Get ready to be wowed! A completely revamped planetarium experience will let you venture far and wide across the Universe from the comfort of planet Earth.
When you look up at night, what do you see? Maybe you glimpse the Big Dipper twinkling against the dark sky. Perhaps you spot an illusion of a face on the Moon’s surface. Possibly, you catch lit-up planes en route to faraway destinations.
Early human societies looked to the skies to learn about the world around them, and we haven’t stopped looking ever since. Even some of our animal neighbors, like dung beetles and songbirds, rely on the night sky to orient themselves in their environment!
Through two of the Museum’s unique attractions—the Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium and the Ralph Mueller Observatory—you’re invited to explore the wonders of space from right here at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
About the Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium
Museum visitors can experience a firsthand taste of celestial exploration at the Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium. The planetarium’s laser projectors open up the world above, leading you on cosmic journeys across the Solar System, Galaxy, and beyond. Come prepared to think like a scientist and actively engage with the shows. The Museum’s astronomers lead live, interactive programs, encouraging all space explorers in attendance to ask questions and participate in customized presentations.
The 2022 upgrade to the Shafran Planetarium brought the arrival of state-of-the-art Digistar 7 software from Evans & Sutherland that showcases the cosmos in immersive detail. Young visitors can learn about space during customized school programs and shows, while all guests can enjoy presentations about the intricacies of changing seasons and the birth of our Solar System. Much roomier than a spaceship, the domed theater accommodates up to 88 Earthlings in removable seating and is wheelchair accessible.
Every inch of the Shafran Planetarium is designed to connect visitors to the skies—even outside of its astronomer-led programming. The design of the building allows its exterior to function as an astronomical instrument at night. Its angled roof faces the North Star, Polaris, around which all other stars in the sky appear to rotate—aligning your gaze with the same star that has guided human beings for centuries. The sight of the Shafran Planetarium itself is enough to bring constellations to mind: Its titanium-coated, stainless-steel exterior glitters with fiber-optic lights like shooting stars. (But don’t worry: The subtle glow doesn’t contribute to light pollution. This way, our skies can stay dark for the benefit of wildlife and space researchers who rely on cycles of daylight and darkness.)
Ralph Mueller Observatory Update
The Ralph Mueller Observatory is currently closed for construction.
About the Ralph Mueller Observatory
The Ralph Mueller Observatory contains a 10½-inch refracting telescope built by the Warner & Swasey Co. of Cleveland in 1899. The renowned J.A. Brashear Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a division of American Optical Company, ground the telescope’s optics. Warner & Swasey Co. originally donated the telescope to Western Reserve College (later Western Reserve University and today Case Western Reserve University). It was located on the roof of the university’s physics building for 61 years. The Museum acquired the telescope in 1960 with funding from the Murch Foundation. Generous financial contributions from Cleveland businessman Ralph Mueller made the telescope’s installation at the Museum possible.
The telescope rests on an internal support pillar on a block of solid concrete. This construction prevents floor vibrations from reaching the telescope. A 19-foot-diameter dome built by Astro-Dome of Canton, Ohio, houses the telescope. The dome is motor-driven and can be rotated 360 degrees. It has a double shutter, which permits greater sky exposure.
The observatory provides an excellent vantage point from which members of the public can observe astronomical events. For example, when Mars made its closest approach to Earth in 50,000 years in 2003, more than 750 visitors viewed the red planet through the telescope on a single evening.
