Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium

Click here for public show schedule.

Click here to purchase tickets online with credit card.

Click here to sumbit a private show or field trip request.

FAQS:

Location of Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium

The University of Wyoming Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium is located in the basement of the Physical Sciences building. Enter the Physical Sciences building at the south-western entrance closest to the classroom building and follow the signs down a level to our lobby. The planetarium is located under the computer lab with an elevator and stairs in our lobby area. The planetarium is wheelchair accessible.

Physical Sciences is located at D 9 in the University of Wyoming map.

Parking

If you have a school bus/van/fleet of vehicles or need parking during regular business hours you'll need to contact Transit and Parking Service at 307-766-9800 or visit the parking webpage.

During evening or weekend programs parking is free and abundant on 9th street between Bradley and Ivinson streets.

Public Shows

All public programs are approximately an hour in length. Doors open ~15 minutes ahead of the show time. Seating is first-come first serve outside of designated ADA/wheelchair seating

Tickets are $5 for the general public.
Tickets are $3(cash only) for UW students/staff/faculty, veterans, first responders, or children.
Seating is free for children under 5.

Reservations or pre-purchase is not required, walk-ins are welcome. You can purchase tickets online with credit card, reserve tickets over email or voicemail, or walk-in and purchase tickets at the start of the show.

You may need to disable your ad-blocker and/or enable pop-ups to complete your online ticket purchase. Online ticket sales can occur upto the show time but be prepared to show your email receipt. You need input the billing address associated with your card.

Private Shows

$60/hour. $30 minimum. Discounts are available for return/recurring visits, small family groups, or charitable and educational non-profits.

Private Shows are available by reservation for you family, friends, school field trip, birthday parties, wedding, etc... no group is too small but our capacity is 64 at a time.

We can schedule you private program to occur any day of the week at anytime given enough notice. We are closed for UWyo breaks and Federal/State holidays.

If you are interested in combining your planetarium visit with other activities on campus like the Geology Museum, Science Kitchen, or a campus tour, please request a visit through the Campus Visitor Center.

We always recommend that at least part of your planetarium experience should be a live presentation by our talented staff but the films are also available by request for private shows, rentals, field trips, and other events.

We also can do virtual field trips for your group over zoom or other online meeting software.

Click here to view our show catalog

Online Shows

We offer virtual and online shows via Zoom, Hangout, or other meeting/streaming software for those unable to join us in-person on campus for shows. Contact us to have a live astronomer and virtual planetarium content in your classroom, home, or other venue.

S.T.A.R. Rooftop Observatory

Next Free Public Observatory Night: TBD

The tours will be very informal, stargazing and telescope use can be limited by clouds and weather. The University of Wyoming’s STAR Observatory is located on the roof of the Physical Sciences building through the western stairwell. There is no elevator/wheelchair access to the observatory. The observing deck is outdoors so bring appropriate cold weather gear and shoes.

Public Observing nights are free and don't require reservations but check the weather and this page for cancellations or re-scheduling.

We can also open up our Student Training And Research (S.T.A.R.) Rooftop Observatory by reservation with the planetarium coordinator and as part of private rentals and field trips.

To schedule a tour email: planetarium@uwyo.edu

About Harry C. Vaughan

Photo of Harry C. Vaughan

The planetarium has been renamed in honor of the Windy Ridge Foundation’s owner, who was a professor of meteorology in the Iowa State Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences. Vaughan taught courses in meteorology, earth sciences and agronomy there. Before teaching at Iowa State, he worked at the Ames Laboratory.

Upon retirement, Vaughan moved to Laramie, where he befriended a number of faculty members in UW’s Department of Atmospheric Science. He devoted his time to his love of astronomy and built a personal observatory in his backyard to make his own astronomical observations and also mentored UW students.