Marie Drake Planetarium

Where the stars always shine in Juneau, Alaska

Welcome to Alaska's largest planetarium

Help us Reach for the Stars

  • Juneau's planetarium is part of the Juneau School District and has been run by volunteers for over 20 years. Our presentations and events reflect the interest and knowledge of our volunteers.
  • We offer free astronomy education for the public, school classes and community groups.

The planetarium is a unique community resource

The planetarium projector allows us to model the sky even when the weather is miserable!  We show 'The Stars Tonight' at almost all presentations at the planetarium showing how Juneau's night sky would look if it were clear. Click here to learn more about our starball.


The planetarium has been run by volunteers with knowledge of and enthusiasm about astronomy. This is reflected in the planetarium's diverse offerings (click to learn more).

Facebook
Join our MailChimp email list or like us on Facebook to keep informed of upcoming presentations and events.
We are fundraising for a new digital planetarium system to replace our current system which is 50 years old. 
We have $10,100 to date and hope to be awarded a 
Rasmuson Fondation grant soon.

Donors of $10 or more get FREE ebook - a colorful collection of Galactic Giggles (500 pages).

Donors  of $25 or more get Volumes 1 and 2.

FREE SHOWS


Monday, March 18th -  6"30 pm
Kids Show at the Planetarium:  The Orion Constellation - Stars and Stories! 


Tuesday, March 19th -   7 pm to 8:00 pm

The Night Sky of Orion's Stars


The constellation of Orion the Hunter leaves the Juneau night sky in April.  Why are we fascinated by these stars and the legends told about them? To astronomers, the region of Orion is rich with bright stars, clusters of stars, and colorful nebulas. The Orion Nebula is known for stellar nurseries where new stars and planets are born.  And what do Orion and 'shooting stars' have to do with Halley's comet?
The planetarium is in the Marie Drake Building (between Harborview and a playing field). You will see the Planetarium logo on a sign above the double doors. If you are at the stop light at 10th Avenue and Egan Drive, coming into downtown Juneau, take a left at the light and go two blocks to Glacier Avenue. Take a left. Go two blocks to the 4 way stop sign at 12th and Glacier. Continue on Glacier Avenue. You will see the schools on the left side of the streets starting Harborview. Next to it is the Marie Drake Building. If you see the swimming pool or the high school you have gone too far.
1415 Glacier Avenue Juneau Alaska

Friends of the Marie Drake Planetarium (FOMDP)

The Friends of the Marie Drake Planetarium a 501(c)(3) was formed in 2014 to support the planetarium and astronomy education in Juneau.  We are fundraising for a new digital projector which will cost at least $35,000. This powerful tool will enable us to offer more diverse astronomy presentations.  

Wish List

  • We need comfortable chairs. Please bring to a show or call for pick up.
  • We need volunteer to do children's programming.
  • We need volunteer to do hands on programming e.g. hands on astronomy demonstration or astronomy art project.
  • We need fundraising assistance 
    • Grant writing
    • Organizing a fundraising event such as giving a powerpoint travelogue or organizing a garage sale.

Contact Us

You are welcome to contact us if you have
  • ideas for planetarium shows and events
  • constructive suggestions for improvement
  • want to volunteer or make a donation 
  • questions
  • fundraising and grant suggestions
  • want to request a free astronomy presentation for your school group or community group. We will try to find a volunteer at a mutually agreeable time. Please let us know topic, number of attendees and ages/grades of attendees.

Board Members
  • Clark Branch, 723-8044
  • Dave Haonso, 
  • Rosemary Walling, 723-0692
  • Steve Kocsis, 500-2941
  • Cristina Della Rosa, 500-2942

mariedrakeplanetarium@gmail.com

Mailing Address
Clark Branch 
308 West 8th Street, Juneau, Alaska, 99801
Thank you for contacting us. We will get back to you as soon as possible
Oops. An error occurred.
Click here to try again.