ElectroLaze: Hypnotica
2025-11-09 15:45 - 16:30, 2025-11-16 15:45 - 16:30, 2025-11-23 15:45 - 16:30, 2025-11-30 15:45 - 16:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Enjoy a laser show filled with stunning visual art! Different themes include Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Holiday and more!

Mexica Archeoastronomy
2025-11-14 11:00 - 12:00
20 min, 8 and up
Through impressive scenarios, “Mexica Archaeoastronomy: between space and time” illustrates the important role played by astronomical observation for the evolution of pre-Hispanic cultures in central Mexico.

Waiting Far Away
2025-11-14 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-21 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-28 12:00 - 13:00
10 minutes
All ages
An explorer of the cosmos has traveled too far…and can’t find home. Become lost on a journey through the majestic, humbling, and solitary beauty of space and time reimagined.
Charles Hayden Planetarium

Phantom of the Universe
2025-11-14 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-11-21 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-11-28 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-05 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-07 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-12 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-19 13:00 - 14:00
Phantom of the Universe: The Hunt For Dark Matter
25 minutes
Ages 8 and up
An exciting exploration of dark matter, from the Big Bangto its anticipated discovery at the Large Hadron Collider. The show will reveal the first hints ofits existence through the eyes of Fritz Zwicky, the scientist who coined the term “dark matter”. This show is narrated by Tilda Swinton.
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

World's Beyond Earth
2025-11-14 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-11-15 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-11-16 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-11-21 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-11-22 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-11-23 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-11-28 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-11-29 14:00 - 15:00 and 7 more dates
25 minutes
Ages 6 and up
What have 50 years of space exploration taught us about the planets and moons closest to us? With each probe and spacecraft launched into the unknown, scientists discover more about the surprisingly dynamic, active, and varied nature of the worlds that share our solar system, and gain a deeper understanding of the unique conditions that make life on our home planet possible.
Based on authentic scientific data from groundbreaking space missions, Worlds Beyond Earth takes viewers on an exhilarating adventure through our cosmic neighborhood. Immersive visualizations showcase the solar system with unprecedented accuracy, including a landing on the cratered surface of our own Moon, a dramatic flight through the swirling rings of Saturn, and soaring encounters with distant worlds of active volcanoes and buried oceans. This film is narrated by Lupita Nyong’o.

Aurora Storm
2025-11-14 15:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-15 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-21 15:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-22 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-28 15:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-07 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-12-14 12:00 - 13:00
Aurora Storm
11 minutes
Ages 8 and up
Aurora Storm explores the captivating northern lights and how different cultures and explorers have experienced them. Produced by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute and the University of Alaska Museum of the North. The show teaches about the causes of the aurorae and how humans who live beneath their shimmering light are inspired by what they see. Quotes from the written journals of past Arctic explorers and indigenous people share stories of how they regarded the aurorae.

Mars: The Ultimate Voyage
2025-11-15 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-11-22 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-11-29 11:00 - 12:00
(25 min) Ever wondered what it will take for astronauts to travel to the Moon, Mars and beyond? On this long journey, what challenges will astronauts face? How will they stay motivated and healthy on their spacecraft so far away from Earth? The new, Bell original planetarium show Mars: The Ultimate Voyage, explores these questions and more. Ages 8 and up.
The work for the original planetarium production was funded by a NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) Award 80NSSC20M0028 to the Bell Museum through the Regents of the University of Minnesota.

Worlds of Curiosity
2025-11-15 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-22 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-23 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-11-29 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-30 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-06 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-13 13:00 - 14:00
(15 min) Worlds of Curiosity dives into the questions of “What it would be like to live on an Earth with no Moon?” or “What if the Earth was tilted on its side, like the planet Uranus?”

Sunstruck
2025-11-15 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-11-22 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-11-29 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-06 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-12-13 12:00 - 13:00
Sunstruck
21 minutes
All ages
Explore the sun in all its glory in this fulldome show. Sunstruck takes us on a journey to discover the wonders of our magnificent sun and investigate how our star has supported life on Earth for millennia. This program includes information on the structure of our sun, the source of its energy, and how solar activity impacts our world.
Michigan Science Center

5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI
2025-11-16 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-11-23 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-11-30 11:00 - 12:00
(30 min) 5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI is a full dome film about the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) which is creating the most detailed map of our nearby universe using a unique instrument which can measure the spectra of many galaxies at once. Experience the largest structures in the universe as never seen before by flying through a portion of DESI’s initial data. Dive into modern cosmology, plus the scientific background and motivation for building a Fiske Planetarium large map of galaxies. And, take a trip to Kitt Peak to see footage of the telescope in action while getting to know the amazing people from all over the world making this research possible

Universal
2025-11-16 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-23 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-30 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-12-05 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-19 16:00 - 17:00
Universal
12 minutes
All ages
Fly through the heart of an ancient cluster of stars, and take a swing around the luminous remains of a dying star. Cruise by alien planets that orbit a nearby star, surf past the brilliant rings of Saturn, and more. ‘Universal’ is a quick un-narrated voyage through the universe that carries the viewer from the vast realm of intergalactic space to several stellar wonders of the Milky Way Galaxy through an intriguing and nearby extraterrestrial planetary system, and onward to home, to Earth. This show’s dialogue is all textual and is preferred for those hard of hearing.
Chabot Space & Science Center in-house production

Einstein's Gravity Playlist
2025-11-16 14:00 - 15:00
23 minutes
Ages 8 and up
Einstein’s Gravity Playlist is an original planetarium show that explores the ripples in space-time known as gravitational waves. Albert Einstein first predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1916, and a century later, scientists detected these waves using incredibly precise laser technology here on Earth. In this show, viewers follow Lucia, a PhD student in physics, on an exploration of how gravitational waves are formed, how they move through the universe, and how scientists like her work to hear them.
Chabot Space & Science Center in-house production

Zodiac Tours
2025-11-16 15:00 - 16:00
38 minutes
All ages
Come on a tour of the Zodiac, the group of ancient constellations visited by the Sun and planets as they wander along their roadway in the sky. Be dazzled by fabulous facts and fantastic fables of these notable star patterns, and discover what hidden celestial treasures they hold.

Chabot Space & Science Center in-house production

Astrophotography Workshop: Unveiling Our Place in the Universe
2025-11-18 18:00 - 22:30
Photo Credit: Judy Schmidt
Introduction to Astronomy & Beginner Astrophotography (new beginner level workshop)
$75, Members get $15 off
Buy Tickets

Classroom 2 at Chabot
Dinner & private telescope viewing included

Are you interested in learning more about Astronomy and meeting others with similar interests? Do you have questions about what telescope is best to buy or how to use the telescope you currently own? Are you amazed by those incredible images of the Hubble and Webb telescope and want to know more about how they are made?

In this workshop you will learn the fundamentals of amateur astronomy and astrophotography. We will cover what can be seen in the night sky and how to find these objects yourself. Get hands on training using different types of telescopes and learn how to get started taking photos of the night sky. Get your Astronomy and Astrophotography questions answered by Chabot Staff while meeting others with similar passions.

Astrophotography Gear Meet Up
Make sure you check out our meet up on November 20th where you’ll receive training on astronomy and astrophotography gear that can be loaned to you through the East Bay Astronomical Society’s loaner scope program.
Learn More

Ohlone Skies (mur taaraxtak)
2025-11-21 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-11-28 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-07 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-12 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-14 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-19 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-20 16:00 - 17:00
(40 Min) Developed in partnership and solidarity with Cafe Ohlone, mur taaraxtak, or Ohlone Skies, weaves science and storytelling into a rich tapestry of Indigenous Ohlone knowledge, heritage, and history deeply rooted right here in the Oakland hills.

Family Astronomy: Mysteries of the Sun
2025-11-22 18:00 - 20:00
Family Astronomy: Mysteries of the Sun
$15 Youth, $25 Adults
Members get $5 off per ticket
Buy Tickets

Chabot Space & Science Center’s Family Astronomy Series invites families with children ages 6–12 to explore the wonders of the universe together! This program features an engaging presentation in Studio 3 followed by hands-on activities and opportunities to make discoveries together. Each event includes complimentary hot cocoa and snacks.

Step into the light of our closest star in this family-friendly workshop exploring the Sun’s powerful energy and the upcoming NASA MUSE mission. The Sun powers life on Earth and shapes the space environment around our home planet, yet many of its mysteries remain unsolved. Through hands-on activities, families will

Uncover the hidden layers of the Sun
Explore the rainbow of colors through light
Connect these discoveries to the dramatic birth of stars in glowing nebulae and the larger life cycles that shape our galaxy

This workshop compares the Sun to other stars, discovering how it is both ordinary yet extraordinary as the one that makes life on Earth possible.

More Information
Guests will enter through the Observatory entrance. Please note: program admission does not include after-hours museum access. Be sure to wear layers for the Observatory’s cool nighttime conditions.

c360: Year of the dwarf planet
2025-11-23 08:00
35 minutes
Ages 8 and up
Everyone’s favorite underdog among the planets, Pluto has been an icon of dark mystery and murky expectation…until now. In July 2015, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft made a historic encounter with the dwarf planet, giving us our first close look at its face and its entourage of moons. Come and join us as we witness this epic journey of NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft.
Chabot Space & Science Center in-house production

ElectroLaze: Pink Floyd: The dark side of the Moon
2025-11-23 08:00
Hear the beats of your favorite classic rock and pop songs and watch the rhythms dance in laser light. Be surrounded by 360 degrees of music and science fusion

Big Astronomy
2025-11-23 15:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-30 15:00 - 16:00
26 minutes
Ages 8 and up
Big Astronomy explores three observatories located in Chile, at extreme and remote places. It gives examples of the multitude of STEM careers needed to keep the great observatories working. The show is narrated by Barbara Rojas-Ayala, a Chilean astronomer.
California Academy of Sciences

SPACETIME
2025-11-26 08:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-20 15:00 - 16:00
12 minutes, all ages.
Telescopes built to detect electromagnetic waves, like visible light, infrared, radio waves, and other forms, give us the ability to see objects and events at great distances in the universe, and far back in time. Today, a new type of instrument, the “gravity wave telescope”, is giving us the power to “hear” cosmic events beyond the sight of ordinary telescopes. Gravity waves are ripples in spacetime created by events like collisions between black holes, and powerful processes that took place in the earliest times of our universe.
The Dutch Black Hole Consortium is currently building an enormous underground gravity wave detector, called the Einstein Telescope. When completed, this instrument will provide unprecedented insight into the nature of the universe and its origin, allowing scientists to probe cosmic secrets that light waves cannot illuminate.

Maya Archeoastronomy
2025-11-30 13:00 - 14:00
20 minutes
Ages 8 and up
In a feast of colors and sounds, Maya Archaeoastronomy: Observers of the Universe makes a tour of six Mayan temples: San Gervasio, Chichen Itzá, Uxmal, Edzná, Palenque and Bonampak where the spectator dives into a Mayan world of knowledge about the importance of the orientations of its temples in relation to the movement of some stars like the Sun, the Moon and Venus.

Forward to the Moon
2025-12-05 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-06 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-13 14:00 - 15:00
Learn about NASA’s Artemis Program, and the initiative to get Astronauts back onto the moon!

Lunaverse
2025-12-05 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-12-14 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-19 12:00 - 13:00
16 minutes
All ages
“Lunaverse” explores the nature of Earth’s moon: its motion and phases, lunar and solar eclipses, tides, and the Moon’s origin. The story unfolds as a conversation between a curious young child and the Moon—Luna—over the course of a night, from moonrise to moonset.
Chabot Space & Science Center in-house production

The Sun: Our Living Star
2025-12-05 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-19 14:00 - 15:00
25 min
Ages 6 and up, Adults
The Sun has shone on our world for four and a half billion years. The light that warms our skin today has been felt by every person who has ever lived. It is our nearest star and our planet’s powerhouse, the source of the energy that drives our winds, our weather and all life.
The passage of the Sun’s fiery disc across the sky — day by day, month by month — was the only way to keep track of time for countless past civilizations. Don’t be fooled by the terminology; although it is a typical dwarf star, the Sun consumes 600 million tons of hydrogen each second and is 500 times as massive as all the planets combined.
Discover the secrets of our star in this planetarium show and experience never-before-seen images of the Sun’s violent surface in immersive fulldome format. Our team has worked with some of the most talented planetarium producers to bring you this visually striking planetarium show about the most important star in our lives.

Tales of the Maya Skies
2025-12-06 15:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-13 15:00 - 16:00
35 minutes
All ages
Through the magic of technology and imagination, you are about to take a trip across time and space to visit a world as it no longer exists today: the world of the ancient Maya civilization! The great pyramid and other stone observatories and structures in the ruins of Chichen Itza in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula have been laser-scanned and recreated digitally to enable your journey. You will see Chichen Itza perhaps as it looked a thousand years ago when the Maya civilization of the ancient world was at its peak. You will also learn about Maya culture’s advanced understanding of space, time, and mathematics that allowed them to understand the world as few ancient cultures have.
Chabot Space & Science Center

ElectroLaze: Holiday
2025-12-07 15:45 - 16:30, 2025-12-14 15:45 - 16:30, 2025-12-20 15:30 - 16:10
These bright lights and infectious beats give new meaning to the old holiday light shows on the lawn!

Members-Only Sock Skate Preview
2025-12-13 22:00 - 2025-12-14 00:00
Check-In at Pleaides Courtyard Gate
Free | Members-Only

Member RSVP

Slip on your socks and glide through a Winter Wonderland! Before the Geminids Party begins, Members are invited to enjoy first access to our sock-skating rink with hot chocolate & optional telescope viewing on the deck as we await The Geminids Meteor Shower to begin.
A cozy first look made just for Members — we can’t wait to skate under the stars with you!
Space is limited; RSVP to ensure your spot.

SOLD OUT Geminid Meteor Shower Watch Party
2025-12-13 23:00 - 2025-12-14 03:00
SOLD OUT
$15 Adult, $7 Kids/Seniors
FREE for Members
Get ready to light up the chilly December night with wonder at our Geminid Meteor Shower Watch Party! Under the vast winter sky, the Geminids will dazzle with their brilliant streaks of light, a celestial gift from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. As Earth sails through trails of cosmic dust, these meteoroids burn up in our atmosphere, painting the heavens with glowing magic.
Join us to view the Geminids Meteor Shower from our Observation Deck! Chabot is situated between two regional parks, making it an excellent place to view celestial events further away from the light pollution of the inner city. In-between viewing, warm up with a hot drink from SIPREME Hot Chocolate, and chat with Chabot volunteers about this awesome annual celestial event!
Bundle up, bring a blanket, and let the Geminids take center stage—no telescopes needed! With their radiant glow and breathtaking beauty, this meteor shower promises a night of celestial splendor you’ll never forget.

What are the Geminids?
The Geminids are a meteor shower that occurs in December every year. The best night to see the shower is Dec. 13 into the early hours of Dec. 14. The Geminid meteor shower is caused by a stream of debris left by the asteroid, 3200 Phaethon. When the Earth passes through the trails of dust every December left by 3200 Phaethon, we see the Geminid meteor shower as the dust (meteoroids) burn up in Earth’s atmosphere creating meteors.
Read more in this article our staff astronomer and exhibit designer Ben B. put together on Geminids last year: Geminids Meteor Shower to Light Up Bay Area Sky With 120 Meteors Per Hour | KQED

Ongoing Experiences
Viewing from the Observation Deck
Chabot is situated between two regional parks, making it an excellent place to view celestial events further away from the light pollution of the inner city.

Mini-Presentations with Chabot Volunteers
Learn more about the Geminids and how and why we’re able to observe meteor showers multiple times a year!

Hot Drinks
Hot chocolate!

In case of weather…
Viewing on the Observation Deck is weather permitting. In the case of heavy fog or rain, the event will be moved inside where there will be guest speakers, a simulated meteor shower experience in the Planetarium, hot chocolate, & special themed activities. In the case that we switch to the rain plan, the program will be condensed to 11pm – 1am, and ticketholders will be notified.

SOLD OUT Paint & Sip: Solstice Stars & Holiday Myths
2025-12-18 18:30 - 20:30
SOLD OUT

Paint & Sip: Solstice Stars & Holiday Myths
$45, 21+

Celebrate the winter solstice and the magic of the season at Chabot Space & Science Center’s Paint & Sip: Solstice Stars & Holiday Myths! This instructor-guided workshop will lead you through painting a beautiful winter night sky, filled with celestial wonders that mark the solstice. While you paint, enjoy an engaging astronomy presentation exploring traditional solstice myths and holiday-themed celestial stories that have been passed down through the ages.

Paint Workshop: Solstice Starlight & Winter Wonders
Create a winter solstice scene featuring a glowing full moon, frosty landscapes, and the starry constellations of the Winter Triangle — Orion, Sirius, and Procyon. Paint a peaceful winter night, with a focus on glowing stars, a radiant moon, and festive elements like snowflakes or evergreen trees.

Astronomy Presentation: The Longest Night: Celestial Myths of the Solstice
Dive into the celestial myths and stories behind the winter solstice, including:
The ancient myth of Helios, the sun god, and his annual rebirth during the solstice.
The story of The Great Bear (Ursa Major) and the role of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, in the winter sky. The holiday myth of The Star of Bethlehem and its connection to the solstice, symbolizing light during the darkest time of the year. How cultures from ancient Egypt to the Norse have celebrated the solstice as a time of renewal and hope.

For questions, or help with ticketing, contact us at Groupsales@chabotspace.org.

WinterFest - Day 1
2025-12-20 10:00 - 17:00
$24 Adults, $19 Children (2-12) and Seniors (65+)
Members get in FREE
Buy Tickets

Pack your mission gear and prepare for liftoff! Your winter adventure begins at the Chabot Space Station, where frozen frontiers await! Step through the portal and prepare to journey across some of the coldest, most captivating worlds in the cosmos: the ocean-covered moon Europa, the dazzling ice plains of Pluto, and a mysterious icy exoplanet orbiting a distant star.

Ongoing Experiences

10AM – 5PM | NASA Ames Visitor Center
NASA Ames staff will share insights into NASA’s Artemis program, highlighting upcoming lunar missions and future robotic exploration of icy worlds such as Europa and other ocean-bearing moons, where scientists are searching for clues to habitability beyond Earth. Visitors can also take part in an interactive infrared camera demonstration, revealing how scientists “see” heat and use infrared technology to study Earth, the Moon, and distant worlds across our solar system.

10AM – 5PM | Rotunda
Berkeley Public Library – Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with Berkeley Public Library! Get a library card! Discover library programs and materials, make astral-themed buttons and paper crafts, and take home free BPL giveaways!

10AM – 4PM | Mezzanine
Boo Bubbles uses dry-ice fog to create ghostly bubbles that mimic the extreme cold and thin atmospheres of frozen moons like Europa and Enceladus, inviting visitors to imagine icy, hidden-ocean worlds.

10AM – 4PM | Mezzanine
Planetary Cyro Chemistry with the pH of Dry Ice Demo – The pH of Dry Ice demo turns sublimating CO₂ into a color-changing wonder, revealing how carbonic acid forms and transforming liquids into vibrant hues reminiscent of dynamic chemistry on icy worlds.

10AM – 4PM | Studio 3
Icy Orbs invites visitors to examine mysterious frozen spheres and imagine their origins, sparking creative stories about distant exoplanets where extreme cold, shifting surfaces, and unusual chemistry shape alien worlds.

11AM – 2PM | Upper Rotunda
Pacific Face Painting – Ready for some extra sparkle? Stop by our face-painting area and let Pacific Face Painters transform your favorite characters, creatures, and colors into wearable art for all ages.

12-5PM | Observation Deck
SMAX – A pop-up and test kitchen that focuses on creatively assembled sandwiches and treats served by Paris and Joog, two friends from San Francisco and Vallejo.

Timed Activities

11:30 AM-12:15 PM | Touch the Sun
Storytime & Author Meet & Greet: Galaxy Mapper – Galaxy Mapper book read-aloud with local author Allie Summers; behind the scenes intro into making pictures books, and interactive cosmography and astrophysics craft activities. Great for kids ages 4-11 years, but all are welcome.

10:30AM – 10:50AM, 11:30AM – 11:50AM, 1PM – 1:20PM, 2PM – 2:20PM | Theater
Icy Worlds Mission Briefing – Join our educators in the theater for an orientation on icy worlds throughout the solar system and beyond. Take this knowledge along as you embark on the rest of Winter Fest to find icy experiments, winter crafts, and so much more!

3:30PM-4PM | Theater
Holiday Laser Show – Light up the night with our full dome laser show featuring holiday classics!

12:30-1PM | Planetarium
DC Dance Center’s Holiday Shine Showcase – Celebrate the season with dazzling performances by San Leandro’s DC Dance Center. Ballet, tap, and jazz come to life in this festive showcase full of charm, energy and winter magic.

1:30 PM-2:15 PM | Planetarium
Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir – Join us for a heartwarming celebration of the season as the Oakland Youth Chorus, Miracles, and Middle School ensembles fill the air with festive melodies and timeless classics. With rich harmonies and a joyful spirit, this exceptional performance is sure to spark holiday cheer for audiences of all ages. Come share in the music and magic of the season.

12–12:30PM, 1–1:30PM, 3-3:30PM | Portable Planetarium
Solar System Adventures: Frozen Worlds – Join Josh Roberts from Astro Everywhere on a live tour of the icy worlds of our solar system. See moons, ice giants and minor planets up close and personal in the Portable Planetarium!
Astro Everywhere brings the astronomy to YOU! From breaking astronomy headlines to telescopes or a planetarium at events, Astro Everywhere tries to connect Bay Area audiences with the night sky and the universe beyond it.

11:30AM – 12:30PM, 2:30PM – 3:30PM | Lab 2
Add-On Workshop: Gingerbread Rovers – Put your engineering skills (and your sweet tooth) to the test in our Edible Mars Rover Lab! Learn about the real rovers exploring Mars, then design and build your own gingerbread decorated version using graham crackers, frosting, and other delicious materials. It’s a fun, creative workshop that combines science, engineering, and holiday cheer all in one tasty mission. Each ticket includes one rover kit. A maximum of two people may work on each rover. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
11:30AM
2:30PM

10:45AM – 11AM, 12:45PM – 1PM, 2:45PM – 3PM, 3:45PM – 4PM | Amphitheater
Snow Fall – Head to the Amphitheater to catch some snowflakes as we transform Chabot into an icy winter wonderland!

NEW Planetarium Show!
SPACETIME
Telescopes built to detect electromagnetic waves, like visible light, infrared, radio waves, and other forms, give us the ability to see objects and events at great distances in the universe, and far back in time. Today, a new type of instrument, the “gravity wave telescope”, is giving us the power to “hear” cosmic events beyond the sight of ordinary telescopes. Gravity waves are ripples in spacetime created by events like collisions between black holes, and powerful processes that took place in the earliest times of our universe.
The Dutch Black Hole Consortium is currently building an enormous underground gravity wave detector, called the Einstein Telescope. When completed, this instrument will provide unprecedented insight into the nature of the universe and its origin, allowing scientists to probe cosmic secrets that light waves cannot illuminate.

Generously sponsored by

Scouting Stars: Winter
2025-12-20 11:00 - 12:00
Brief tour of the night sky.
15 min, all ages.

D.C. Dance Company Performance
2025-12-20 12:30 - 13:00
A special performance for our annual Winterfest!

Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir
2025-12-20 13:30 - 14:30

Family Astronomy: Winter Solstice - The Longest Night
2025-12-20 18:00 - 20:00
Family Astronomy: Winter Solstice – The Longest Night
$15 Youth, $25 Adults
Members get $5 off per ticket
Buy Tickets

Chabot Space & Science Center’s Family Astronomy Series invites families with children ages 6–12 to explore the wonders of the universe together! Each evening program features an engaging presentation in Chabot’s Planetarium followed by hands-on activities and opportunities to make discoveries together. Each event includes complimentary hot cocoa and snacks.

Explore the fascinating history, diverse cultural customs, and ancient rituals associated with the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year. Participants will learn about

The science behind solstices
The many ways cultures across the globe have celebrated this celestial moment through storytelling, candlelight, and creative traditions

From bonfires to creating handmade decorations and sharing stories, discover how people throughout time have found warmth and wonder in the darkest night.

Enjoy complimentary hot chocolate and cookies as you celebrate this special evening together. Afterward, head up to the Observatory for telescope viewing (weather permitting) to mark the return of longer days ahead.

More Information
Please note: program admission does not include after-hours museum access. Be sure to wear layers for the Observatory’s cool nighttime conditions.

WinterFest - Day 2
2025-12-21 10:00 - 17:00
$24 Adults, $19 Children (2-12) and Seniors (65+)
Members get in FREE
Buy Tickets

Pack your mission gear and prepare for liftoff! Your winter adventure begins at the Chabot Space Station, where frozen frontiers await! Step through the portal and prepare to journey across some of the coldest, most captivating worlds in the cosmos: the ocean-covered moon Europa, the dazzling ice plains of Pluto, and a mysterious icy exoplanet orbiting a distant star.

Ongoing Experiences

10AM – 5PM | NASA Ames Visitor Center
NASA Ames staff will share insights into NASA’s Artemis program, highlighting upcoming lunar missions and future robotic exploration of icy worlds such as Europa and other ocean-bearing moons, where scientists are searching for clues to habitability beyond Earth. Visitors can also take part in an interactive infrared camera demonstration, revealing how scientists “see” heat and use infrared technology to study Earth, the Moon, and distant worlds across our solar system.

10AM – 4PM | Mezzanine
Boo Bubbles uses dry-ice fog to create ghostly bubbles that mimic the extreme cold and thin atmospheres of frozen moons like Europa and Enceladus, inviting visitors to imagine icy, hidden-ocean worlds.

10AM – 4PM | Mezzanine
Planetary Cyro Chemistry with the pH of Dry Ice Demo – The pH of Dry Ice demo turns sublimating CO₂ into a color-changing wonder, revealing how carbonic acid forms and transforming liquids into vibrant hues reminiscent of dynamic chemistry on icy worlds.

10AM – 4PM | Studio 3
Icy Orbs invites visitors to examine mysterious frozen spheres and imagine their origins, sparking creative stories about distant exoplanets where extreme cold, shifting surfaces, and unusual chemistry shape alien worlds.

11AM – 2PM | Upper Rotunda
Pacific Face Painting – Ready for some extra sparkle? Stop by our face-painting area and let Pacific Face Painters transform your favorite characters, creatures, and colors into wearable art for all ages.

12– 5PM | Observation Deck
SMAX – A pop-up and test kitchen that focuses on creatively assembled sandwiches and treats served by Paris and Joog, two friends from San Francisco and Vallejo.

3 – 5PM | Studio 3
SIPREME Hot Chocolate – Stop by SIPREME Chocolate of Alameda for a steaming cup of out-of-this-world hot chocolate, right outside of Chabot’s historic telescopes! The perfect beverage for chilly nights staring up at the heavens! This is no ordinary hot chocolate — it’s made with shaved chocolate bar, giving it added richness and depth. Four fabulous flavors will be available in either 2% or oat milk. For more information about SIPREME, visit www.sipremechocolate.com.

Timed Activities

10:30AM – 10:50AM, 11:30AM – 11:50AM, 2PM – 2:20PM | Theater
Icy Worlds Mission Briefing – Join our educators in the theater for an orientation on icy worlds throughout the solar system and beyond. Take this knowledge along as you embark on the rest of Winter Fest to find icy experiments, winter crafts, and so much more!

12:30 PM-1:15 PM | Theater
Extraterrestrial McFlurries: Icy worlds in our solar system and beyond! Join astrobiologist Julia DeMarines, for a grand tour on the coolest places in and beyond the solar system and what it means for life out there.
Julia DeMarines is an Astrobiologist working as a senior scientist on evolutionary intelligences for data security in the age of AI. She is a National Geographic Explorer and Educator. Her research involves detecting life in space through biosignatures and technosignatures, and the ethics of sending messages to contact aliens.

3:30 PM-4PM | Theater
Holiday Laser Show – Light up the night with our full-dome laser show featuring holiday classics!

1:30 PM-2:15 PM | Planetarium
Live Zeiss Show: Solstice Sky – Join us for a guided tour of the wintertime night sky. Discover this winter’s constellations and planets, and learn what “the Solstice” is all about. This is a live planetarium show presented by Eastbay Astronomical Society members John Currie and Gerald McKeegan.

12–12:30 PM, 1–1:30 PM, 3-3:30 PM | Portable Planetarium
Solar System Adventures: Frozen Worlds – Join Josh Roberts from Astro Everywhere on a live tour of the icy worlds of our solar system. See moons, ice giants and minor planets up close and personal in the Portable Planetarium!
Astro Everywhere brings the astronomy to YOU! From breaking astronomy headlines to telescopes or a planetarium at events, Astro Everywhere tries to connect Bay Area audiences with the night sky and the universe beyond it.

11:30AM – 12:30PM, 2:30PM – 3:30PM | Lab 2
Add-On Workshop: Gingerbread Rovers – Put your engineering skills (and your sweet tooth) to the test in our Edible Mars Rover Lab! Learn about the real rovers exploring Mars, then design and build your own gingerbread decorated version using graham crackers, frosting, and other delicious materials. It’s a fun, creative workshop that combines science, engineering, and holiday cheer all in one tasty mission. Each ticket includes one rover kit. A maximum of two people may work on each rover. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
11:30AM
2:30PM

10:45AM – 11AM, 12:45PM – 1PM, 2:45PM – 3PM, 3:45PM – 4PM | Amphitheater
Snow Fall – Head to the Amphitheater to catch some snowflakes as we transform Chabot into an icy winter wonderland!

2PM – 4PM | Studio 2
Miraculous Weekend – Live music in AstroLight!
Miraculous Weekend is a 5-piece modern Americana and Bluegrass string band (Drew Thomas on upright bass, Jordan Klein on banjo, Zac Mathews on mandolin, and Mike Sinclaire and Alex Spector on guitars). Based in Oakland and Marin, tight vocal harmonies and an at time frenetic energy are hallmarks of this group of friends.

NEW Planetarium Show!
SPACETIME
Telescopes built to detect electromagnetic waves, like visible light, infrared, radio waves, and other forms, give us the ability to see objects and events at great distances in the universe, and far back in time. Today, a new type of instrument, the “gravity wave telescope”, is giving us the power to “hear” cosmic events beyond the sight of ordinary telescopes. Gravity waves are ripples in spacetime created by events like collisions between black holes, and powerful processes that took place in the earliest times of our universe.
The Dutch Black Hole Consortium is currently building an enormous underground gravity wave detector, called the Einstein Telescope. When completed, this instrument will provide unprecedented insight into the nature of the universe and its origin, allowing scientists to probe cosmic secrets that light waves cannot illuminate.

Generously sponsored by
