The Arne Slettebak OSU Planetarium

Who knew about this hidden secret -yeah, about that - I found it really tricky to find & don't know if I could find my way back. So maybe drop some breadcrumbs because it is worth revisiting.

I took my boyfriend here for a surprise date & it really delivered. We learned so much about the stars, planets, constellations & the solar system while attending the "Voyage Through the Solar System" which is a live show presented by OSU astronomers. The presentation lasts approximately 40 minutes and leaves the remainder of the hour for some Q & A with the audience.

The show takes place in a 63-seat 30-foot dome theater with a state-of-the-art XD digital projection system giving exquisite views of the night sky and takes you on digital journeys to the planets, stars, and distant galaxies. Our astronomer gave us really interesting information in a fun & engaging way that held the attention of all.

Tickets are free, but go fast!

What a find! Due to boredom, a needed break from movie night, and the discovery of the Eventbrite app, I'm here!

I'm not a "sciency" type of person, nor is my family. I sincerely went with low expectations. I was completely wrong! What a wonderful nostalgic, visit to my childhood! I'd completely forgotten the amazement planetariums create.

Although the location was difficult to find in the dark, with the help of some OSU students, we finally made it. There is no visible sign or address on the building from the street view. There is also no off street parking. Luckily the OSU parking garage is within a short two block walk. I'm also not sure if the building is handicap accessible. I'm thinking that it has to be?

Due to our search for the location and street parking, we were a few minutes late. The room was packed and we had to sit in the front row. I recommend you don't do this. Although the chairs are comfortable and recline, you'll have a better experience and view if you're seated towards the middle.

Our guide was exceptional! He was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and passionate about his field. It made it a great experience! The clarity and details in the presentation were great. The audience ranged from young to senior citizens and everyone appeared to enjoy themselves. There were a multitude of questions and all of them were eagerly answered. You were made to feel comfortable with the attitude of "there are no stupid questions". It was truly a learning experience with the incorporation of very recent discoveries in space.

I'll definitely be back and strongly recommend this as an outing for any age. There are a few different presentations, they're usually about an hour long, along with the question and answer session. I discovered this on Eventbrite, I'm not sure if the planetarium has a website with a calendar. It's definitely worth checking out!

We hit the OSU planetarium in early December. The tickets are free, you just have to reserve them, which is a big plus; the space is cozy and comfortable.

The program we watched was pretty good, but very basic--meant for all ages and all levels of space education. If you don't know much about space, or want to take your kids to a cool space event, go to the planetarium for sure! The show we saw detailed what you could see in the night sky in Autumn from Ohio, and what people could see on the other side of the world. There was good general information.

If you're more experienced, you might want to go to go to see the night sky in a way you can't really see in Columbus (cos light pollution, yo), but you probably won't learn a whole lot of new stuff. I'm hoping to see a few advanced programs pop up now and then!

My STEP cohort had a scheduled meeting at 1 and no one ever showed up. When we called to question if our presenter was on their way they said, " we sent someone over at 1 and no one was there." Well, we were there at 1 and no one ever arrived to confirm our meeting or present the planetarium. They then informed us that our presenter was on their way. The office of the planetarium called us again at 1:30 and informed us our meeting was canceled because our presenter was sick.

I saw Marissa C.'s review and snapped up a free ticket to the next available Planetarium show, which happened to be in December. You make reservations online through eventbrite, and they will email you confirmation, directions, and information about parking.

On the day of the show, the weather was pretty terrible, so even though the event was supposed to be a full-house, it was only about half full. The planetarium is on the 5th floor of Smith Lab, and there were signs on the doors pointing you the right way. There was no need to print out your email confirmation as the hosts just checked you off a list on an iPad.

The space itself is pretty small and low-key, which I wasn't expecting at all. However, the director, who gave the presentation, was full of enthusiasm and excitement for the event, and the children in the audience really enjoyed the show.

The planetarium officially reopened on 10/12/2013, and wow, does this place look good!! The scarlet and gray chairs are large and really comfortable. The projector is really neat - during our show, I heard a lot of gasps of delight and amazement from the crowd as its different features were shown. The images are crisp and really impressive, and it easily handles travel through space or time, or both space and time simultaneously. The projector also does other bodies like satellites, and at one point, our presenter had us "following" the Voyager spacecraft, the first to leave our solar system. It was a very neat show, and they offer them for free. The renovation was top-notch; this place is completely updated now!