CHANGING LIVES AND INSPIRING LEARNING THROUGH SCIENCE AND WONDER.

Millholland Planetarium

 

Science that is Out of the World!

The Millholland Planetarium is a 65-seat, digital planetarium theater featuring a giant screen, 30 ft dome images, and surround sound to transport visitors beyond the confines of Earth. Journey to the center of a black hole, tour the surface of the Sun, the rings of Saturn, and more! We cannot wait for you to experience shows and programs in the Millholland Planetarium!

Upcoming Showtimes

  • CLOSED

    Mon, Mar 24 2025

More Showtimes!

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*Planetarium shows are included with admission based on seat availability

Experience the Aurora

26  minutes

See the Aurora Borealis as its never been seen before. Join scientists and photographers on a 7 month journey to capture the perfect shot. For the first time the aurora has been captured as it was meant to be experienced, as a display that covers the entire sky. This immersive show shares the science behind the aurora and tells the story of our quests to find the perfect photograph!

 

Legend of the Enchanted Reef

24  minutes

Dive in with three friends on the ocean adventure of a lifetime. After a fishing trawler devastates their reef, the trio has no choice but to set out on a quest to find a new home. As they search the sea for a legendary reef, the friends encounter a variety of intriguing environments, from kelp forests to sunken wrecks—and even outer space!

We are out-of-this-world excited to announce that the Millholland Planetarium has a state-of-the-art digital projector! The new projector still has old favorites, now with brighter and more crisp images, along with new shows!

Features of the new projector include...

  • The ability to 'dome cast' or share live and recorded events from other planetariums!
  • Access to the database of over 400 partners that CSC can use as programmatic elements!
  • The Digistar 7's connectivity will allow CSC to stream live feeds like NASA's Perseverance landing mission control experience!

Thank You to our sponsors

The following sponsors' generosity help support the Millholland Planetarium:

John & Eileen Leach
Kenneth K. & Suzanne G. Millholland Endowment
Pepsi Bottling Co. of Hickory, NC
TSH Foundation
E.R. Carpenter Foundation
Underdown Family Foundation

Special Group Shows in the Planetarium

You can book a planetarium show for your group! For more information contact our Office Staff at info@catawbascience.org or 828.322.8169 x. 0

Tiffany F.

We love the Science Center! I take my 2 and 4 year old boys weekly to play and enjoy the exhibits. The staff are wonderful and the classes offered are excellent! We are so blessed to have such an amazing resource in our area.

– Tiffany F.

Meredith C.

What a wonderful place to visit! Great environment to learn and the staff is very helpful! Hickory is lucky to have great family education and entertainment.

– Meredith C.

Denise G.

Fabulous and I don’t often give praise. We took our grandson and were there for hours. He loved it and so did we.

– Denise G.

Sam H.

This place was great. We have kids from 8 to 1 and they all had a great time. What I really liked is most of the exhibits are hands on and that really kept them occupied.

– Sam H.

Larry W.

Took the kiddos and they loved it. Employees were nice and helpful. If your looking for something to do with the kids give this place a shot.

-Larry W.

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