Planetarium / Family Nights

Family Nights

One Friday night a month during the school year, the WVHS Planetarium invites the community to Family Nights. These live, multimedia lecture-like programs are created to be educational and entertaining for everyone (not just families). All Family Nights include looking at the planetarium's night sky, which is a memorable experience for every visitor.

Approximately 50 minutes

New topic each month (see schedule)

Runs multiple times per night (6:00 pm and 7:00 pm)

September through April

Online Tickets (see webstore)

Tickets are nonrefundable or transferable. Tickets appear for purchasing on the Webstore the Monday before Friday's Family Night. Soldout programs disappear from Webstore (see directions below).

The planetarium is a very dark environment. Please read visitor expectations below.

Visitor Expectations
All visitors are expected to…
1. Respect the planetarium and school facilities.
2. Refrain from placing shoes on the seats.
3. Refrain from bringing beverages, gum, or food.
4. Refrain from noise or light pollution (turn OFF all electronics & lights).
The planetarium is a dark environment.
- Very dark! Much darker than a movie theater.
- NO LATE ADMISSION – Programs will start on time. If you arrive more than 5 minutes late, you will not be admitted. Opening the door floods the room with light and disrupts the program.
- Minor children must be accompanied by an adult.
Facility, Seating, & Accessibility
- WVHS Planetarium is located on the southwest corner of Waubonsie Valley High School campus.
- Parking - Park near the dome.
- Entrance - Follow the sidewalk ramp down and around the dome to DOOR #11.
- Seats – 60 theater chairs that lay back to look up at the dome.
- Handicap Accessible – Maximum of 2 wheelchairs.
- Assistive Hearing Devices – FM devices can be plugged directly into the sound system. Just ask.
- Open Seating – Seating is open. First come basis. Arrive early to find seating as a group.
- Restroom – A single-stalled restroom is located in the hallway.
Webstore Directions
- Select the program TIME & DATE for purchase. Family Night programs are presented multiple times on the same date.
- Click ADD TO CART to add a ticket to the cart. Click again and again to reach your total number of tickets. The number in the blue circle next to the cart (top right) will increase.
- Click CHECK OUT (top right) **Redirects to Pushcoin.com
  - IPSD 204 Parents login. Select any student for “related to”. Proceed to payment.
  - OTHER VISITORS must create a NEW account. If you have an existing PushCoin account with another school district, you will need to create a separate PushCoin account using a different email address. Proceed to payment.
- DO NOT PRINT! Visitors will 'check in' with last name or email address linked to Pushcoin account.
- Need help? Contact stephanie_rybka@ipsd.org
Telescopes
Thanks to a longstanding partnership, volunteers from the Naperville Astronomy Association (NAA) bring personal telescopes to WVHS after the September and April Family Nights.
- FREE of charge
- Separate from Family Night programs
- 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm
- OUTSIDE *weather permitting*
- Location: Grassy field to the west of the planetarium's parking lot
- NAA offers many public telescope viewing opportunities.
- http://www.stargazing.net/
**The WVHS Planetarium is NOT an observatory. Family Night programs take place INSIDE the dome regardless of the weather.

Visitor Expectations

Facility, Seating, & Accessibility

Webstore Directions

Telescopes