Miami Science Museum

The Miami Science Museum & Planetarium is located in the downtown Miami area nearby Coral Gables.  It is one of the largest summer science camps in the nation and is home to countless exhibits, collections and activities such as the annual South Florida Artists Show and more. The facility was originally built in 1960 on three acres of the historic Vizcaya complex in beautiful Coral Gables, and is now home to the Space Transit Planetarium, Weintraub Observatory, and The Falcon Batchelor Bird of Prey Center.

The Space Transit Planetarium is host to great fun with dazzling monthly events and takes full advantage of its surround sound system, video projector, and lasers to produce breathtaking four-story tall multi-media imagery. The SPITZ "Space Transit Planetarium" star projector is even capable of accurately reproducing the stars and planets as seen from anywhere on Earth at any time during the year.

The Legends of the Night Sky Laser Show tells of our constellations alongside brilliant animations, Worlds in Motion explains everything from the atom level up to celestial mechanics, and of course the fabulous Laserfest a definite treat for the senses to the sounds of Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Tool, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, and more. These awesome events are all held within the 65-foot diameter domed projection screen theatre.

The planetarium is also home to Jack Horkheimer's Star Gazer, the world's first and only weekly television series on naked-eye astronomy.

The Weintraub Observatory houses two powerful Meade telescopes. Each first Friday of the month, a free Planetarium show precedes the Observatory session. Get a chance to peer through the telescope and view the planets, the four moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn and deep sky objects such as galaxies, nebulas and double stars.

The Wildlife Center aka The Falcon Batchelor Bird of Prey Center is a facility dedicated to the ecological research, rehabilitation, and release of injured birds of prey. It is host to fun yearly events such as Snake Day and Lizard Day where live animals are presented to the amazement of children and grown-ups.

During the last decade, the Miami Science Museum and Space Transit Planetarium has expanded to provide space for over 250,000 annual visitors. A future expansion of these facilities will find a home at the currently existing Bicentennial Park. Though the history of the institution can be charted by the growth of its facility, this story is ultimately one of people. For almost 50 years, the museum has been nurtured by a legion of tireless volunteers and generous contributors. Their abundance of vision and dedication has rarely been equaled by any other civic group in the city's history. It is here that the greatness of these accomplishments can be found.