Group of older and younger people stand behind a blue ribbon that is being cut by a man holding an oversize pair of blue handled scissors.
Museum News

10 Years of the Planetarium, Observatory and 4D Theater

Celebrate with us this August and enjoy a special 2-for-1 deal on planetarium and/or 4d theater shows every Saturday!

On Aug. 14, 2014, the South Carolina State Museum completed the first major renovation in its 35-year history with the opening of the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Planetarium, the Rev. Dr. Solomon Jackson, Jr. 4D Interactive Theater and the new state-of-the-art Observatory.

Over the last 10 years guests and students from across the state and beyond have explored the universe under the planetarium’s 55ft digital dome, danced in the ‘snow’ in the 4D theater and taken an up-close look at craters on the moon, distant planets, constellations and more.

To celebrate the museum will offer a special 2-for-1 deal on planetarium and/or 4d theater shows every Saturday in August! Buy any TWO planetarium or 4D theater tickets for only $5 total!*

What has been your favorite Planetarium show, 4D theater experience or moment in the Observatory from the last 10 years?

 

*Discount available August 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31. Show tickets cannot be purchased on their own, guests must also purchase museum general admission. This offer is not valid with other discounts, including Museums for All and Blue Star Museum reduced general admission.

General Admission + 2-for-1 Show Ticket

Adults

$13 GA + $5 2-for-1 = $18 

Senior (Ages 62+)

$11 GA + $5 2-for-1 = $16

Children (Ages 3-12)

$10 GA + $5 2-for-1 = $15

Buy Tickets Online

Now Showing in the Planetarium

Explore the beauty of the Northern Lights in Áróra, an immersive planetarium experience exploring these mystical lights in 4K.
Additional Ticket Required
Assistive Listening Device
Captioning Available
Suitable for All Ages
Wheelchair Accessible

Travel through the night sky and take a tour of the constellations, planets and other celestial objects that can be seen overhead from right here in...

Additional Ticket Required
Assistive Listening Device
Suitable for All Ages
Wheelchair Accessible

This full dome planetarium show is narrated by Frances McDormand. The show features stunning visualizations of the natural world, as it takes you...

Additional Ticket Required
Captioning Available
Suitable for All Ages
Wheelchair Accessible

10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY MILESTONES

Planetarium

The planetarium has featured a wide variety of experiences from the most recent show to launch, Solar Superstorms, to exciting laser shows, virtual sky tours and even digital dome content created exclusively for the museum.

Since opening, nearly HALF-A-MILLION planetarium tickets have been sold!

Guests in the planetarium dome look up at projection of the Pillars of Earth on the planetarium dome

4D Theater 

Featuring immersive effects such as 3-D visuals, ankle “ticklers,” unique smells, water blasts, bubbles and even snow, shows in the 4D theater turn popular stories into real-world fun.

Some of the most popular 4D shows from the last 10 years have been The Polar Express 4D Experience, The Wizard of Oz 4D and BBC’s Planet Earth: Shallow Seas.

Young girl gasps in delight as she experiences a show in the in the 4D theater audience at the State Museum.

Observatory 

The observatory’s 1926 Alvan Clark Telescope has allowed guests, educators and students to explore the universe and our own night sky for the last 10 years. Who can forget the excitement of the 2017 Solar Eclipse being live-streamed online worldwide from our own Observatory at the museum?!

More than 420,000 guests have visited the Observatory since 2014!

 

Large white telescope points towards the dark night sky under a partially open observatory

Now Showing in the 4D Theater

Join baby Bunji, an Australian green sea turtle, as she navigates the dangers of life at sea, growing into a thriving adult along the way in Turtle...
Additional Ticket Required
Assistive Listening Device
Captioning Available
Suitable for All Ages
Wheelchair Accessible
Explore the complex nature of some of the world’s most strange and mysterious ocean species in BBC Earth’s Shark: A 4D Experience®.
Additional Ticket Required
Assistive Listening Device
Captioning Available
Suitable for All Ages
Wheelchair Accessible