UTA Planetarium celebrates 20 years with a free show

UTA’s Planetarium, opened in 2006, features a 60-foot dome projection surface and seating for 150 people

Thursday, Apr 09, 2026 • Drew Davison :

UTA’s Planetarium, opened in 2006, features a 60-foot dome projection surface and seating for 150 people" style=" height:500px; width:1000px" _languageinserted="true" src="https://cdn.prod.web.uta.edu/-/media/project/website/news/releases/2026/04/planetarium-anniversary.jpg
UTA’s Planetarium, opened in 2006, features a 60-foot dome projection surface and seating for 150 people. (UTA Photo)

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, The University of Texas at Arlington’s Planetarium is offering free admission to a show on Saturday, April 18. The public can secure their spot to a 3 p.m. viewing of “Invaders of Mars” by registering at https://webapp.uta.edu/planetarium-tickets/purchase/75.

“We couldn’t be more excited to invite our valued community members to a complimentary show,” said McKenna Dowd, UTA Planetarium’s coordinator. “There is nothing better than speaking with the public about space exploration and the night sky that we all share. We’ve had a great first 20 years and can’t wait to see what the next 20 years brings us.”

UTA’s Planetarium, which opened in 2006, features a 60-foot dome projection surface, a fully digital projection system, advanced digital software, and seating for 150 people. It has established itself as one of the most family-friendly entertainment venues in the Metroplex since.

Every Saturday, the Planetarium hosts multiple shows for audiences of all ages, from a Sesame Street-themed adventure in the afternoon to a Pink Floyd concert in the evening. During the week, the Planetarium is a popular destination for field trips, with 30,000 K-12 students visiting each year.

The Planetarium also hosts concerts and special events such as a Romancing the Stars show on Valentine’s Day. Recently, the Planetarium put on a watch party for NASA’s Artemis II launch that garnered significant media attention. It also served as an opportunity to highlight the Planetarium’s “moon tree” that was born from a seed aboard the unmanned Artemis I mission in 2022.

To learn more about the UTA Planetarium, please visit www.uta.edu/planetarium.

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