Iconic Natural History Museum Planetarium Space Theater Reopens

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — The American Museum of Natural History is one of the most well-known cultural institutions in the country, and there is maybe no more iconic element of it than the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater.

On Wednesday, the planetarium theater reopened for the first time since March 2020.

The decision to welcome people back to the Upper West Side planetarium theater corresponded with the reopening of movie theaters across New York City this month.

"We are thrilled to reopen the doors of the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater, a world-class facility with a long and storied history of bringing our visitors to the outer limits of space and the universe," said museum President Ellen V. Futter, in a news release. "As New York City continues to extend its reopening and recovery, we are proud for this iconic theater to once again offer experiences that are transporting, enriching, and grounded in authentic science.”

While the theater is reopening, it won't be entirely in the way we are accustomed to.

Due to social distance requirements, only up to 48 visitors will be allowed into each show in the theater, which usually seats up to 429 people.

Additionally, you must reserve timed-entry tickets in advance at amnh.org.

The space theater will be screening the museum's newest show, "Worlds Beyond Earth," which features immersive visualizations, groundbreaking space missions, and breathtaking scenes depicting the evolution of our solar system. You can buy tickets here.

If you need any more reason to visit the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater within the Theodore Roosevelt Park near West 79th Street, famed scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson said the following about the theater.

“I’m an astrophysicist today because of a first encounter I had with the Hayden Planetarium when I was a child," Tyson said in a news release from the American Museum of Natural History.