Uniformed group shows can be arranged most week day evenings from Monday to Thursday. Shows are usually tailored to a specific badge requirement, e.g. Brownie Stargazer, and cover most elements specified for the badge - although badge shows are not mandatory and any mix of education and entertainment can be catered for.

Most badges require an element of observing through a telescope, which we endeavour to accommodate in a visit for an evening show during the observing season (September to April). The weather is not always helpful in facilitating this, which may alter the length of a visit. The normal duration of a badged star show is 1 hour & 15 minutes, observing can take up another 30 minutes and a trip to the toilets (there are none in the building) takes another 15 minutes, so it is best to allow 2 hours minimum for a visit. Please note that there are no toilets in the building and once inside it is difficult to leave in the middle of the show and then regain entry, for this reason we recommend a visit to the public toilet block on the park (60 metres away) before the start of a star show.

Charges

The Planetarium & Observatory are a non-profit making service area within the Care for Your Area section of Development and Neighbourhood Services, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council. We are a subsidised service area and try to offer our services at a minimum cost to all. Current charges for shows are:

• Concession (child) - £3.00

This is subject to a minimum booking fee which is currently £50, for groups of less than 17 concessions this minimum fee will apply per activity session, otherwise visits are charged at a price per child. Admission is free for accompanying leaders & adults acting in loco-parentis. Please note that we oprate a cancellation policy and that by making a booking you agree to abide by the terms and conditions of this policy.

Capacity

Although the planetarium is equiped to seat 72, we rarely use this capacity for star shows (only lectures) for a variety of reasons to do with comfort and noise levels. The maximum we recommend for a star show is in the region of 40, if in doubt about numbers and what we can accommodate please call us to discuss your requirements.