Ott Planetarium

Outside the planetarium with our purple Science Saturday bag!

We found a really fun adventure at Weber State College in Ogden. On certain Saturdays throughout the summer college students open up the Ott Planetarium for games, activities, and learning. They call it Science Saturday. There are science activities throughout the building, and shows in the planetarium every half an hour.

When we arrived, they gave us a reusable bag to hold all the items from Science Saturday. Then we hopped in line for the next planetarium show. The show was held inside the dome, and you leaned far back in your chair and watched the movie in 3D directly over your head. They showed two short movies which our kids loved. Even our one year old sat still. (Sorry, it was impossible to capture a picture of the dome). Then Dad and the older boys (age 4 and 7) stayed to watch the live show about constellations while the bay and Mom explored the other stations. One station focused on the periodic table and had you build molecules out of marshmallows and straws. Another sent you on a scavenger hunt to find information throughout the museum on the floor below. We even earned some free magnets for completing the scavenger hunt.

This event was free and seemed really popular. It was one of our favorite finds. We plan on going back again soon. It always takes place on a Saturday between noon and 5pm. To check the schedule, visit their website. The Ott Planetarium is located in the Lind Lecture Hall on Weber State's campus in Ogden.

The baby loved the dimetrodon.

The allosaurus in the museum.

Our 4 year-old liked the animals better than the fossils.