The Science Dome hosts free and low-cost special public events approximately once a quarter that include planetarium shows and hands-on science demonstrations appropriate for all ages.
Stardust: An Immersive Live Music Experience
- November 14, 2024 - 6 p.m.
- November 15, 2024 - 7:45 p.m.
- November 16, 2024 - 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
- November 17, 2024 - 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Step into the cosmos with Stardust, the live, immersive, ambient soundscape journey that recently lit up the audiences touring the East Coast. Imagine being part of an experience that captivates audiences with it's mesmerizing visuals and improvised score, taking you on a breathtaking adventure through the vast expanse of the universe.
Stardust transports you to celestial realms beyond imagination, from the asteroid belt to the Neptunian Wastelands, and even to distant galaxies beyond our solar system. With vivid 4K projections enveloping you in every direction, you'll feel as though you're traversing the cosmos itself.
But it's not just about what you see—it's about what you hear. The live, improvised score, performed in real-time, guides you through this cosmic odyssey, capturing the essence of each breathtaking landscape you encounter. From the doorstep of a black hole to a concert on the moon, the music of Stardust elevates the experience to new heights.
Following recent sold-out runs in Las Vegas and in the Washington, DC area, Stardust continues to mesmerize audiences worldwide.
Don't miss your chance to be part of the phenomenon that's taking the world by storm. Join us for
Stardust and prepare to be swept away on an immersive musical adventure unlike any other. Grab your seats now and experience the magic of Stardust for yourself!
"Visionary....Pulse Pounding....awe-inspiring!" -Vegas411.com
"Amazing...dynamic....engaging." -TheBay.net
Past Events
FREE Pi Day Event!
March 14, 2024
Join us for a fun celebration of math, science and Pi! This event is FREE and fun for all ages. We will be showing the video Chaos and Order: A Mathematical Symphony in the Science Dome and will have hands-on math and science activities and demonstrations outside of the dome. There are two separate sessions for Dome shows and activities. Afternoon activities run from 10:40 a.m. to 12:40 p.m., and evening activities run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. We recommend spending 30 - 45 minutes doing activities either before or after your scheduled show time. There will be activities appropriate for all ages including preschool through college students! The show schedule is tight and we will not be able to accommodate late arrivals. Please arrive 10 minutes prior to show time. Reservations are highly encouraged for showings of the video, but are not required for the activities.
Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon 50th Anniversary
June 2023 - March 2024
Pink Floyd’s iconic album ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’, originally released in March 1973, turns 50, and what more fitting a place to celebrate it and experience it than in a Planetarium, through the music set to visuals. With the help of modern technology, the idea of a show combining breath-taking views of the solar system and beyond, played out to 42 minutes of The Dark Side Of The Moon in surround sound, has been embraced by the band. NSC Creative have led the visual production efforts, working closely with Pink Floyd’s long time creative collaborator Aubrey Powell from Hipgnosis.
Each song has a different theme; some futuristically looking forward and some a retro acknowledgment to Pink Floyd’s visual history, all relating to a time and space experience, embracing up to the minute technology that only a Planetarium can offer. A truly immersive and all-encompassing surround sound and visual treat that will transcend reality and take you way beyond the realms of 2D experience.
Beautifica
December 2023
From the creators of the multi award-winning MESMERICA comes a brand-new epic immersive experience unlike any other.
Beautifica is a 360 journey through worlds real and imagined, from mindblowing particle fields to unashamedly euphoric fantastic environments almost impossible to describe.
The brainchild of visionary composer James Hood working with some of the finest immersive animators on the planet, this family-friendly show is a feast for the senses, which will leave your spirit refreshed and your face grinning ear to ear.
"I would like to invite you to join me on this adventure. Come celebrate the Beautifica of being alive!"- James Hood.
Each viewer will see something slightly different... you can't do it wrong. What will you see?
Beautifica is suitable for all ages 6+.
Family and group discounts available. Tickets for Beautifica are purchased through a third party.
Data-to-Sound
June 10, 2023
Data-to-Sound is a live concert that features new works by three Northwest composers: Ben Luca Robertson, Jonathan Middleton, and Derek M. Johnson. Centered around the creative application of scientific research, each piece explores some facet of ‘sonfication’ - a process by which researchers translate data into sound. Working in collaboration with scientists from Gonzaga University, the University of Idaho, and the Nez Perce Tribe, each composer addresses scientific subjects spanning growth patterns of freshwater mussels to interplanetary exploration. Along with cello, piano, and live electronics, immersive visuals and surround sound accompany the music.
Mesmerica 360
For a limited time during Spring 2023 we will be showing Mesmerica 360 at the Science Dome!
James Hood's MESMERICA is a groundbreaking immersive audio-visual experience, exhibiting in planetariums and dome venues across the US and Canada. Combining James Hood's music with carefully curated 3D animations from artists around the world, the award-winning show is an enormous hit with both audiences and planetarium operators alike, breaking all existing records for full-dome/planetarium music shows. The hour-long show features 360° projections and stunning 7.1 surround sound.
In 2019 Mesmerica was nominated for the Producers Guild of America’s first ever Innovation award.
Story Time in the Science Dome
July 13, 20 and 27, 2022
Experience story time in the Science Dome! Join Pierce County librarians for stories, songs, movement, and a craft for families with children, ages 2 - 6. Registration is recommended but not required for this FREE event.
James Webb Space Telescope First Images Release
July 12, 2022
7:30 a.m.
NASA, in partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency), will release the James Webb Space Telescope’s first full-color images and spectroscopic data during a televised broadcast beginning at 7:30 a.m. PDT on Tuesday, July 12, from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Released one by one, these first images from the world’s largest and most powerful space telescope will demonstrate Webb at its full power, ready to begin its mission to unfold the infrared universe.
Join at the Science Dome to see this all unfold as we tap into the livestream!
Registration is recommended but not required for this FREE event.
If you would like to follow along at home, each image will simultaneously be made available on social media as well as on the NASA website.
James Webb Space Telescope - First Images Party!
August 6, 2022
12 - 4 p.m.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest and most complex space science telescope ever built – the premier observatory of the next decade. This international mission, led by NASA in partnership with the European and Canadian space agencies, launched in December 2021 and its first images will be released this summer. (We have a separate event on July 12 to watch the big reveal of these images!)
Join us on August 6, 2022 to learn about the science behind these new images through a planetarium show and hands on activities. This event is put on in partnership with the Tacoma Astronomical Society.
Free and great fun for all ages!
Register in advance for a planetarium show time. Hands on activities will be open 12 - 4 p.m. with no registration necessary.