Planetarium

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Planetarium presents programs to school groups, private groups, and the public.  Our facility has been recognized in Physics Today, The Alumnus, and La Crosse Magazine.  The goal of the Planetarium is to provide educational outreach for the area and to raise awareness of the value of astronomy.  For more information about the Planetarium and it's programs, please contact us at 608-785-8669 or by email at rallen2@uwlax.edu .  

PARKING: If you only want information describing Public Programs, Private Group Programs, School Programs, or Album Encounters, scroll down a ways on this page and/or click in the upper left of this page. For parking details, scroll down to near the bottom of this page.

Finding Cowley Hall and the Planetarium : LOOK FOR THE SMOKESTACK!! You can see it from quite a ways off! The smokestack is on the southwest corner of East Avenue and Pine Street. Cowley Hall is on the northwest corner. The Planetarium is Room 20 in the Basement of Cowley Hall. 

ASTRONOMY CLUB OBSERVING SESSIONS : The monthly Dark Sky Observing Sessions are being held at Ridge History Park and the Galesville Schools Observatory. See  http://lcaas.org  for details. The next session (if clear) will be on Friday, November 29th (site conditions permitting) at Ridge History Park. The rain/cloud date is Saturday, November 30th . See the club web page for directions.

Go/no-go messages will be posted on https://groups.io/g/LCAAS        

MONTHLY ASTRONOMY CLUB MEETINGS :  The monthly meetings are usually held on the first Wednesday of the month. The December meeting will be at 7:15 pm on Wednesday, December 4th at the UW - La Crosse Planetarium.  Park in the Stadium Lot (Commuter Lot 2/C-2). Commuter Lots (C Lots) are NOT enforced after 7 pm weekdays.   http://lcaas.org 

Stars

Public Programs :

Public Programs are held at 1:00 pm on Saturdays during the fall and spring semesters.  There are monthly Public Programs in October (every Saturday), November (every Saturday), December (the first 3 Saturdays), February (every Saturday), March (every Saturday), and April (every Saturday). Admission is $8 for Adults and $5 for Students and Seniors.  Each program begins with a talk on the current evening sky, followed by a multimedia audiovisual presentation on an astronomical subject. There are no Public Programs during the summer months or in January. 

Public Planetarium Programs have resumed. The November program will be presented at 1 pm on Saturdays, November 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30. It will feature "Aurora!".  

The December Public Program will be "Winter Wonders". It will be presented at 1 pm on Saturdays, December 7, 14, and 21. 

Park in the Stadium Lot. The Stadium Lot (Commuter Lot 2 or C-2) is on the northeast corner of East Avenue and Pine Street. Commuter (C) lots are NOT enforced on weekends, so you do not need to use the Passport Parking Phone App then. If the Stadium Lot is full due to a UW - L football game (November 30th), basketball game, or track meet, use the Cleary Center Lot (Commuter Lot 12 or C-12) on the northwest corner of East Avenue and Farwell Street) or the Parking Ramp (on Farwell Street between 16th and 17th Streets). If you park in the Cleary Lot or the Parking Ramp, you will have to walk around the east or west side of the Student Union or Wimberly Hall to get to Cowley Hall. 

Album Encounters :

Album Encounters are multimedia light and laser shows set to rock music. They are presented at 8:00 pm on Fridays when classes are in session during the fall and spring semesters. Admission is $8.00. See the bottom of this page for parking information.  

There is no Album Encounter on Friday, November 29th over Thanksgiving Break.

The December 6th album Encounter will feature Linkin Park's current release (7th studio album) "From Zero". 

The December 13th album Encounter will feature Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here". It will be the last one of 1st semester. 

Albums used during the 2024-25 school year were:   

David Gilmour's "Luck and Strange", Pink Floyd's "Meddle", Jack White's "No Name", Doors' "Essential Rarities", Foster The People's "Paradise State Of Mind", Rolling Stones' "Sticky Fingers", Jon Anderson (Yes) and the Band Geeks' "True", Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon", Coldplay's "Moon Music", Grateful Dead's "Oxford, Maine 1993", Kings of Leon's "Can We Please Have Fun", Led Zeppelin's "Houses Of The Holy",  

Park in the Stadium Lot. The Stadium Lot (Commuter Lot 2 or C-2) is on the northeast corner of East Avenue and Pine Street. Commuter (C) lots are NOT enforced after 7 pm weekdays, so you do not need to use the Passport Parking Phone App then.  If the Stadium Lot is full due to a high school football game or a track meet, use the Cleary Center Lot (Commuter Lot 12 or C-12) on the northwest corner of East Avenue and Farwell Street) or the Parking Ramp (on Farwell Street between 16th and 17th Streets). If you park in the Cleary Lot or the Parking Ramp, you will have to walk around the east or west side of the Student Union or Wimberly Hall to get to Cowley Hall.

School and Private Group Programs:

There are several programs available for School and Private Groups. For more information on School and Private Programs, please see the upper left of this web page or contact Bob Allen, Planetarium Director, by email at allen.robe@eagle.uwlax.edu or by phone at 608.785.8669.  

Additional Program Information :

• Public, School, and Private Programs last about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours.  

• Maximum seating capacity is approximately 50 adults OR 70 kindergartners.  

• The charge for private or school groups of 10 or more is $4.00 per person.  The minimum charge per program is $40.00 for a group of 10 or fewer.  

Directions and Parking :

LOCATION: The Planetarium is located in Room 20 in the Basement of Cowley Hall. Cowley Hall is on the northwest corner of East Ave. and Pine Street. LOOK FOR THE SMOKESTACK across the street on the southwest corner of East Avenue and Pine Street.   

PARKING:  ALL Commuter Lots and the Parking Ramp use the Passport Parking Phone App. These Lots are NOT enforced on weekends or after 7 pm weekdays. The Stadium Lot (Commuter Lot 2 or C-2) is the closest Commuter Lot to the Planetarium and it is on the northeast corner of East Avenue and Pine Street. If it is full, use the Cleary Center Lot (Commuter Lot 12 or C-12) or the Parking Ramp. The entrance to the Cleary Lot is on the northwest corner of East Avenue and Farwell Street. The Parking Ramp is on the north side of Farwell Street between 16th and 17th Streets. You do not have to use the Passport Parking Phone App after 7 pm weekdays or on weekends. The Phone App needs to be used from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Friday. Daytime visitors can also get a $5.00 permit for Commuter Lots at the PARKING OFFICE. It is on the northwest corner of Farwell Street and 17th Street. RATES ARE $1.00 PER HOUR. FINES ARE $25.00.  The Planetarium can not be responsible for fines incurred. 

The entrance to the Parking Ramp is on the north side of Farwell Street between 16th and 17th Streets. You can park on Levels 1, 2, or 3. The Ramp is enforced 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Friday. It is NOT enforced on weekends or after 7:00 pm weekdays. You will have to walk around the east or west side of the Student Union or Wimberly Hall to get to Cowley Hall. 

1. Album Encounters Parking:  Park in the Stadium Lot (Commuter Lot C-2). If the Stadium Lot is full (due to a Friday night high school football game or a track meet), use the Cleary Center Lot (Commuter Lot C-12) or the Parking Ramp. The Stadium Lot is on the northeast corner of East Avenue and Pine Street. The Cleary Center Lot is on the northwest corner of East Avenue and Farwell Street. The entrance to the Parking Ramp is on the north side of Farwell Street between 16th and 17th Streets. Commuter (C) Lots are NOT enforced after 7:00 pm weekdays, so you do not have to use the Passport Parking Phone App then. 

2. Public Programs Parking:  The Stadium Lot (Commuter Lot 2 or C-2) is on the northeast corner of East Avenue and Pine Street. Commuter (C) lots are NOT enforced on weekends, so you do not need to use the Passport Parking Phone App.  If the Stadium Lot is full due to UWL football games or track meets, use the Cleary Center Lot (Commuter Lot 12 or C-12) on the northwest corner of East Avenue and Farwell Street) or the Parking Ramp (on Farwell Street between 16th and 17th Streets). If you park in the Cleary Lot or the Parking Ramp, you will have to walk around the east or west side of the Student Union or Wimberly Hall to get to Cowley Hall. 

3. School Group or Private Group Programs Parking:  From 7:00 am to 7:00 pm weekdays, cars or vans can park in the Stadium Lot (C-2). if that lot is full, park in the Cleary Center Lot (Commuter Lot 12 or C-12) on the northwest corner of East Avenue and Farwell Street or in the Parking Ramp (Levels 1, 2, or 3) and use the Passport Parking Phone App. The Parking Ramp entrance is on the north side of Farwell Street between 16th and 17th Streets. 

Parking Lot rates are $1.00 per hour. Fines are $25.00! The Planetarium can not be responsible for fines incurred. Lots are enforced from 7 am to 7:00 pm weekdays (Monday through Friday). Pay using the Passport Parking Phone App. If you park in the Cleary Center Lot or the Parking Ramp, you will have to walk around the east or west side of the Student Union or Wimberly Hall to get to Cowley Hall. 

Daytime visitors can also get a $5.00 permit for Commuter Lots at the PARKING OFFICE. That is on the northwest corner of Farwell Street and 17th Street. 

Thank you for visiting the Planetarium website. Keep looking up and here's hoping  you have clear skies!  

Bob Allen, Planetarium Director
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Email:  rallen2@uwlax.edu