J. Watumull Planetarium
Hawaiʻi’s Gateway to the Stars
Join us in the J. Watumull Planetarium at Bishop Museum to connect with the environment and peoples of the Pacific region, the expanse of our universe, and the stories we pass on from generation to generation. Experience a show in our theater as an add-on experience to Bishop Museum’s daytime General Admission, as a standalone Special Evening Planetarium Show, or during various Programs and Events. All shows are ticketed; Tickets can be purchased upon arrival from the admissions desk at Shop Pacifica or online for special events. See below for currently scheduled showtimes.
Planetarium Showtimes
All planetarium tickets must be purchased in conjunction with general museum admission. Planetarium tickets are available for purchase on-site only.
Special Evening Planetarium Shows
Navigating by the Stars
3rd Wednesday of February, May, August, and November
2023 Summer Planetarium Show Schedule
All showtimes are for Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays (June 17-September 15)
No daytime shows on Wednesdays
10:15 a.m.
$3 with valid museum admission
Explore the wonders of the night sky in this fully live presentation! Join our guide to discover what stars, constellations, planets, and more can be seen in the skies above Hawaiʻi on the night of the show. Sky and universe simulated through Evans and Sutherland Digistar and GOTO Chronos II star projector.
25 minutes, all ages.
1:00 a.m.
2:30 p.m.
$3 with valid museum admission
This full-dome program puts you on the deck of the voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa as you explore the nearly lost art and science of non-instrument navigation in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. Produced by Bishop Museum in collaboration with Polynesian Voyaging Society and 1001 Stories.
45 minutes, recommended age 8 and up.
12:00 p.m.
$3 with valid museum admission
Traverse the largest ocean on Earth with Moko, an intrepid teenager who follows the star paths of her ancestors as they sail across the Pacific towards her homeland, Aotearoa New Zealand. She time travels between centuries and cultures to witness life onboard the waka hourua (sailing canoes) of her Māori forefathers, and the ships of English captain Lt. James Cook and Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman. She takes in the view of Earth from space, stands alongside the navigators, experiences their traditions, uncovers their science, and wraps it all up in the space knowledge we have today. Co-producers Experience Wellington and Island Productions Aotearoa.
45 minutes, recommended age 8 and up.
1:30 p.m.
$3 with valid museum admission
This program immerses you in the amazing diversity of moons and the important roles they play in shaping our solar system. Follow in the footsteps of astronauts to our silvery Moon, then venture beyond to unfamiliar and exotic worlds. Journey to the outer planets and their moons and return home with newfound wonder about the dynamic and intricate solar system in which we all live. This show was produced by the staff of the Charles Hayden Planetarium, Museum of Science, Boston, with distribution by Loch Ness Productions.
45 minutes, recommended age 8 and up.
Hidden Pacific
3:30 p.m.
$3 with valid museum admission
Hidden Pacific profiles some of the Pacific Ocean’s most beautiful islands and marine national monuments. The film explores the storied histories of Palmyra, Midway and other atolls through science and human stories. Hidden Pacific is produced by Tandem Stills + Motion, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
45 minutes, all ages.
As of Thurs., 7/13/23, the Planetarium will be closed for maintenance. There are no daily shows at this time. Thank you for your understanding.
Upcoming Planetarium Events
Daily Planetarium Shows Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Click here to get your tickets.
There is an additional $2.95 fee per person for each daytime Planetarium show.
Bishop Museum members continue to enjoy FREE admission to the daily Planetarium shows; members just need to pick up a Planetarium show ticket first at the Admission Desk.
Tickets are for a specific show and are available onsite from 9 a.m. on the day of the show.
About the J. Watumull Planetarium
Bishop Museum’s Jhamandas Watumull Planetarium opened its doors on December 12, 1961. Originally called the Kilolani Planetarium, the Watumull Planetarium has served over six million visitors and students over 60 years of continuous operation. The Planetarium was instrumental in the recovery of the nearly lost art and science of traditional, non-instrument navigation in Hawaiʻi. Nainoa Thompson spent countless hours in the Planetarium with Will Kyselka and other Planetarium staff in the late 1970s learning how to read the night sky. We are honored to continue that legacy by serving as a training space for today’s navigators.
Our GOTO Chronos II optical star projector provides one of the most vivid, realistic recreations of the night sky available today, with 8,500 pinpoint stars and realistic, bright planets. Our Digistar 4K full-dome video system covers the entire dome in immersive video, allowing us to fly through the rings of Saturn, into the depths of the Orion nebula, out to the edge of the universe, and even simulate a voyage across the Pacific.
The Planetarium has 64 seats and serves 70,000 people a year. The planetarium focuses on programs about Hawaiʻi, blending live and prerecorded elements within each program.
