Montreal Planetarium

The Montreal Planetarium, one of four scientific institutions that make up the Montreal Nature Museums, is operated by the Ville of Montreal and offers visitors a spectacular opportunity to look up into the skies and understand the wonders of the stars, planets and everything else in between! The mission of the Montreal Planetarium is to introduce visitors to the world of astronomy and space exploration through a series of multimedia shows. Montreal Planetarium is also known as Planétarium de Montréal.

History

The Montreal Planetarium was built in 1966, thanks to the dream and persistence of Dr. Pierre Gendron, the Founding Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Ottawa. Through his relations with Dow Breweries, Gendron was able to get this firm to donate the money for the construction of the Planetarium, which was built at a cost of $1.2 million. The building, designed by the architectural firm, David-Barott-Bulva, is constructed in the shape of a planet. Since 1966, over 6 million people have passed through the doors of the Planetarium to view 58,000 presentations of the 250 different shows produced by this institution’s dedicated team.

The New Planetarium

Plans have been underway for quite some time now to build a new Planetarium directly next to the Montreal Biodome, in the hope that that two institutions can work side by side and complement each other's work. The opening of the new Planetarium is planned for 2010, and it will be able to hold over 800 visitors at once. Plans are being made to introduce the newest technological features to present visitors with one of the most realistic and detailed environments available today.

The Star Theatre

The pride and joy of the Montreal Planetarium is the Star Theatre, which hold 385 people who are seated in concentric circles around the powerful Zeiss projector (worth around $3 million!). Above the Star Theatre is the hemispherical dome that characterizes the Planetarium and measures around 20 meters in diameter. In addition, the dome is made up of over 1300 aluminum plaques, each of these containing 2500 minute perforations. The Zeiss projector, together with 150 special effects projectors and 70 slide projectors, loudspeakers and other pieces of hidden technology, create some of the most memorable shows ever seen by stargazers. Here, visitors can learn about the wonders of the stars and the skies above as they stare up into the dome and enjoy the show.

Around the Star Theatre

The changing exhibits that are presented by the Planetarium are housed in the wide, circular hallway around the Star Theatre. In addition, visitors can wander around the boutique, which has masses of space related items for sale. Finally, there are two works of art represented in the Planetarium - a replica of Warsaw's fine monument to Nicholas Copernicus, and an equatorial sundial created by the Dutch artist, Herman J. van der Heide.

Montreal Planetarium

For those who are passionate about astronomy, or for those who are just curious to discover the great world beyond Planet Earth, the Montreal Planetarium is the perfect place to explore and experience the skies above. The Montreal Planetarium is located very centrally, in downtown Montreal. The institution is easily accessible by public transport (metro, bus or commuter train) or by private car, where parking options are freely available.

Location:
Montreal Planetarium
1000, rue Saint-Jacques Ouest,
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Phone: (514) 872-4530

Click here to visit Montreal Planetarium official website.