Come to Backyard Explorers! the first Saturday of each month. The program will dive into local species and ways to investigate your backyard through animal tracks, trail cameras, and more. This fun, interactive program is family friendly and will leave you with ways to explore at home.
Saturday, March 4 we’ll be looking at box turtles. Did you know the Eastern box turtle is the state reptile of North Carolina? Learn all about these unique creatures, featuring two of the museum’s newest residents. We will talk about box turtle anatomy, how box turtles got their name, and the difference between land turtles and sea turtles.
Saturday, April 1 our program is Trees, the Sea, and Me. All habitats are connected and planting and protecting trees can actually help save the sea. In this educational family program, we will provide demonstrations to show how planting trees helps keep the water clean and cool and protects the critters that live in the sea.
Join us each Saturday at 11:00 am for family programs designed by Jamie Justice, the Education Manager for the Museum of Coastal Carolina and Ingram Planetarium, who oversees all family programs. Justice received her Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from Bowling Green State University and her Master of Science in Environmental Science with concentrations in Marine and Coastal Education and Coastal Management from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Magic Globe is an engaging story designed to interest and challenge young children. While on vacation at her grandpa’s house, Mia accidentally discovers a mysterious piece of astronomical machinery with secret powers that can change the world’s seasons. Mia’s eccentric uncle tries to trick Mia into using the tool’s secret powers but she quickly realizes the consequences of their actions. The movie is followed by a live star show.
Immerse yourself in the beauty of Chichén Itzá, Mexico, and listen to the story of the ancient Maya civilization. Experience Tales of the Maya Skies. With unprecedented realism Tales of the Maya Skies immerses us in Maya science, art and mythology, using full dome digital technology to transport us back into the world of the Maya. Tales of the Maya Skies inspires and educates through its description of the Maya’s accurate astronomical achievements and how astronomy connected them to the Universe.
Learn how the telescope helps us understand our place in space and expand our understanding of the Universe. This program explores the history of the telescope and the discoveries this wonderful tool has made.
This is a live star show. The presenter will display the night sky on the planetarium’s dome ceiling and take you on a tour, pointing out the stars, planets, and constellations that are visible in our area. Later, as you are walking along the beach on a clear night, you will be able to recognize by name the celestial sights you see.
Laser Vinyl — Laser Light & Music Show — Features the music of: AC/DC, Van Halen, Queen, Kansas, Kiss, Aerosmith, Boston, Journey, and more!
Laser Retro — Laser Light & Music Show — Features the music of The Police, The Eurythmics, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode, and more!
Enjoy alternative rock music from the 90’s accompanied by colorful laser images displayed on the Planetarium’s dome.
This show is not recommended for young children.
You’re invited to get up close with some of the more familiar creatures found in our ocean.
Our touch tank pool allows you to gently touch marine animals such as sea stars, sea urchins, whelks, horseshoe crabs, and hermit crabs. These animals live in a variety of habitats and have developed many ways to survive the waves and predators. Volunteers are on hand to assist and teach you about these incredible animals.
Did you know, when a sea urchin “hugs” your finger if you gently touch its spines, it’s actually checking you out: Are you food or predator? If you’re neither, the animal will just gradually release you.
Join scientists who are investigating the boundary between our Solar System and the rest of our galaxy in IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System.
Designed for visitors with an appreciation for the challenges of space science and a desire to learn more about science research, the show follows the creation of NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). Audiences will get an in-depth look at the mission and how IBEX is collecting high-speed atoms to create a map of our Solar System’s boundary.
Narrated by two inquisitive teenagers, audiences will hear from the scientists and engineers that developed the IBEX mission and created the spacecraft, and get the latest updates on the mission’s discoveries.