Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center

Reno, United States

3.5

Open now

20 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 775-784-4812
Website:
planetarium.unr.edu
Address:
1664 N Virginia St, Reno, NV, 89557
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
1.3 miReno
1.6 miArlington/Island
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Good for Kids
Yes

Today

Today 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Open now
Local time (Reno) 12:21 PM Monday, June 23, 2025

Business hours

Monday 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Tuesday 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Thursday 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Friday 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Description

Specialties

The planetarium’s uniquely shaped building, officially termed a «hyperbolic paraboloid,» was designed by famed Reno architect Ray Hellman, and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. It houses:

* An exhibit hall with changing hands-​on displays

* A 60-​seat Dome Theater with both a state-​of-​the-​art digital star projector and a large-​format (70mm) film projector, as well as a powerful surround-​sound system

* A Science Store stocked with high-​quality science-​related toys, clothing, telescopes, and more

* An Exhibit Hall with both permanent and changing exhibits, as well as galleries for themed displays

* A classroom for our educational programs and birthday parties

The planetarium now serves over 50,000 visitors a year, including 15,000 K-​12 students introduced to the wonders of the universe through field trips.

History

Established in 1963.

Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center at the University of Nevada, Reno, offers public star shows and large-​format films showing daily in our dome theater, and regular public star observing courtesy of the Astronomical Society of Nevada. Originally called the «Fleischmann Atmospherium-​Planetarium,» it was the first planetarium in the world to project full-​dome movies (of time-​lapse clouds and weather phenomena).

We invite children and adults alike to stop by and see what’s up!

Meet the Manager

Dan R.

Manager

Dan has been the Associate Director of Fleischmann Planetarium at the University of Nevada, Reno, since 2005, but got his start through a summer model rocket class as an elementary school student. He loves his job, but his favorite part is delivering the field trip programming that reaches 15,000 students per year. He has a background in digital media and secondary education, and as faculty his research specialties include Mars caves and observational astronomy.

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20 reviews of Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Mountain View, CA
Coming back from Yellowstone to CA through Reno this seemed interesting and it was! Interesting videos!
We had nowhere to park our motor home so staff kindly allowed us to park briefly at the Parking office in a 15 minute visitor spot.
Place rating: 2
Linda, CA
We stopped in on a Tuesday afternoon so it was fairly quiet. Small exhibit, but interesting. We decided to see the show in their small dome theater. It was looking to be fun until a group of eight people came in after it had started. It wouldn’t have been so bad if it had just been their kids whispering occasionally but it was the grown man in the group constantly cracking jokes and laughing loudly that ruined the whole experience. It would have been great if an employee had stayed in there and could have asked them to stop because we drove two hours and paid $ 35 for the short program and ended up missing a lot of the narration because of him. Probably won’t be back for their other shows.
Place rating: 5
Reno, NV
I love the planetarium! The place is well maintained and they have some fun stuff in the gift shop! It’s a great way to spend the day! They are fighting to get funding, so ya, the exhibits don’t change that often. But the exhibits they have are interesting and informative! The sky dome is really cool! And they always have some awesome films on it! I love themselves of the moon and the model of the earth!
Place rating: 5
New Washoe City, NV
Went here for a kids bday party, my kids enjoyed it very much. They were very impressed. The dome theater was super nifty. If you’re like me and get super queasy on spinning rides, don’t eat a big meal beforehand, haha
Place rating: 2
San Jose, CA
I love planetariums but unfortunately the movie was dim, dark, and very soft of focus. It appeared as if the projector bulb was about to die. This ruined any sense of being there and left us fighting off sleep. I wanted to love the experience but ended up feeling the time and money was wasted. Update the projector and the movie and you will have a winner.
Place rating: 3
Stateline, NV
Close to downtown Reno.
Came here with my granddaughter she enjoyed the show about Saturn.
This is a smaller planetarium but they still have a good show
The chairs are getting worn and need to be recovered.
No interaction with the projectionist sort of needed some ending.
maybe a q&a
Place rating: 2
Reno, NV
Thought this would be a fun outing for the kids, but we were very disappointed! Space pirate movie was so boring that I almost fell asleep, and the «exhibit room» was small, sparse, and outdated. Maybe if the movie was better it would’ve been a better experience. I hope they improve both the facility and the movies in the future.
Place rating: 3
Diamond Bar, CA
Trying to find an activity for our trip to Reno with the kids. Great spot on a hot day. We enjoyed the show.
Place rating: 5
Sacramento, CA
I have been here several times during trips I made to Reno. Its pretty easy to find and is just up the road from the main casino strip. Its neat to watch shows here. I’ve seen both movies here and also star shows. Its not huge and I wish it was bigger. I felt its not as great as the planetarium in San Francisco but its still decent. Its worth a trip if you happen to be in Reno. Its fun to sit in the dark and watch their star shows. The movies are kinda neat too since its all on the circular screen above you. I saw a movie about sky diving that was pretty cool. It almost felt like you were there doing the sky diving. Parking is pretty easy and they will give you a label for your car so you don’t have to pay. Be sure to get the label though so you don’t get a ticket for not paying. Its relatively inexpensive. They have some neat stuff for sale too so be sure to check out the shop. They have a tiny museum too that isn’t very impressive. It has a few neat exhibits though so if you go here definitely take a look at it either before or after the show.
Place rating: 5
Waterford, CA
good shows, and well, if it’s your thing, it is really interesting
Place rating: 4
Golden, CO
A fun place for kids and adults, but needs updating.
I’ve always loved this planetarium and a visit here was often on my birthday list.
The exhibits here are very cool, although they don’t change very often.
The movies here are worthwhile although the theater will seem very outdated if you have visited one of the more modern facilities.
Place rating: 2
Emeryville, CA
I would like to say four positive things about this planetarium: 1) the staff is friendly, 2) the parking is easy, 3) the facility is clean, and lastly, the shows are enjoyable.
Now here is the sad part for this particular planetarium.
I have been visiting this planetarium off and on for over 20 years. Sadly, it is still the same. Ninety percent of the exhibits are the same, and they are worn out. Now my children are bored with the same exhibits that they have seen in the pass 10 years. The gift shop has downsized quite a bit. And the items are old, another words they have been there for a long time.
I know with budget cuts it is difficult to add
true hands on exhibits and a fresh updated look.
With the people who did not want it to close, why hasn’t any monies been donated to bring updated changes? If money was donated was it applied to a «new» planetarium?
Would like to see a real change take place!
I like planetariums, but this one is in great need of money and updating.
Place rating: 3
Sparks, NV
I love planetariums and the solar system, so I was excited to visit Fleischmanns’. For $ 7 my boyfriend and I went to see the Mayan Skies show. The program seemed more geared toward children. The narration and story were definitely dumbed down. The show itself was extremely pretty though. You felt like you were surrounded by the constellations.
We went on a Saturday afternoon and were the only people in the theater. Additionally the guy running the show seemed to be in danger of hacking up a lung.
Overall, a cute place to visit, but better for young kids than adults.
Place rating: 4
Reno, NV
An older planetarium located on the University of Nevada campus which by modern standards would be considered on the small side. The facility is well maintained and there are some cool items in the gift shop. The interactive space museum is also fun for adults and kids. The movies are a fun option for weeknight entertainment because really there is no other planetarium within 100 miles of the University.
Place rating: 4
Reno, NV
I haven’t been to an exhibit at the Planetarium itself for a few years, but recently went back in to buy some eclipse-​viewing glasses. It was exactly as I remembered it. Very cool place to spend an afternoon, but certainly dated. I’d like to get back in soon to look around at the exhibits. I remember some of the classes they offered were pretty fun. At one summer camp we built model rockets and got to launch them at the end of the week. I have no idea if they still offer those, but it was a lot of fun and different from the ordinary summer camp. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it for kids looking for something to do during a break from school.
Place rating: 4
Reno, NV
This place is a lot of fun. Definitely a great place to come and learn more about space and our universe.
Yes, it’s dated. a little sad really. And the actual planetarium is very small and I’d recommend the seats right behind the projector — any more forward and you’re straining your neck to view everything.
UNR definitely needs to throw a few more $$ the way of the Planetarium — it needs updating and could be a whole lot more fun. Yes there are bigger and better planetariums in other places but don’t write it off because it’s a little older.
Place rating: 4
Sparks, NV
This is a great place to learn about the universe around us. The only problem is the place and the exhibits are getting dated which I assume is because UNR likes to dump a ton of cash on athletics instead of modernizing the public face of science.
Place rating: 2
San Francisco, CA
On our first visit to the University of Nevada Reno, we decided to go on a picnic lunch. The campus is gorgeous and well kempt. Before our picnic, we headed to the planetarium. We had been to many planetariums on the West Coast. This one was smaller than most. The receiving staff was friendly and helpful.
We attended the 1200 showing on Tuesday, June 14th. Inside the planetarium, the slippery seats made it difficult to focus on the sights. However, the worse part was the lack of contrast. You really had to strain to make out the outline of the planets and other sights. The planetarium attendant started the show and then walked out and came back afterwards. Maybe he should pay attention to the lack of clarity of his show. Maybe their equipment was old and a sharper focus was not possible.
Overall the planetarium was okay for kids, though parents should learn to control their loud talking and whining. Due to the lack of clarity, the show was a one star. Since it was clean place, I was generous and will give it 2 stars.
Place rating: 4
Reno, NV
For a small city such as Reno to have a Planetarium at all is a boon.
It’s neat that our’s is located at the North end of UNR.
The facility boasts a theatre in the round, where films are projected onto the inside of a dome above. If you’ve never viewed programming this way, I highly reccomend it. Don’t forget to bring the kids!
For a mere $ 6 adult ticket you can see wonderful features about the world we live in and beyond. Travel Earth’s finest landscapes and see nature from a whole new perspective.
These shows are easy to get into, starting at times published on the Internet (I usually check the Internet Movie Database), with plenty of parking nearby.
The displays could use some updating, but working with limited funds, the plantetarium does the best it can. It has a wonderful telescope that is opened to the public at published times.
Admission to the facility is free, but if you can afford to see any of their features, in chairs that recline waaaaaay back, it’s a painless method of contributing to the cause while getting a worthwhile experience in return.
Viva La Planetarium!
Place rating: 2
San Jose, CA
Ok, I understand, for what it’s worth, for the kind of town that Reno, NV is and the types of people and the purpose of the people who come to Reno, this planetarium is ok.
However, in comparison to any other planetarium I’ve been to in a popular tourist city, well … I’m frankly amazed.
The planetarium consists of a small theater and a room of about six exhibits some of which are just a rotating planet (i.e. Earth or Moon), and some are merely diagrams of the solar system. It is also out of date because they still have Pluto as a planet.
Although the exhibit was free and the theater /​show was only $ 6.00 for an adult ticket, it is not worth your time at all unless you absolutely have NOTHING better to do. I love planetariums and all … but this one fails :(