Planetarium Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to the Faulkner Planetarium FAQ Page!
Here you'll find answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about visiting the Faulkner Planetarium. If you don't find what you're looking for here, feel free to contact us diretly by calling 208-732-6655.

You can purchase tickets online here, or by clicking the online ticket link included on the various show description pages. In addition, you may purchase tickets in person, at the box office before the show start. We recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to allow time to purchase tickets and use the restroom if needed.

It is usually not necessary to buy tickets in advance, but we encourage our guests to do so by way of online ticket sales on our website. Purchasing your tickets in advance will ensure you have seats, so long as you arrive on time.

No, late seating is not allowed. Due to the dark environment of the planetarium, we do not allow late seating for safety reasons, and as a courtesy to the seated audience. We encourage guests to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to show time to allow for use of the restrooms before entering the theater. The doors are closed, and locked, promptly at show time.

No, we do not allow food or drink in the planetarium. Unlike most movie theaters, the floor in our theater is carpeted and the seat fabrics are not liquid resistant. To keep the theater clean, and inviting, for you, we do not permit food or drink inside.

No, for safety purposes, we do not allow anyone to re-enter the theater after exiting during a show. The human eye takes time to adapt to darkened conditions and we do not want anyone tripping over seats and injuring themselves.

The planetarium is ADA compliant with access and seating space for wheelchairs, open captioning (upon request), and assistive listening devices.

We strive to give audiences an experience that lasts roughly 45 minutes, on average. This may be by way of a 45-minute fulldome film or giant screen film, or a shorter-length film augmented with an interactive presentation conducted by one of our show presenters. The interactive presentation may take the form of a live sky tour or a presentation that expands upon the feature film’s topic.

A live sky tour is a tour around the night sky for the day you visit the planetarium. Your show presenter will interactively show you where to look to find the Moon, planets, and easy to identify constellations. They may also include some mythological stories of the constellations, “in the news” astronomy developments, or other noteworthy items. You may also expect a few bad “dad jokes” from time to time.

You may not take pictures or record anything during planetarium shows. Just like a traditional movie theater, all material is subject to copyright laws. However, there is an opportunity to take pictures/selfies during the seating period before a show, or after the show as you're preparing to exit the theater. Make sure to tag us on our socials, if you're posting your preshow selfies online.

Both the planetarium and observatory convey the wonders of the universe to you, but in very different ways.

The planetarium is a theater where films and live content are projected on the 50-foot domed screen. The planetarium dome does not open and the sky you see is a recreation of the night sky, a digital database, where we can take you anywhere on Earth, other planets of the solar system, or anywhere in the database at time.

The observatory houses the 24-inch DFM Telescope under a 20-foot rotating dome that opens to the real sky. The telescope affords visitors an opportunity to view the Moon, planets, stars, star clusters, nebulae, galaxies, etc. with their very own eyes.