How Much Does a Mobile Planetarium Cost?

Here’s the number most companies make you email for: a full day is $1,499, a half day is $999. That’s the whole price — setup, teardown, equipment, and a live presenter are included, and travel is included within 50 miles of Chicago (beyond that, pricing may be adjusted).

The 2026–27 rates

• Half day — $999. Up to 4 half-hour sessions. About 200 students. Morning or afternoon, your choice.
• Full day — $1,499. Up to 12 half-hour sessions. Up to 600 students.
• Additional day — $1,199. For bigger schools that want every grade to go through without rushing.
• Libraries — $749. Two weekend sessions, with a $250 upgrade to a half day.

Prices shown are as of July 2026 — current rates are always on our pricing page.

No fuel surcharges, no equipment fees, no per-student add-ons.

What that works out to per student

A full day at a full school runs as low as about $2.50 a student. For comparison, a traditional planetarium field trip means admission plus buses plus a day of logistics — and the bus alone often costs more than our entire visit.

That per-student math is also why PTOs and PTAs fund a lot of our visits. It’s a number a fundraiser can cover.

“We appreciated that all the curriculum was age appropriate.” — Steph Sverdlov, PTA President, Palatine IL

What’s included (all of it)

Every visit gets a live, NGSS-aligned lesson matched to each group’s grade level — 20+ lessons to choose from. We bring everything, set up in about 30 minutes, run every session, and strike the dome after the last group. School staff only walk groups down and supervise.

Half day or full day — which one fits

Rough guide: a half day moves about 200 students through in 4 sessions, so schools around that size (or schools sending only certain grades) book the half day. A full day covers up to 600. Somewhere in between? Tell us your enrollment when you reach out and we’ll recommend one — that’s a one-email answer, not a sales call.

Half days run morning or afternoon, your choice, and occupy the gym about 3.5 hours including our setup and teardown.

What we don’t charge for

Worth listing, because other vendors do: no setup fee, no teardown fee, no equipment rental line, no per-session charge, no fuel surcharge inside 50 miles. Teachers and aides in the dome don’t count against student capacity. The price on the pricing page is the price on the invoice.

Paperwork, POs, and CPS

We’re an approved CPS vendor. We accept purchase orders, we’ll send a W-9 and certificate of insurance with the contract, and we add your school as additional insured at no cost. We’re fully insured. If your district’s payment process is slow, tell us — we’re flexible on structure.

When to book

School calendars fill in two waves: August–October and January–March. If you’re eyeing a specific week — especially around a space unit or testing season — reach out early and we can hold a date for a few days while you get sign-off.

Questions about your school’s size or space? Launch Your Mission — we usually reply within one business day.