Eclipse Viewing Experience
We are giving our staff and tour guides a much-needed break from the Total Solar Eclipse event and will resume our public viewings soon. Please check back on this website and Facebook often where dates and times of shows will be posted.
Admission fees for public viewings are $5 for children and students under 18 and $8 for adults payable by cash or credit. However, as our seating capacity is limited, if the initial planetarium shows reach full capacity, we will schedule additional shows for that evening. If you find yourself attending a later show, we’ll streamline the evening for you by initiating telescope viewing right away, ensuring minimal delay during your visit.
After the planetarium experience, weather permitting, you’ll have the chance to observe the Sun (if daytime), Orion Nebula, Jupiter, a and explore various celestial delights through Indiana’s largest telescope. Telescope viewing is always free and contingent on favorable weather conditions.
If the weekend doesn’t align with your schedule, consider scheduling a group tour for your organization or group at a different time.
Holcomb Observatory and Planetarium is conveniently situated on the north end of the Butler University campus. You can reach us by heading west on 46th or 49th Street from Meridian Street (Butler University Campus Map). Parking is available in our parking garage for a fee. Please note that there are three separate sets of steps totaling 66 leading up to the telescope viewing area, as there is no elevator available. For disability-related accommodations, please visit butler.edu/event-accommodations. Wheelchair accessibility is provided in the lobby, planetarium, and restroom areas. If you require ground-level viewing, we can arrange for a portable telescope; please contact us in advance to make these arrangements.
In recent years, the planetarium has undergone a substantial $300,000 renovation. We replaced the old analog Spitz AP3 star projector with a state-of-the-art fulldome Digitarium Kappa projector. In late 2022, we further upgraded the planetarium projector to the new laser-phosphor illumination Digitarium Lamda system, offering vivid colors and 225% more pixels on the dome than our previous Kappa projector. This enhancement provides visitors with a fully immersive experience and beautifully renders the night sky. Alongside the new projector, we introduced comfortable theater seating, a 5.1 surround sound system, new carpeting, and cove lighting, all made possible with the support of our corporate partner, Indianapolis-based Bowen Technovation. Additionally, between 2013 and 2015, our large telescope underwent a comprehensive $425,000 refurbishment by Astronomical Consultants and Equipment, thanks to a grant from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation via Frank Levinson, PhD.
*Though you will always see the telescope, its movement, and how it functions, telescope observations are weather dependent.
