Get a behind-the-scenes look at Otago Musuem's Perpetual Guardian Planetarium and learn how we make and project shows onto the dome. Look behind the smoke and mirrors for a sneak peek at some of the experimental technology we're working on that hasn't been released yet, and try a Virtual Reality experience. A few people will even get to drive the universe in our dome.

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.

The monarch butterfly is a true marvel of nature. Weighing less than a penny, it makes one of the longest migrations on Earth across a continent to a place it has never known.

Follow the monarchs’ perilous journey and join hundreds of millions of real butterflies in the remote mountain peaks of Mexico, with breathtaking cinematography from an award winning team including Oscar winner Peter Parks.

Be captivated by the true and compelling story of an intrepid scientist’s 40-year search to find the monarchs’ secret hideaway.

Unravel the mysteries and experience the Flight of the Butterflies in the Perpetual Guardian Planetarium, then make it a combo with a trip to Tūhura's Tropical Forest.

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; no late admission.

Fast forward to the year 2057, where a group of astronauts are undertaking a dangerous task - attempting to reignite our dying sun. Without the sun’s heat, the Earth was beginning to freeze. Following a failed previous mission seven years earlier, a crew of eight attempt to pilot a nuclear fission bomb to the sun in order to restart it and ultimately save their planet.

M: Contains violence and offensive language.

The film will start at 7.15pm and will be preceded at 7pm by a brief look at the life cycle of stars

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.

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.

In 2017, a team of researchers announced the greatest geological discovery of our time: the existence of an eighth continent, almost completely submerged beneath the Pacific Ocean. They called their discovery Zealandia.

How Zealandia became a refuge for one of the strangest collections of animals on the planet is a mystery 85 million years in the making. Journey through time to see some of the weird and wonderful life on these remote islands, survivors of the geological equivalent of Atlantis.

This Perpetual Guardian Planetarium show has been created locally by Otago Museum and NHNZ, with scientific advice provided by the University of Otago and GNS Science, and supported by a grant from the Marjorie Barclay Trust.

Just one more reason this part of our planet is so spectacular and unique!

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; no late admission.

We know it can be tricky to get out and about with little ones. So to make life easier we’re hosting Baby on Board sessions in the Perpetual Guardian Planetarium. Catch a show under our 360° screen without having to book a babysitter!

Parents and caregivers are invited to come and enjoy a show in the planetarium with the entire family. No need to worry about your noisier family members, and you’ll be welcome to duck in and out as needed. Our first session will take place on Wednesday 29 May at 11.30am, when we’ll be showing one of our new films, Zealandia: Life on the Hidden Continent.

Zealandia details one of the greatest geological discoveries of our time – the discovery of an eighth continent, mostly hidden under the Pacific Ocean. Created by Otago Museum and NHNZ, this show explains how Zealandia was formed and how it supported such a unique collection of wildlife.

Entry is free for those under 3 years when accompanied by a paying adult. Tickets are available from the Otago Museum Shop or online.

Wednesday 29 May at 11.30am