OCC Planetarium Public Shows Calendar
Tuesday, September 30
One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure
4:00 pm
Explore the night sky with your favorite friends from Sesame Street in Big Bird's Adventure: One World, One Sky. Follow along with Big Bird, Elmo, and their friend from China, Hu Hu Zhu, as they take you on a journey of discovery to learn about the Big Dipper, the North Star, the Sun, and the Moon.
Recommended ages: 3-6
Explore
5:00 pm
The sky has been an object of fascination for as long as humans have walked the earth. The movements of the spheres are ingrained in every culture on earth and have created mythologies, superstitions, and legends many people still recognize. Today we turn our scientific tools toward the heavens to get a new perspective of the universe and our place in it. Take a journey through time, from the most ancient astrologers, to the future of manned exploration of the solar system and see how our view of the cosmos has grown and evolved.
Recommended ages: 10 and up
Led Zeppelin - LAZERDOME
6:00 pm
Relive the magical sounds of Led Zeppelin while enjoying an immersive visual treat of custom laser imagery!
Get TicketsWednesday, October 1
Earth, Moon & Sun
4:00 pm
Earth, Moon & Sun is a fun and exciting full dome exploration of a huge range of heavenly phenomena. Lunar phases, eclipses, day and night, the sun and seasons are all explained with the help of a very confused and troublesome coyote, straight from Native American folklore. Through correcting Coyote's many misunderstandings, we can begin to unfold what's really going on in the sky.
Recommended ages: 6-12
Dynamic Earth
5:00 pm
Dynamic Earth explores the inner workings of Earth’s great life support system: the global climate. With visualizations based on satellite monitoring data and advanced supercomputer simulations, this cutting-edge production follows a trail of energy that flows from the Sun into the interlocking systems that shape our climate: the atmosphere, oceans, and the biosphere.
Audiences will ride along on swirling ocean and wind currents, dive into the heart of a monster hurricane, come face-to-face with sharks and gigantic whales, and fly into roiling volcanoes.
Recommended ages: 10 and up
Get Tickets
Grateful Dead - LAZERDOME
6:00 pm
America’s greatest cosmic rock & roll band — from kaleidoscopic psychedelia to homespun country rock to epic live jams and beyond, The Grateful Dead’s songs are woven into the very fabric of music itself. Now experience “The Dead” on a whole other level – through laser light!
Get TicketsSaturday, October 4
Birth of Planet Earth
1:00 pm
Scientists now believe that our galaxy is filled with solar systems, including up to a billion planets roughly the size of our own. The film employs advanced, data-driven, cinematic-quality visualizations to explore some of the greatest questions in science today: How did Earth become a living planet in the wake of our solar system’s violent birth? What does its history tell us about our chances of finding other worlds that are truly Earth-like?
Recommended ages: 8 and up
Get TicketsEarth, Moon & Sun
2:00 pm
Earth, Moon & Sun is a fun and exciting full dome exploration of a huge range of heavenly phenomena. Lunar phases, eclipses, day and night, the sun and seasons are all explained with the help of a very confused and troublesome coyote, straight from Native American folklore. Through correcting Coyote's many misunderstandings, we can begin to unfold what's really going on in the sky.
Recommended ages: 6-12
Phantom of the Universe: The Hunt for Dark Matter
3:00 pm
The mysteries of Dark Matter still elude scientists to this day, but through new ground breaking technologies and scientific determination we are slowly uncovering the vast hidden parts of our universe. With the help of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, one of the most ambitious engineering projects in human history, we are discovering new things about the universe every day.
Recommended ages: 12 and up
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Skywatchers LIVE!
4:00 pm
Join one of our planetarium experts on a live guided tour of the stories, sights, and other wonders in the night sky. The constellations, star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies found overhead have been part of human consciousness for millennia, and today we have the knowledge and technology to explore all of them in great detail.
Stick around after the show for a live Q&A with our presenter! This show is updated almost weekly!
Recommended Ages: 10 and up
Get TicketsParking Fee
Parking on-campus is $5 for the day, 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. The fee can only be paid through the Passport Parking phone app or website and the parking permit is linked to your car's license plate number. We highly recommend parking in Lot E off of Merrimac Way (Google Maps "OCC Lot E").
Public Star Shows!
Public programs are a cornerstone of the Planetarium's mission. Regular showings are offered on weekends so anyone can come enjoy a rotating schedule of breathtaking full-dome experiences.
For all public shows, please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled show begins. There will be no late admittance due to safety concerns.
We advise against bringing children younger than 5 years old to planetarium programs. The planetarium theater gets very dark and the visuals can be alarming to young children. However, bringing young children for One World, One Sky Big Bird's Adventure is strongly encouraged!
All programs are approximately 45 minutes long.
Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferrable.
**The Planetarium adheres to a strict No Late Admittance policy. Once the doors have closed, the show is underway and must not be interrupted due to safety concerns.**
Skylark Speaker Series - Friday, November 7, 2025
JoAnn M. Dickinson, Children's STEM Book Author
STEM Learning Through Children's Books: Rylee the Young Rocketeer with Author JoAnn M. Dickinson
Join children’s author JoAnn M. Dickinson for an inspiring evening at the Orange Coast College Planetarium as she shares her Rylee the Young Rocketeer series. Through three imaginative picture books, JoAnn introduces young readers to the wonders of space exploration while weaving in the fundamentals of STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Discover how stories can spark curiosity, inspire creativity, and encourage children to dream big, just like Rylee. Autographed books will be available in the Planetarium gift shop following the talk.
Beautifica
Beautifica is a 360 journey through worlds real and imagined, from mindblowing particle fields to unashamedly euphoric fantastic environments almost impossible to describe.
The brainchild of visionary composer James Hood working with some of the finest immersive animators on the planet, this family-friendly show is a feast for the senses, which will leave your spirit refreshed and your face grinning ear to ear.
Gift Certificates
Whether it's for an astronomy enthusiast, a curious mind, or someone eager to explore the mysteries of the cosmos, our gift certificates are a stellar choice. Grab yours now and let the journey into the stars begin!