the first Thursday of every month to celebrate our new exhibition: James Cameron - Challenging the Deep.

This month we will be screening the epic science fiction film Avatar. Set in the mid-22nd century, human beings are colonising a habitable moon within a nearby solar system, in order to mine unobtanium. The mining threatens the indigenous humanoid species Na’vi, and we follow a genetically engineered Na’vi body operated remotely by a human as they interact with the local Na’vi tribe.

One of Cameron’s most well-known films, Avatar quickly became the highest-grossing film of all time. Enjoy the Academy Award-winning cinematography in the planetarium on our virtual big screen. Tickets are available from the Otago Museum Shop or online. Popcorn and drinks will be available for purchase.

It's life, but not as we know it...

Come revisit Blade Runner in the year the film was set! This classic1982 neo-noir film is set in a dystopian future Los Angeles of 2019, in which synthetic humans known as replicants are bio-engineered by the powerful Tyrell Corporation to work on off-world colonies. When a fugitive group of Nexus-6 replicants escapes back to Earth, burnt-out cop Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) reluctantly agrees to hunt them down.

Before diving into the world of replicants at 7:15, the film will be preceded at 7pm by a brief talk about replicas, with a look at some objects from Otago Museum's Humanities collection presented by Moira White, Otago Museum's Curator, Humanities.

Sci-Fi Fridays take place every second Friday of the month in Otago Museum's Perpetual Guardian Planetarium. Snacks and drinks are available for purchase.

Rated M Violence & offensive language.

Capcom GO! is an immersive 3D Planetarium show following the Apollo program and what it took to put the first human on the Moon.

On July 20th 1969, 600 million people around the world gathered to witness a historic moment of human achievement broadcast live from the Moon.

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” Neil Armstrong.

The world celebrated as the astronauts took their first steps on the Moon. But few people were aware of just how huge an effort it had taken to get them there.

These Apollo 11 astronauts were just 2 of nearly 400,000 people who had worked over ten years towards this goal.

But how did they do it?

50 years ago the first human walked on the moon… discover the story behind this historic moment which will inspire the next generation of explorers and dreamers.

Otago Museum in collaboration with Orokonui Ecosanctuary invite you to discover the story of Hinewai Nature Reserve on the Banks Peninsula, and its transformation from farmland back into native forest, creating a haven for our treasured endemic species.

Hugh Wilson has been the kaitiaki/manager of Hinewai for 30 years, overseeing the regeneration of native canopy through a minimal interference method, allowing invasive gorse to grow as a nursery plant for self-sown native trees. At first people were skeptical of his plan, referring to it as something that only "fools and dreamers" would think of. Now, Hugh is considered a local hero, after giving life to more than 1500 hectares of native forest which is abundant with wildlife.

The 30 minute documentary will be preceded by a 15 minute talk from a guest speaker who has been involved in a similar project closer to home at Orokonui Ecosanctuary. View the documentary trailer here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3WmuFHdipU

A portion of your ticket will go to supporting Orokonui. The total run time will be around 45 minutes.

Join us on Thursday 25 July for some late-night shows in the Perpetual Guardian Planetarium. We’ll have on offer:

7.30pm – Capcom Go! The Apollo Story

8.30pm – The Sky Tonight

9:30pm – Amazing Universe

Capcom GO! is an immersive 3D Planetarium show documenting the Apollo programme, and what it took to put the first person on the Moon 50 years ago. Discover the story behind this historic moment, which continues to inspire generations of explorers and dreamers.

The Sky Tonight is a live presentation by one of our Science Communicators which details what you could see if you were to go stargazing in Dunedin that evening. Learn about stars and constellations and how to find them in the night sky, as well as fascinating deep space objects.

Amazing Universe will take you on a journey through the solar system, out to the farthest reaches of visible space and beyond.

Shows run for 45 minutes each, and admittance to the planetarium is restricted to ages 3 years and up. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets are available from the Otago Museum Shop or online.

Admittance to planetarium is restricted to ages 3 and up. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

Please arrive 15 minutes before the show; no late admission.

Go back to the time of dinosaurs! Dive into the oceans of the Late Cretaceous to follow a curious and adventurous dolichorhynchops – familiarly known as a ‘dolly’ – as she travels through the most dangerous seas in history. Along the way, she encounters long-necked plesiosaurs, giant turtles, enormous fish, fierce sharks, and the most dangerous sea monsters of all, the mosasaur!

Using stunning CGI, this show weaves together insights from paleontological digs from around the globe, as scientists work as detectives to answer questions about this ancient and mysterious ocean world. Join these fossil hunters to remote locations as they excavate the remains of some of the most awe-inspiring creatures of all time, unearthing discoveries which shed light on exactly what happened to dolly the show’s other incredible cast of characters.

Admittance to this show is restricted to ages 3 and up.

Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

Bring your online confirmation to the Museum Shop to receive your physical tickets. Please arrive 15 minutes before the show to receive your physical tickets and queue; no late admission.

The Sky Tonight is a live presentation exploring the current night sky over Otago. Learn about stars, constellations, deep sky objects and how to view them that very evening.

Admittance to planetarium is restricted to ages 3 and up.

Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

Bring your online confirmation to the Museum Shop to receive your physical tickets. Please arrive 15 minutes before the show to receive your physical tickets and queue; no late admission.