NOTICE: The John C. Wells Planetarium is open for the 2026-2027 School Year for both Family Shows and Feature Shows. The public is cordially invited.
Join us for a FREE full dome show and hear a live seasonal star talk highlighting the Shenandoah Valley night sky. The monthly schedule of shows is listed below.
Family Shows are designed for families with young children (ages 4 to 8) in mind. The showtimes for Family Shows are at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.
Feature Shows are great for middle/high school students and adults. The showtimes for Feature Shows are at 2:15 pm and 3:30 pm. All are welcome to attend either show and the public is cordially invited.
All shows are free admission for the public and no tickets are needed.
December schedule will be released at a later date in accordance with JMU's break.
Family Show Schedule - 11:00 am and 1:00 pm
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SEPTEMBER |
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OCTOBER
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Legends of the Night Sky: Perseus and Andromeda and Legends of the Night Sky: Orion Double Feature! |
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NOVEMBER
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DECEMBER*
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JANUARY
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FEBRUARY |
Polaris: The Space Submarine and the Mystery of the Polar Night |
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MARCH
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APRIL |
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MAY |
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JUNE |
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JULY |
Case of the Disappearing Planet - subject to change |
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AUGUST |
TBD! |
Feature Show Schedule - 2:15 pm and 3:30 pm
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SEPTEMBER |
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OCTOBER |
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NOVEMBER
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DECEMBER*
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Special Shows:The Mystery of the Christmas Star dates to be released |
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JANUARY |
Dark Matter - subject to change |
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FEBRUARY |
Ice Worlds |
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MARCH
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Rosetta |
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APRIL |
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MAY |
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JUNE |
Dynamic Earth - subject to change |
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JULY |
Birth of Planet Earth |
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AUGUST |
Attention! We will be closed Saturday, December 27, 2025.
Please note: The John C. Wells planetarium strives to bring cutting-edge science to JMU as well as to the larger Shenandoah Valley community. Hence, the planetarium staff presents established science that is based on consensus from the scientific community. We will present the scientific evidence on topics such as climate change, evolution, age of the Earth, the Big Bang, and the age of the Universe. All of our full dome shows, activities, and live star talks make reference and begin with the premise that the age of the Universe is 13.8 billion years old, and that our Sun and the Solar System formed ~5 billions years ago. Our staff will not alter their presentations when discussing what some may consider controversial science topics.
