Wrong kind of stars. We're talking about those little points of light in the sky here. We're talking about the Ott Planetarium at Weber State University.Many people in Utah think there is just the Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake City, and while it is the most well known in Utah, it isn't the only one. The Ott Planetarium, on the campus of Weber State, offers a great selection of star shows and shows about clouds, the aurora, the Hubble Telescope and more.
It has a smaller theater (it holds just 60 people) than the Clark Planetarium, but by no means does this diminish the educational and entertainment factor. At $2.00 per show for adults and $1.00 per show for kids, it's hard to find a better planetarium value anywhere in the United States.
During the summer, the Ott Planetarium offers the public the "Summer Series," of shows every other Saturday from noon until 4:00 p.m. for FREE. Seating is limited. The planetarium also takes science to the parks in June and July. The "Science in the Parks" program gets kids involved in the "coolness" of science through the 5 different parts of the program- Hear It, See It, Fly It, Feel It, and Build It. These programs run weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and are FREE to kids of all ages.
When you visit the Ott Planetarium, don't forget to visit the Museum of Natural Science, located in the same building- the Lind Lecture Hall. For my money, this is one of the greatest little planetariums in the country.
Place: Ott Planetarium
Location: Lind Lecture Hall- Room 203, Weber State University, 1551 Edvalson Street, Ogden
Phone: 801.626.6871 (live Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Hours: Varies with season and available shows, see website for more information
Cost: Summer Series shows are FREE (see above, or see website), regular public shows are $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for students (Kindergarten to University), children under 5 are FREE.
View Larger Map
Distance from:
Salt Lake City: 33.8 miles
Ogden (downtown): 3.4 miles
Provo: 75.4 miles
Logan: 50.8 miles
For years, Utah had a wonderful place to go to learn about the universe- Hansen Planetarium. I can't count the number of school field trips, star shows and laser shows I attended there. When the decision was made to close the Hansen Planetarium and move it to the Gateway shopping center, I was a little upset. It was like a good friend moved away. But, when the new Clark Planetarium opened, it was like
a new, really cool friend had just moved in and made you forget the old one.
Walk on the moon in the Moonscape exhibit or go even further, take ten steps, and explore the Martian surface in the Marsscape exhibit. You can see the collection of different types of meteorites and even pick one up and feel how heavy it is. Watch Foucault's pendulum swing and knock down a marker every few minutes, proving that the earth in spinning in space (it's complicated to explain, but fun to watch). Check out the giant suspended display of the solar system or watch the balls rolling through Newton's Daydream, a two-story audio-kinetic sculpture. Want to try to be a weatherman on the evening news? Step on over into the KUTV Channel 2 weather station and forecast the weather. Don't worry, you don't have to be accurate- the weathermen aren't either.