Ball State’s Holiday Arts and Culture Night and Upcoming Planetarium Shows

Photo provided

By Planetarium Staff—

MUNCIE, IN—Ball State’s holiday arts and culture night is Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.

In addition to the holiday arts and culture night programs, the planetarium has two more weekends of planetarium shows left for the year…

The Christmas Star and Magic Treehouse planetarium shows are playing in December at Ball State’s Charles W. Brown Planetarium:

The Christmas StarFridays: Dec. 1, 8 at 6:30pmSaturdays: Dec. 2, 9 at 5:00pm & 6:30pm

Over the years people have tried to explain the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem, as described in the Bible. Can the star be explained as an exploding star, a comet, or some other natural event? Potential natural explanations for the Star of Bethlehem and common modern-day misconceptions will be explored during this program. Suitable for all ages 10+, all ages are welcome.


Magic Treehouse: Space MissionSaturdays: Dec. 2, 9 at 3:30pm

Travel with Jack and Annie, stars of the Magic Tree House® best-selling children’s book series, as they search for answers to a mysterious riddle they discover in a written note signed “–M.” Peek into the treehouse and follow Jack and Annie on an exciting adventure as they meet a helpful astronomer and an astronaut. As they travel to an observatory and beyond into space, Jack and Annie nearly get … well, we don’t want to give the surprise away! Best suited for families and groups with pre-K through 1st grade learners, all ages are welcome.

Cost: FREE, cash donations accepted at the door. No reservations are required for public planetarium shows except the annual “Astronomy SLAM!”. However, plan to arrive early as seating is done on a first-come, first-served basis and seating is limited. We do our best to open doors 30 minutes before show time.

Runtime: Approximately 50 minutes total with live sky tour.

Due to construction being done on Cooper Science, select parking and pathway access to the planetarium is blocked off. Plan to arrive early to safely navigate the area and arrive on time for the program.

One free pair of solar eclipse glasses will be provided to each planetarium show guest for a suggested cash donation of $1, while supplies last to prepare people for the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Glasses are partially funded through support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Interested in scheduling a private educational visit to the planetarium? Request a planetarium visit for your Ball State class or group online.