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Experience the wonders of the cosmos and the beauty of the night sky in our awe-inspiring planetarium dome. Our live programs offer something for everyone: a fun night out, an inspiring field trip, a birthday party destination, and a venue to learn more about our place in the universe.

You can choose to join us for a scheduled public event or book a program for a private group. Both types of events can be in-person or virtual. For more information, click on the button below that interests you.

Public Events

Private Groups

Buy Tickets

If you’re ready to attend a public event, visit VBO Tickets to conveniently make your purchase on our secure website. Please note the date and time of each event in the list to make sure that you are selecting the event of your choice.

If you are a UWM student or UWM Planetarium member, be sure to log in on the site before making your purchase. This will allow you to access any ticketing benefits to which you are entitled.

Buy Tickets

Location & Parking

Address

The Manfred Olson Planetarium is located inside the UW-Milwaukee Physics building:

Physics Building Room 139
1900 E Kenwood Blvd
Milwaukee, WI, 53211

The main entrance to the Physics building is on Kenwood Blvd.

Accessibility

There is one wheelchair-accessible entrance via the path between the Physics building and EMS building off Cramer St. (see map below).

Unfortunately, our rooftop stargazing deck is not wheelchair accessible.

Map

Parking

There is no free parking on campus. Please allow extra time to park when you visit.

Cunningham Lot parking is available for purchase just north of the Physics building. The entrance is at the corner of Cramer and Hartford. Please be sure to avoid the spots that are for permit holders (they say “This spot is reserved for staff/faculty”). The spots are $1.50/hour (as of September 2024).

You may be able to find street parking (both metered and free) but be sure to read the street signs for restrictions.

Payment for parking spots can be done by using the Parkmobile smartphone app or pay stations located on the perimeter of the lot. Purchase a parking ticket from one of the booths by entering your license plate number and the amount of time you will be parked. The booth accepts cash, Visa, and Mastercard.
For additional information, please visit Transportation Services.

How to park your vehicle.

Transportation

The Green Line and 66 bus routes have stops near the Physics building. Other nearby routes with on-campus stops are the Red Line, Gold Line, 22, and 30. For more info see the MCTS website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! Our live, public events are open to everyone. For a full list of events see our Calendar. We also book private reservations for schools and other groups.

We do not have set opening hours. We are open during public events and by private reservation.

Our live programs, which include stargazing and questions, typically run approximately 60 minutes.

Please click here for parking instructions and map or visit Plan Your Visit for more information.

We accept checks, cash, and credit cards.

You can purchase a membership online, by mail (PDF), or in person before a public show.

We can seat 63 people.

Yes! We recommend that your child is four years or older and comfortable to sit in their own chair in the dark.

Yes! Visit the Plan Your Visit page to see maps and more information.

On a clear night, stargazing is held on the 5th-floor observing deck of the UWM Physics building. For the schedule of dates and more information, see Stargazing.

For general inquiries, email us at planetarium@uwm.edu. Visit Contact Us for other ways to reach us.

We ask that you stay seated until the end of the show because opening the door will ruin the beautiful dark sky for the rest of the visitors. Visitors are encouraged to use the restroom in advance.

Our planetarium is indoors. We suggest that you dress in layers because sometimes the theater can be too warm or too cold. We also ask that you avoid light-up shoes.