Visiting our centre

Hours of operation

September 2 until Spring 2013

• Closed to the public for school groups. Check our web site for special events!

Admission (May through August)

HST included

Daytime (before 6 p.m.)

• $10.25 for Adults
• $9.00 for Seniors (65+)
• $9.00 for Students (13 to 18, or with valid ID)
• $5.75 for Youth (4 to 12)
• Child under 4 free
• Family Pass (2 adults, 3 children/youth): $26.25

Evening (from 6 p.m.)

• $13.50 for Adults
• $11.50 for Seniors (65+)
• $11.50 for Students (13 to 18, or with valid ID)
• $8.00 for Youth (4 to 12)
• Child under 4 free
• Family Pass (2 adults, 3 children/youth): $35.00

Group Rates

During public hours, come in a group of 10 or more and receive a 25% discount on your admission!

Group visits

Bringing a group to the Centre of the Universe? Why not book your very own private interpretive program to complete your group's visit! The following programs are $40.00 each, on top of admission. Minimum group size of 10 and maximum group size of 25.

Telescope Tour: The Plaskett Telescope - a national historic site of Canada!

A hands-on experience of the Plaskett Telescope, one of Canada's most important scientific instruments! You'll hear stories from this telescope's 90+ year history, and learn of its vital contribution to Canadian astronomy.

"Sun Dome" Planetarium Presentation

Our mini-Planetarium is an intimate setting for your group to gather under the awesome vista of a virtual night sky. Our interpreters will introduce you to the stars, the constellations, and the basics of astronomy in these interactive programs. See the night sky from the poles or the equator, or discover the beauty of the current night sky over Vancouver Island, reproduced in the comfort of our Sun Dome.

Multimedia Shows in our "Black Hole" Auditorium

Created and presented by Centre staff, each program is a 30-minute visual and auditory experience involving still images, video, music, humour and audience participation.

Star parties

There's no better way to spend a night in Victoria than at our star party! There's a different theme each week. Bring a flashlight, your binoculars, your own telescope, or just your naked eyes, and we'll provide the rest. Everyone is welcome - no astronomy knowledge required!

You'll meet other curious members of the public, plus our friendly staff, and also the members of Victoria's Royal Astronomical Society of Canada who join us and share their knowledge and their telescopes.

While you wait for darkness, we'll whet your appetite with auditorium presentations about current objects in the sky. We'll have a "sneak preview" of the evening's sky in our mini-planetarium. Or, you can browse for the very best in books, software and star charts in our own gift shop.

Summer Saturday nights we have our guest lecture series, with a different speaker each week at 8:30 p.m. For details, please see the newsletter.

Once the stars are out, walk from telescope to telescope and see some of the amazing objects in the night sky.

Or, gather in our big dome to see live images from the amazing Plaskett Telescope as we take audience requests for some of the fainter objects in the deep sky.