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. (children’s program) 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. 

Closed Dates: December 27 and January 3

School and group programs are available.

Planetarium dome poster for Did an Asteroid Really Kill the Dinosaurs? showing a roaring T. rex against a dramatic yellow-orange sunset with bold, cracked text.

Current Show: Children’s Program

Did an Asteroid Really Kill the Dinosaurs? – Did a space rock six miles wide slam into Earth 66 million years ago and wipe out 75 percent of all living species, including the dinosaurs? Explore this cataclysmic impact and other cosmic collisions across the Solar System in this dynamic show. For ages 6 and up. Each show concludes with a guided tour of the current night sky in the planetarium.

No shows on December 27 and January 3.

Mystery of the Christmas Star planetarium dome poster with silhouette of three men riding camels beneath bright star.

Current Show: General Audience

Mystery of the Christmas Star – This program takes viewers on a journey to uncover a scientific explanation for the star the Wise Men followed to find Baby Jesus. It examines possible dates for Christ’s birth, reviews recorded astronomical events from that period, and explores which phenomena might have been remarkable enough to inspire the Wise Men to travel from Babylon to Bethlehem. Recommended for ages 8 and up. Each show concludes with a guided tour of the current night sky in the planetarium.

No shows on December 27 and January 3.

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."

Upcoming Show (January)

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.