Fleischmann Planetarium

The planetarium was designed by Reno architect Raymond Hellmann and built in 1963. Its signature is that roof, a thin concrete shell in the shape of a hyperbolic paraboloid, a saddle curve that soars and dips and is supported at only two points. It is said to be the only planetarium in the world built in that shape, and the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Originally called the Fleischmann Atmospherium-Planetarium, it opened as the first of its kind in the world, a theater that could project not just the stars but the weather, using time-lapse film to replay a whole day of Nevada sky in minutes. That blend of art, architecture, and science is exactly what makes it a gem rather than just a lecture hall.

The heart of a visit is the domed theater, where full-dome shows fill your entire field of view. Programs range across the night sky, the planets, and the deep universe, from family-friendly star tours to features on space exploration, all projected onto the tilted hemisphere overhead.

The building also holds science exhibits and, over the years, has served generations of Reno schoolchildren as their first encounter with astronomy. It is the kind of place that sparks a lifelong love of the sky.

The planetarium anchors the north end of the University of Nevada, Reno, the state's oldest university, whose historic quad and hilltop campus overlook the city. The university grew alongside Reno's silver-and-railroad boom and remains its intellectual heart.

Reno itself, the self-styled Biggest Little City in the World, sits where the high desert meets the Sierra, a former divorce-and-gaming capital that has reinvented itself around the Truckee River, a lively arts scene, and its position as the gateway to Lake Tahoe.

Reno's location makes it a natural base for the real thing as well as the theater. Within an hour or two you can be under genuinely dark skies in the surrounding desert and mountains, and Lake Tahoe's high country offers superb stargazing on clear nights.

The planetarium is a fine primer, whether you are about to head into the Nevada backcountry or just want to understand what you will see when you look up.

The planetarium is an indoor, all-season stop, ideal on a hot summer afternoon or a cold or stormy day when the outdoors is less inviting. Show schedules change through the year and around university breaks, so plan your visit around a specific program.

It pairs well with the rest of a Reno day, from the riverwalk downtown to a drive up to Tahoe.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.