Yahn Planetarium at Penn State Behrend

Yahn Planetarium, part of the School of Science complex at Penn State Behrend, welcomes stargazers of all ages to learn about the universe and worlds beyond our reach. The planetarium continues the legacy of the Erie Planetarium, which served the Erie community for more than fifty years.

Yahn Planetarium entrance and display area

Public Show Information

Public shows are on Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (general audience). Reservations are not required.

Admission fees are $5 for adults; $3 for children age 12 and under; and free for Penn State employees, Penn State students, and children under age 2.

School and group programs are available.

A promotional poster for a planetarium show titled "Forward! To the Moon." It features the Orion spacecraft orbiting Earth with a mission logo above showing the Moon and the slogan, "We are the Artemis generation."

Current Show: FORWARD! To the Moon (General Audience)

Beginning Saturday, January 10, and continuing until further notice, Yahn Planetarium will present FORWARD! To the Moon, an immersive program exploring NASA’s Artemis missions. Narrated by Kari Byron of Crash Test World and MythBusters, the show looks ahead to the Artemis II mission, which will send astronauts into lunar orbit for the first time since 1972 and pave the way for humans to walk on the Moon again after more than fifty years.

Recommended for ages 7 and up. Each show concludes with a guided tour of the current night sky in the planetarium.

A group of children plays with a Mars rover model at Yahn Planetarium.

Group Visits and Other Programs

Yahn Planetarium offers out-of-this-world experiences for groups, from schools to scouts. Learn how to schedule your field trip and see what programs are available. You can also find activities that you can do at home.