Spanish-Language, Sensory-Friendly Shows at Staerkel Planetarium

Planetarium's Winter Shows Include Spanish, Sensory-Friendly Options

Sensory-friendly and Spanish-language shows will be returning to the Staerkel Planetarium as part of their winter lineup.

One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure will premiere on Saturday, December 4 at 1 p.m. Following a 30-minute break to clean seats, Cosmic Colors will start at 2:30 p.m. These sensory-friendly shows will feature "lights up, sound down" settings to provide a relaxed, move-around-as-needed atmosphere for guests with autism spectrum disorder, sensory sensitivities, or young children. Sensory supports and social stories are available for all visitors. Presenter Tania Swigart is a preschool teacher who works with children with special needs.

The planetarium is also offering more Spanish-language shows with Un cielo, un mundo: La aventura de Big Bird and Astronomía a gran escala on November 20 and December 18. Un cielo, un mundo: La aventura de Big Bird, which offers an introduction to the night sky over Sesame Street and China as Elmo and Hu Hu Zhu take a trip to the moon, begins at 1 p.m.

Astronomía a gran escala will start at 2:30 p.m. after a 30-minute break to sanitize seats between shows. This fulldome video shows why Chile is home to many world-class observatories and highlights the people who work on these instruments. Presenter Ricardo Covarrubias Carreno, Ph.D., teaches astronomy at Parkland College and offers tours of the night sky over his native Chile.

The seating capacity in the planetarium is currently limited to 60 people. Admission to fulldome shows start at $5. For a show schedule or booking information, please call 217/351-2446 or visit parkland.edu/planetarium.