Auckland, North Island

Stardome 10

Stardome Observatory and Planetarium

Lego model

Stardome Observatory and Planetarium - kids craft

Stardome Observatory and Planetarium - kids discovery

Stardome Observatory and Planetarium - kids play

Stardome Observatory and Planetarium - birthday parties

Stardome Observatory and Planetarium

A place for an out-of-this-world adventure! Stardome Observatory & Planetarium will inspire a love of looking up and exploring our Universe. Full of entertainment for the whole family, there are planetarium shows, interactive games, activities and displays about space and the night sky. Learn how to navigate using the stars or look through the Zeiss telescope, one of the most powerful telescopes available for public viewing. You can also make your child's next birthday extra special with our awesome party offerings!

Birthday Parties

Blast off into space for your child’s next birthday party. The only planetarium in Auckland, a trip to Stardome for a birthday party is a unique way to mark the special occasion.

Booking Stardome for a birthday party includes hiring the Matariki Room, access to a fully-equipped kitchen, unlimited access to our Space Gallery exhibitions, entry into the Discovery at the Dome activity centre, and seats in the planetarium to see one of our immersive, 360-degree planetarium shows.

$300+GST (Minimum booking for 15 children and two adults). Book into the morning slot 10am – 1pm or for an afternoon party, 2pm – 5pm.
Read more on Stardome Birthday Parties here >>

Planetarium shows

Planetarium shows run every night of the week except Mondays and change regularly so there’s always something new to see. Choose from a huge range of topics including the premium Our Night Sky live tour show, or catch a 360-degree movie about astronauts, black holes, the Solar System and much more. Evening shows include courtyard telescope viewing (weather permitting).  Come early to the show and spend time in the space gallery exhibitions area exploring the different interactive displays.  
Read more on our Planetarium shows here >>.

Telescopes

Courtyard telescopes are available for public viewing every night, weather permitting (except Monday. Tuesday viewings are restricted to planetarium show ticket holders only). Telescopes are complimentary after the 7pm, 8pm and 9pm shows over winter and after the 8pm and 9pm shows over summer. Courtyard telescopes are operated by experienced staff who can show you beautiful stars, planets, star clusters and nebulae. The large Zeiss telescope in the beautiful copper observatory dome is also open for public presentations every Thursday, Friday and Saturday after the 8pm show, weather permitting. Tours are available for individuals and groups up to 15 people and we recommend advance booking. On a clear night, you can expect to see four or five deep-space objects, accompanied by an engaging commentary from one of our team of presenters. The atmosphere in the Zeiss telescope is magical and offers an unforgettable experience for adults and children ages 8 and over. The Zeiss experience costs an additional $10 per person.

Times and Prices
For full details on our shows, open hours and prices visit our website www.stardome.org.nz or call on 09 624 1246.  Keep an eye out for special events and our popular school programmes.

North Island

South Island

Map of New Zealand
  • Auckland
  • Central Otago
  • Bay of Plenty
  • Christchurch
  • Coromandel
  • Dunedin
  • Gisborne
  • Fiordland
  • Hawkes Bay
  • Marlborough Sounds
  • Manawatu
  • Nelson & Golden Bay
  • Northland
  • North Canterbury
  • Rotorua
  • Queenstown
  • Taranaki
  • South Canterbury
  • Taupo
  • Southland
  • Waikato
  • Wanaka
  • Wellington
  • West Coast
  • Whangarei
  • Bay of Islands
  • Tauranga
  • Gisborne
  • Hamilton
  • Napier
  • Kapiti
  • Palmerston North
  • Whanganui
  • New Plymouth
  • Arrowtown
  • Te Anau
  • Akaroa
  • Ashburton
  • Hanmer
  • Kaikoura
  • Methven
  • Mt Cook
  • Oamaru
  • Tekapo
  • Timaru
  • Abel Tasman
  • Motueka
  • Nelson Lakes
  • Blenheim
  • Picton
  • Catlins
  • Gore
  • Stewart Island
  • Central Plateau
  • Invercargill
  • Cromwell
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Westport
  • Glenorchy

Our favourite destinations…

Auckland destination2

Auckland

New Zealand’s economic heart and biggest city is also an exciting family visitor destination, situated on a sunny harbour with city beaches just minutes away from the CBD. Orientate yourself by heading down to Viaduct Harbour, wandering the waterfront, checking out the super yachts or enjoying the waterfront restaurants. Nearby is the must-visit Sky Tower along with excellent and kid-friendly museums and tons of exciting activities!

Wellington

Wellington is New Zealand’s capital. Here you will find New Zealand's parliament buildings, including the 'Executive Wing', more well-known as 'The Beehive' due to its distinctive shape. Another icon to look out for is the Wellington Tram, which was the main means of public transport between 1878 and 1964.

Christchurch

With a population of around 400,000 Christchurch, in Canterbury, is the South Island ’s largest city, yet much of it has the feel of a small town. Perhaps that’s why it’s known as the Garden City but with the expansive Hagley Park, Botanic Gardens, Port Hills, River Avon and numerous beaches the city certainly has an open, relaxed feel that’s hard to beat.

Queenstown

With its well-deserved reputation as New Zealand’s activity adventure capital you’ll never run out of activities and things to do in Queenstown, but you may run out of time! With breathtaking scenery, activities and festivals, cafes and restaurants, skiing and snowboarding, shopping and wineries, this lakeside alpine resort rates as one of the world’s top vacation destinations for all ages and seasons.

Rotorua

Rotorua sits on the shore of Lake Rotorua, one of sixteen lakes in the area formed by hundreds of thousands of years of eruptions from the Taupo Volcanic Zone. The area is renowned for its geothermal activity and top of any activity list is to see the bubbling mud pools that are around the region for yourself. The Waimangu Volcanic Valley offers a first hand insight into the devastation caused by the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera and is a great place to discover steaming volcanic craters and bubbling, spitting  pools of mud!

Nelson and Golden Bay

The Nelson and Golden Bay regions, at the top of the South Island, boast enviable sunshine hours, glorious sandy beaches, safe swimming spots, lots of wildlife to look out for, and Abel Tasman National Park - an absolute must to explore, on foot, by kayak, your own craft or watertaxi.  Nelson is home to a vibrant arts and crafts community with a fabulous Saturday market, and is close to award-winning wineries and family-friendly bike tracks to take you around the coast.

Hawkes Bay

Napier was rebuilt after the 1931 earthquake and is now known as NZ's Art Deco City.  The Art Deco influence has created a unique city – nowhere else can you see such a varied concentration of art deco style. With over 2,200 sunshine hours a year, Napier is a year-round holiday destination with countless activities to entertain the kids – there's days of entertainment on Marine Parade alone, plus numerous other family-friendly trips and activities.  Add to that the beaches, walks and flat cycle paths, outdoor cafes and entertainment, and you have a perfect holiday destination!

Northland

Beautiful, unspoiled beaches, fishing, historic gum fields, kauri forests – the Far North has it all. With subtropical temperatures, it's often known as ‘the Winterless north', with warm, humid summers and mild winters.
Gateway to the Bay of Islands, Paihia is a pretty, lively beachside town and a perfect base for your family holiday. It’s your start point for Bay of Island adventures including day cruises, sailing, kayaking, swimming with dolphins and reef or wreck diving.