Scheduling a Visit

If you are a teacher, camp organizer, group leader, director, etc. you can arrange for a private event at Dooley Planetarium. Follow the steps below to be taken to our Reservation Request Form. Public Shows do not require registration and are offered on a first come, first seated basis.

STEP 1: Determine how many shows you will need

A visit to the planetarium will not cost your group anything, but you may have to consider transportation and meals. We can handle groups up to 75 in one show. If you have more than 75 (including all attendees - students, teachers, chaperones) you can either look at having back-to-back presentations or book multiple show dates. Our minimum group size is 10 for a booking in the planetarium.

STEP 2: Plan your day

If you are planning on eating lunch here on campus you will need to contact additional people to arrange space (especially in the event of poor weather on your visit). If you want to eat in the cafeteria please contact Dining Services at 843-661-1260. They will need at least 2 weeks advance notice so they can plan for the additional meal preparation. 

If you have a large group and want to eat outside please contact Ms. Madison Melton at 843-661-1110. Ms. Melton will discuss locations your group can have lunch at and help arrange for additional garbage collection and other needs. She will need at least a 1 week advanced notice of your group's plans Please be sure to give her a call after you receive your confirmation e-Mail that your program has been booked. The University is no longer assisting with poor weather alternatives for lunch locations. Please note, that student groups often reserve space under the breezeway next to Cauthen for fundraising purposes and will be given priority for that area. 

STEP 3: What to see? - Pick your show content

Groups may opt to watch a fulldome video or have us present live. We can cover a wide variety of topics in a live show or even add content after watching a fulldome video. K-12 teachers can submit topics they need covered to meet any science standards. We will be in touch if we have any questions or additional ideas. We can also often add material right before a show or during the middle, but prefer having these details worked out prior to the show start time.

STEP 4: Visit our Availability Calendar and Book Your Date

Our online Availability Calendar will allow you to click on the date and book your show. The calendar will be slow to load at first, but you can page to the month you want to visit and see the open dates. Once we receive your form it may take 1-2 business days before you receive a confirmation. If you want to book another date, just reload the calendar and click the book button.  

The availability calendar is provided for those looking to schedule a private program for groups larger than 10. Public Shows do not require reservations and are open to all members of the public.

If you have any issues with the calendar or have a show request outside of our time blocks, please email the Director, Dr. Jeannette Myers, JMyers@fmarion.edu for assistance.