Downing Planetarium, Fresno

About Downing Planetarium

Downing Planetarium in Fresno features a 73-seat star theater beneath a 30-foot hemispherical dome, equipped with a Minolta MS-10 star projector that fills the entire dome with movies and astronomical shows. Public programs are offered one weekend per month on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons. The spacious lobby displays a donor wall, a photograph of Comet Hale-Bopp, a solar system scale, an elements scale, a gravity well, and a sundial. Display cases hold science toys and meteorites. The adjacent Downing Planetarium Museum contains hands-on astronomy and physics exhibits designed for school field trips. A gift shop stocks posters, t-shirts, bookmarks, games, puzzles, and science toys. The planetarium accommodates school groups and private audiences by appointment. The facility is located at Fresno State in Fresno, California.