Check out Chabot Space & Science Center to feel a real space suit, travel through the galaxy in the planetarium and watch the constellations above California through one of the centre’s telescopes. Find out how stars are made and observe the sun’s surface before taking a seat at the IMAX theatre for a fascinating space show.
Chabot Space & Science Center was founded in 1883 as the Oakland Observatory, when it made its impressive telescope accessible to the public. Two more state-of-the-art telescopes have since joined the observatory to assist the 8,000-square-metre (86,000-square-foot) centre in educating and awing visitors with our universe.
Visit the Ask Jeeves Planetarium to see a jaw-dropping show on the 21-metre (70-foot) diameter screen. Pre-recorded films such as Astronaut highlight different aspects of space exploration. Live shows run twice a week. Stop by the Tien Megadome to see more space-related entertainment. Sit back and relax in front of the 18-metre (60-foot) IMAX screen and see stunning productions like SolarMax, a documentary that takes you on a journey to the surface of the sun, 150 million kilometres (93 million miles) away.
See the centre’s three impressive telescopes. Visit “Leah”, the Oakland Observatory’s original telescope. “Rachel” was created in 1914 and is the largest publicly accessible refractor telescope in the country. The latest addition, “Nellie”, was collected in 2003 and shows a 180-degree view of the skies above. In daylight, view the sun, the moon and Venus. Gaze at the constellations through each lens on Friday and Saturday nights. Viewings are dependent upon the weather.
Explore the Chabot Space & Science Center in 3 to 5 hours. Enjoy a snack or drink at the Space Café, located on-site. Pick up an intergalactic souvenir at the gift shop.
Chabot Space & Science Center is located within Redwood Regional Park, in Oakland’s eastern hills. Catch the bus to the centre or enjoy free parking on-site. Visit the centre from Wednesday to Sunday year-round, and later in the evenings on Fridays and Saturdays. Chabot is also open on Tuesdays in the summer months. The centre is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
