Saunders Planetarium

The Saunders Planetarium inside MOSI on East Fowler Avenue is Tampa's full-dome planetarium — a domed theater where the entire ceiling becomes a projection screen for star maps, constellation stories, and space exploration narratives shown in immersive 360-degree format.

The planetarium format creates a genuine experience of awe that flat-screen presentations simply cannot replicate. Visitors recline in seats and look up at the dome ceiling as the night sky materializes overhead — the stars rotate, constellations are traced and named, and the scale of the universe is made visceral in a way that sparks the kind of questions that come from real wonder rather than academic interest. For kids who already have any interest in space or stars, a live planetarium show can be genuinely formative.

The show lineup rotates and varies by season — different programs focus on different topics, from basic constellation identification to deep space exploration to space history. Check the current schedule on mosi. org when planning your visit and arrive 10-15 minutes before showtime to secure seating, since domed theaters fill in from the outside in and the interior seats offer the best full-dome experience.

The Saunders Planetarium is housed within MOSI, and planetarium shows are typically included with general MOSI admission. This makes it an excellent value-add to a MOSI visit — you're getting a specialized cinema experience as part of a broader science museum day.

Age note: very young children (under 4-5) may find the darkened dome environment disorienting or unsettling. Best for children who can sit through a 45-60 minute show and have some framework for understanding what they're watching.