Arlington’s David M. Brown Planetarium

How had I never heard about this place?! My family went for a Saturday evening show, which had a 30 minute movie (this week’s topic was Black Holes) and an additional 20 minutes of «live presentation» of the current night sky. $ 3 for adults and $ 2 for children and seniors?! I didn’t know prices like that existed anymore! Needless to say, it was an affordable and thoroughly enjoyable night.

This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I’m stepping through the door
And I’m floating
in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today
— David Bowie, Space Oddity
The little planetarium that could proves that it still can. Rather than imploding like a supernova, friends came to the rescue of this little celestial body. These friends threw a little star dust, did a wham-​bam-​revenovation and put the twinkle back in this star.
Holy Uranus, Batman! What’s this? Haven’t heard of it? We’ll its time you hopped in your rocket and orbited yourself in this direction. All the cool kids are doing it– even Buzz Aldrin was here. Really. Besides, John Glenn, the first man to orbit the Earth, lived here in Arlington and it’d be a crime to pass by year after year without stopping by. On February 20^th, 1962 John Glenn’s family watched him orbit the Earth from their television set in their North Harrison St home, but you can travel the Milky Way from right here on N. Quincy St.
The Milky Way has never looked clearer with the new digital projection system that will help transport you through the heavens at warp speed. Thanks to Liam Neeson, the Milky Way has never sounded so attractive with his voice over work on, Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity. The polished planetarium was as clean as a space station and the seats were more comfy than a nebular cloud. Buckle your seatbelt, it’s time to prepare for your take off in comfort and style.
The $ 3 admission covers the price of admission and the free commentary from the enthusiastic presenter, Bill. Bill is a self-​professed «science nerd» who engaged the 10-​person crowd in a little pre-​show banter and after-​show Q &A. Bill’s light could outshine the dullest star with his enthusiasm alone.
Off the beaten path you say? This is out of this world.

A few years ago, this planetarium was nearly closed and demolished, but an organized effort soon got underway to both keep it open and modernize it. This effort paid off, and the Brown Planetarium recently reopened, and regularly hosts events and educational programs. For more information, go to
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The planetarium is finally reopening with a brand new digital projector. Holla! The big weekend is Sept 28 – 30, 2012.

We saved the Planetarium! And it was well worth it. I have many fond memories of coming here as a kid and learning about astronomy. It’s well worth a visit, and they regularly have events that any age group can enjoy.

A nice little planetarium. The school board tried to shut it down last year, but local activism for science literacy saved the Brown. They’re making the transition from a mechanical projector to a digital projector, which will make the planetarium much more versatile.

The David M. Brown Planetarium is a gem of science and astronomy education in Arlington, VA. Built in the 1960s, it still operates weekend shows and offers a unique learning experience for school children. Hopefully it will remain open for many more years to come and receive some new upgrades. This is currently being worked on by Arlington Public Schools and a group called Friends of Arlington’s David M. Brown Planetarium which you can get more information on here.

The weekend shows take a break in the summer, but when they are going on, they offer a great place for children and families to experience a great planetarium show. Older crowds may think the shows are a little bit out of date, and they are, unless a new projector can be installed. Even still, it is sort of an awesome retro experience being in there taking part in a show and seeing everything that is inside. Black lights as soon as you enter, seats probably still the same from the 60s, but over all an awesome time for anyone.