OBSERVATORY PHOTO VIA ORLANDO SCIENCE CENTER
Orlando Science Center (Website) is adding one more weekend to its Stellar Nights series after sold-out crowds packed laser light shows throughout July.
Stellar Nights, presented by Massey Services, Inc., launched July 10 with extended Friday and Saturday hours until 10 p.m., featuring laser light and planetarium shows, telescope viewing in the observatory, maker workshops and evening access to exhibits. Beer and wine have been available for guests 21 and older.
According to Jeff Stanford, the VP of Marketing for OSC, demand snowballed each weekend, prompting the center to add more shows as the series went on. Now, Stellar Nights will run one additional weekend before wrapping up on Friday, August 7, and Saturday, August 8, with encore performances of some of the series’ most popular laser shows.
The final weekend’s laser light schedule includes Queen at 6 and 7 p.m. and Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon at 8 and 9 p.m. on Friday, followed by Taylor Swift at 6 and 7 p.m. and Laser Beatles at 8 and 9 p.m. on Saturday. An earlier lineup on Friday, July 31, features Queen at 7 and 8 p.m. and a Laser Tribute show at 9 p.m., while Saturday, Aug. 1, offers Rocket Man at 7, 8 and 9 p.m. Seating for all Dome presentations is first come, first served, and guests are encouraged to arrive an hour before showtime.
The laser shows run in the center’s new Dome by Dr. Phillips Charities, which also hosts giant screen films and a live planetarium presentation focused on the Orlando night sky, guiding guests through constellations, planets and deep-space imagery.
Guests can also view planets and stars through telescopes in the center’s observatory, weather permitting, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Other evening offerings include live shows in the Digital Adventure Theater, circuit building and hydraulics activities in the Hive makerspace, and hands-on experiments in Dr. Dare’s Lab. KidsTown remains open until 9 p.m., though the Life exhibit closes at its regular time of 5 p.m. to accommodate its resident animals and their bedtimes.
Stellar Nights is included with general admission. OSC members get in free. Tickets are available in advance at osc.org/visit.
