On a mission to find an educational yet fun Spring Break outing in Vancouver that’s fit for the whole family?
Bring your space-loving kids to the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre at Vanier Park for an extraordinary journey through the universe, and experience astronomical wonders like never before.
Here’s some of the programming you can discover during your family’s ‘out of this world’ day at the Space Centre:
Planetarium Star Theatre
Take your budding space explorers to see a star-studded show at the Planetarium Star Theatre. Audiences will journey to outer space from the comfort of the Space Centre’s one-of-a-kind theatre and get up close and personal with planets, meteor showers, black holes, galaxies, and other phenomena that will have you marvelling at the awe-inspiring beauty and vastness of the universe.
On March 11, the Space Centre will be debuting “Forward to the Moon”, which takes a look at NASA’s 21st century Artemis program and its role in the mission to achieve a sustainable future in space.
Other shows at the Planetarium Star Theatre this spring include:
- From Earth to the Universe
Voyage through time and space, from the Milky Way and beyond, as you learn more about the history of astronomy, the invention of the telescope, and how telescopes allow us to probe even deeper into the universe.
- Our Martian Neighbourhood
See what it takes to live on the Red Planet with scarce resources, longer days, and a new view of the night sky. You will also learn about other parts of the solar system that could also be settled.
GroundStation Theatre
Prepare to be wowed by the Space Centre’s entertaining and interactive demonstrations, where you and the kids will learn about the latest scientific discoveries, exoplanets, gravity, rockets, and much more.
From rocket science to the day in the life of an astronaut in space, the live science presentations cover a lot of ground:
- Rocket Lab 3 . 2 . 1 . . .
Take part in this live demo of the basic principles of Newton’s Laws of Motion and its use in the study and practice of rocketry.
- A Day in Space
From microgravity experiments to eating and sleeping while floating, find out what it takes to live and work in space as an astronaut.
- Planet Hunters
Discover more about the planet hunting techniques astronomers use and their quest to find signs of life in the universe.
Cosmic Courtyard Gallery
Experience the wonders of space through hands-on interactive exhibits in the Cosmic Courtyard gallery. Learn about deep space, climate change, light pollution, missions on the moon, and the potential for life on other planets to gain a deeper understanding of the solar system’s most fascinating discoveries.
- Mission Apollo
Discover how food and technology made it possible for the Apollo space program to put 12 astronauts on the moon. You can even see the spacesuit of Michael Collins, the US astronaut who piloted the Apollo 11 command module Columbia around the Moon in 1969, up close.
- Mars Explorer
Step into the role of a planetary geologist and travel to the red planet to see if you can find evidence of life.
- Alien Encounter
Put yourself in the spacesuit of a starship captain on a mission to look for new life in a galaxy and to find a planet that can sustain human life.
All programming is recommended for children ages 6 and up. During Spring Break from March 13 to 24, the Space Centre will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, and will be closed in the evenings.
Get your H.R. MacMillan Space Centre timed-entry tickets in advance at spacecentre.ca.
If you and the family can't get to Vanier Park this Spring Break, check out their online webinars and live streams at spacecentre.ca/events.
