Important Parking Update

The UNC-owned parking lot in front of our building is currently under construction. Visitors must now pay using ParkMobile (Zone Code 4468). Find more updated parking information on our Plan A Visit page.

Plan A Visit

Find information about tickets, accessibility, parking, and more on this page. When you’re ready, use our calendar to choose a scheduled planetarium show and purchase your tickets online.


Hours

  • Monday-Thursday | Closed
  • Friday | 2:30 pm – 6:00 pm
  • Saturday | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
  • Sunday | 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Admission

See a planetarium show in our GSK Fulldome Theater and get general admission with the same bundled ticket! Bundled tickets are available online through our calendar and in person at the Box Office while tickets remain available. Tickets go on sale online two weeks in advance and will remain available up to 1 hour before showtime.

Schools and other groups can make group reservations for weekdays. Read below for more information about group visits, or contact our reservations team if you have questions about a group reservation.

ADMISSION + PLANETARIUM SHOW GENERAL ADMISSION*
Children under 3FREE (with parent)FREE (with parent)
UNC Students$5.00 (with ID)FREE (with ID)
Children/College Students/Seniors/Military & Veterans$13.95$9.95
Adults$15.95$10.95
Morehead Members**
Become a Member
FREE
(regularly scheduled shows)
FREE

*General admission includes all-day access to exhibits, Launch Lab activities, Science LIVE! demos, and our Cosmic Goods gift shop. General admission does not include planetarium shows or special programs. General admission tickets are only available in person at the Box Office and not in advance.

**Free admission for 1-5 guests, depending on membership level. See our membership page for benefits. Members can get their free tickets at the Box Office.

UNC students* – UNC Chapel Hill students with a valid UNC One Card can receive free general admission tickets and $5 admission + planetarium show bundled tickets. These tickets are only available in-person at the Box Office on the day of the planetarium show and are not available in advance. All students must show their UNC One Card to receive the discount.

Museums for All* – Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is a proud member of Museums for All. Visitors with SNAP EBT cards are eligible for $1 Admission + Planetarium Show tickets for the cardholder and up to 7 guests at the same per ticket price. The cardholder must show identification along with their SNAP EBT card at the time of purchase. Learn more about our Museums for All annual membership here.

Second show discount* – Guests who already have a ticket to a planetarium show may purchase tickets to an additional, same-day planetarium show for an additional $5/Adult and $4/non-adult at the Box Office. This discount is only available in-person at the Box Office and is not available in advance. Guests may show their receipt or tickets at the Box Office to receive the discount when purchasing the additional show tickets. This discount cannot be combined with other discounts.

Buy-One-Get-One* – Members of the NC Zoo, Greensboro Science Center, and eligible ASTC Passport Program science centers and museums (more than 90 miles away) may receive buy-one-get-one tickets when purchased at the Box Office in-person, up to 8 total tickets (4 free). A valid NC Zoo, Greensboro Science Center, or eligible ASTC Passport Program member organization membership card is required. Discount is only available in-person at the Box Office and is not available in advance. BOGO discount is not applicable to tickets for additional same-day shows or special programs. Cannot be combined with other discounts.

ASTC Passport Program memberships must be from a participating ASTC science center or museum located more than 90 miles from Morehead. The following ASTC science centers and museums are within 90 miles of Morehead, and members at these institutions are not eligible for the ASTC discount: The Museum of Life and Science (Durham), NC Museum of Natural Sciences (Raleigh), Marbles Kids Museum (Raleigh), Kaleideum (Winston Salem), Imperial Centre for the Arts & Sciences (Rocky Mount), and Imagination Station Science and History Museum (Wilson).

*The above discounts are not available in advance and can only be redeemed in-person at the Box Office on the day of the visit. Guests who purchase tickets online in advance are not eligible to receive the above discounts and must purchase tickets at the online price. Guests who purchase tickets online at full price are not eligible to receive a refund for the discount they would have received if the tickets had been purchased in-person on the day of the visit.

Field Trips – Special pricing is available for public, private, and homeschool groups of 10 or more guests with advance reservations. Please see our Field Trips page for more information. Availability for field trip pricing may be limited to certain dates, times, and/or programs.

Groups – Non-school groups may also book advance reservations for groups of 10 or more guests at a discounted rate. Please see our Group Visits page for more information. Availability for non-school group pricing may be limited to certain dates, times, and/or programs.

ARE YOU AN EDUCATOR?

Check out the For Educators page to view more information about field trips and outreach visits to your school.

Upcoming

We’re currently closed.
Where to find us:

250 E Franklin St | UNC Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill NC 27514

Getting Here

250 E Franklin St
Chapel Hill NC 27514

Get Directions

From Raleigh and Eastern North Carolina

Take I-40 west to Exit 270 (US 15-501). Turn left off the exit and cross over I-40 onto US 15-501 south. Travel 1.5 miles. When the road forks, take the right fork to Franklin Street. Follow Franklin Street west for 2.5 miles and look for Morehead on the left.

From Pittsboro and the Sandhills Area

Take US 15-501 north to Chapel Hill. Cross Fordham Boulevard (this is the US 15-501 Bypass) and stay on US 15-501 Business, which is Columbia Street. Travel 1.5 miles and turn right onto Franklin Street. Follow Franklin Street east for a half mile and look for Morehead on the right.

From Durham and Areas Northeast of Durham

Take I-85 south to US 15-501. Travel south and cross I-40. Travel 1.5 miles. When the road forks, take the right fork to Franklin Street. Follow Franklin Street west for 2.5 miles and look for Morehead on the left.

From Burlington, Greensboro, and Western North Carolina

Take I-40 east to Exit 266 (NC Highway 86). Turn right onto Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (Historic Airport Road). Travel north 4.1 miles and turn left onto Franklin Street. Follow Franklin Street west for a half mile and look for Morehead on the right.

Public Transportation

Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is accessible via Chapel Hill Transit and GoTriangle. Please note Chapel Hill Transit offers fare-free bus service between UNC, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro.

PARKING FOR CARS AND VANS

Parking for Morehead visitors is available in several area parking lots and on Franklin Street in downtown Chapel Hill.

The closest parking lot is located directly in front of the Morehead Building and is owned and operated by UNC as a campuswide parking lot. This UNC lot will be under construction through early summer 2024. During this time, parking will be limited and only available in designated visitor spaces identified by visitor signage. Visitors can pay for parking using the ParkMobile app (Zone Code 4468) or the Digital Pay Station near our iguana. There is no cash payment option.

Parking on Saturdays and Sundays is free, unless the lot is reserved for special events. After business hours and on weekends, other parking lots on the UNC campus may also have spaces available. Overnight parking is not permitted in this UNC lot.

We strongly encourage visitors to plan ahead and allow adequate time to find alternate parking (see Park on the Hill). Thank you for your understanding as the University works to create an improved parking environment at Morehead. Questions concerning this parking lot can be directed to UNC Transportation and Parking at 919.962.3951.

Note: The UNC lot is reserved on Saturdays when home football games are scheduled (see the schedule here). Parking is not available on these days starting 2 hours prior to the start of the game. You should plan to park elsewhere if visiting Morehead during a football game or in the 2 hours prior to a game. Alternative parking on game days is available in several area parking lots and on Franklin Street in downtown Chapel Hill. Click here to learn more about parking in Chapel Hill.

PARKING FOR BUSES

Buses and oversize vehicles may pull into the lot to drop off students, but must park off-site. For more information about bus parking, please see our Field Trips page (for schools) or Group Visits page (for non-school groups)

Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is a unit of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). UNC provides downloadable maps in PDF format to help visitors locate accessibility features on the UNC campus:

Morehead welcomes requests from guests with special needs and requests for accommodations. Please view our Non-Discrimination Policy online for reference.

Do you need to make an accommodation request? Please contact our Box Office at 919.843.7997 or email us at mpsc_tickets@email.unc.edu as far in advance of your visit as possible.

PARKING

Spaces are designated directly in front of the Morehead Building to provide parking for persons with disabilities. Curb cuts provide access to sidewalks, which are primarily brick throughout the UNC campus.

The parking lot at Morehead is operated by UNC and served by a gate attendant during weekday business hours.

ENTRANCE

Morehead’s primary entrance is on the west side of the building where a grand staircase and large banners are located.

  • Please note that the main entrance now faces the University campus; it no longer faces the parking lot.
  • The main entrance provides a ramp, handrails, push-button door entry, and access to accessible bathrooms and an elevator.

ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES

Morehead offers headsets for assisted listening during educational programming. These devices are available for use in the GSK Fulldome Theater, Science Stage, Australis Classroom, Borealis Classroom, and South Gallery Classroom.

If you wish to use assistive listening in the GSK Fulldome Theater, please inform Box Office staff at least 15 minutes before your planetarium show time.

If you wish to use assistive listening during programs in the Science Stage or a classroom, please inform the Morehead staff member leading the program at least 15 minutes before the program begins.

There is no charge to use these assistive listening devices for Morehead programming.

INTERPRETERS/TRANSLITERATORS

Sign language interpretation and/or cued speech may be available through UNC Accessibility Resources and Service. Please contact the Box Office at 919.843.7997 or email us at mpsc_tickets@email.unc.edu at least two weeks before your visit to request this service. Interpretation assistance is dependent upon availability of interpreting services.

Visit our Accessibility page for more information.

Ready to buy your tickets?

Use our calendar to choose a scheduled planetarium show and buy your tickets online. Please note that you can only purchase bundled tickets (admission plus one planetarium show) online in advance. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance as availability for walk-up purchases may be limited.

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