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Hokulani Imaginarium

About the Hokulani Imaginarium
Hawaiian for Starry Heavens, Windward Community College's Hokulani Imaginarium is a high-tech planetarium and multi-media facility that allows audiences to experience immersive adventures in a true 360° environment.  Viewers feel like they are part of the unfolding scene, whether it is falling through a black hole, flying through Saturn’s rings or witnessing the beginnings of the universe.
Read more about the Imaginarium.


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SCHOOL & GROUP TOURS

 808-235-7321

Please call 808-235-7321 for inquiries about school tours or visits by private groups.

Tours Info & Prices
Shows Recommendations by Grade

For reservations  School Visit Form

Schools and other private groups may select any show from the Library of Shows. Each show's litsing identifies therecommended grade/age level. Many of the shows include educational standards and activity resources.

Tours may include a visit to the Aerospace Exploration Lab (a hands-on science museum) at no additional cost.


       ANNOUNCEMENTS

Celebrate the Centennial of the Planetarium

This year 2023 is the 100th anniversary of the planetarium. In October 1923, the Carl Zeiss company dmonstrated the first planetarium at the Deutsches Museum. The first public presentation took place in 1924 and went down in history as "The Miracle of Jena".

Click to view the planetarium's history.

 

 

CELESTIAL EVENTS

about the moon

 

Complete List of Shows

To see the full list of shows, click
Library of Shows

... or select any show title below to see its description and trailer:

Ancient Skies
Asteroid: Mission Extreme
Astronaut
Back to the Moon for Good
Big Astronomy
Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity
Cosmic Collisions
Cosmic Rays
Cowboy Astronomer
Dark
Dark Matter Mystery
Dawn of the Space Age
Destination Mars
Distant Worlds—Alien Life?
Dream to Fly
Earth, Moon and Sun
Earthquake
Europe to the Stars
Expedition Reef
Flight Adventures
Flying Monsters
From Earth to the Universe
Halloween Celestial Origins
Hot and Energetic Universe
IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Universe
Kaluokahina: The Enchanted Reef
Larry Cat in Space
Led Zeppelin
Magic Tree House: Space Mission
Maori Legends: How It was Told to Me
Maunakea: Between Earth and Sky
Mayan Archaeoastronomy
Moons Worlds of Mystery
Nightwalk
Oceans in Space
One World One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure
Origins of Life
Out There: Quest for Extrasolar Worlds
Perfect Little Planet
Phantom of the Universe
Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon
Pink Floyd: The Wall
Queen Light Show
Saturn and Beyond
Season of Light
Seeing
Sky Pirates
Sounds of the Underground
Star of Bethlehem: The Magi's Story
Stars of The Pharaohs
Stars Powerhouses of the Universe
The Sun: Our Living Star
Sunset Mediation
Sunstruck
Tales of the Maya Skies
To Space and Back
Totality
Tour of the Solar System
Two Small Pieces of Glass
Unveiling the Invisible Universe
Voyages of the Starship Discovery
Wayfinders: Waves, Winds and Stars

List of Short Shows:

The following shows, which run under 12 minutes in length, are also available as second feature programs upon request.

Centennial of the Planetarium
Cosmonaute 360
Crossing Worlds
Halloween Cave
Korean Triplet Stars
Lichtmond: Precious Life
Light Echoes
Light–Zeiss
Losing the Dark
Maori Legends: Creation Story
Maori Legends: The Great Waka
Maori Legends: Rona and the Moon
Secret of the Dragon
Solar Quest
Spacepark 360: Diablo
Tour of the Universe
Variable Star Episodes
Waiting Far Away
Wall of China
Yucatan Sinkholes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Connect with the Imaginarium

Find us on Facebook

 

GENERAL PUBLIC SHOWS

 808-235-7350

Please call 808-235-7350 for reservations for our general public Imaginarium shows.

For recorded information on our Imaginarium shows, please call
808-236-9170. This number only provides our pre-recorded message
and does not accept caller voice messages.

PUBLIC SHOW PRICES

  • $8   General Admission
  • $7   WCC student, military, senior (65+) with ID
  • $6   Children (ages 4-12)
  • Free for children under 4 (1 per paying adult), WCC faculty or staff with ID

Tickets may be purchased at the Imaginarium box office 30 minutes
before the show.

    Please Note:
      • Credit/debit cards are not accepted at the box office.
      • Late seating is not permitted.
      • No food or drinks inside the Imaginarium.

 

 

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                          OR VIEW:

      Spring 2023
        Schedule

 

schedule

Programs run approximately 1 hour in length

All Imaginarium shows—with the exception of the interactive show Voyages of the Starship Discovery and musical shows like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen Light show and The Sounds of the Underground—contain a live sky segment in addition to the feature show.

Trailers and Educational Standards for some of the shows can be viewed by clicking on show's poster image below.

Maunakea Between Earth and Sky

Maunakea: Between Earth and Sky

Feb 3 (Fri) at 7:00 pm

Maunakea Between Earth and Sky is the signature show of the 'Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo.

Explore connections between Hawaiian culture and Maunakea astronomy. Become immersed in the story of Pele and Poli`ahu and the creation of the Hawaiian Islands. Gaze into the night sky, past planets, galaxies and swirling nebula—back to the beginning of the universe—and fly through an observatory atop Maunakea.

Produced by the'Imiloa Astronomy Center and Evans and Sutherland and Co-Directed by Dr. Joseph Ciotti

 

Dream to Fly

Dream to Fly

Feb 3 (Fri) at 8:15 pm

Have you ever dreamt you were flying? Have you ever thought how wonderful would it be to fly free as a bird?

Discover the mystery of flight with Leonardo da Vinci, Montgolfier brothers, Wright brothers and other inventors. Experience the adventure with powerful images and music, an immense and challenging dream, for which mankind has strived since the beginning of history.


“Dream to Fly” describes the most important milestones on our conquest of
the skies.

Narrated by Danuta Stenk

 

Stargazing

Stargazing

2nd Wednesday of each month at 7 pm Feb 8, Mar 8, Apr 12, May 10, Jun 14 and Jul 12

Join veteran presenter/storyteller Krissie Kellogg on the second Wednesday of each month as she takes you on a delightful tour of the constellations in the Imaginarium skies. Stay informed as the stars, planets and moon change as they move through space and learn about current events happening in the night sky as well as in space exploration!

Star-Crossed Lovers

Adults 18+

Feb 14 (Tues) at 7:00 pm

If you're looking for something extra-special and fun to do with your romantic partner or friends on Valentine's Day, consider a date at the Imaginarium's "PG-18" Star-Crossed Lovers show.

Begin with flowers and chocolates at our Aerospace Exploration Lab. Then visit our astro-themed photo booth for sellfies.

Festivities continue at our fulldome planetarium where resident star lore expert Krissie Kellogg will enchant you with the "adult" version tales of mythical gods and goddesses whose romantic adventures are retold in the mythology behind the constellations.

 

MagiStar Poster-1

Queen Light Show

Feb 17 (Fri) at 7:30 pm

The Queen Light Show—From Mercury with Love features Queen's greatest hits and sets them to eye-popping visuals under the planetarium dome. This feature show is followed by a special Encore performance, produced by the Hokulani Imaginarium, especially for loyal Queen fans.

The Queen Light Show was produced by Robert T. Longway Planetarium with visual resources created by Magic Music Visuals, Evans & Sutherland, and Pixabay.

(This presentation does not include the Imaginarium's usual live sky segment.)

 

Kaluokahina

Kaluokahina: The Enchanted Reef

Feb 25 (Sat) at 1:00 pm

"Kaluokahina" is an enchanted tropical coral reef. The reef's colorful inhabitants have always lived in this peaceful, secret world--until a volcanic catastrophe breaks the spell!

Now it's up to Jake, a young sawfish, and his buddy Shorty, a lively reef fish, to restore the magic of their home. Their only lead ... an ancient legend that tells of touching the moon.

 

Stars of the Pharaohs

Stars of the Pharaohs

Feb 25 (Sat) at 2:15 pm

Audiences are take back 6,000 years to the land of ancient Egypt and the stars across its desert skies.

This show reenacts the mythological creation of the Egyptian universe and discusses the celestial connections of the many pyramids that stand sentinel to its ancient history.

Learn how the Sun, Orion and the ancient Pole Star were used to align Egypt’s monumental temples and pyramids. Journey through this ancient culture to see the earliest calendar ever devised, based on Sirius and the flooding of the Nile River. 

 

Destination Mars

Destination Mars

Mar 3 (Fri) at 7:00 pm

THE NEXT GIANT LEAP IN HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT IS UPON US.

NASA - and others - have their sights set on the Red Planet, and they’re building the technology to get us there! Destination Mars: The New Frontier gives audiences an up-close look at humanity’s most epic endeavor.

Explore the work being done around the globe to help make the dream of getting humans to Mars a reality. Fly through the International Space Station, where astronauts are already living and working in space, and follow the rockets and vehicles that will take humans beyond the Moon and, one day, all the way to Mars!

 

Asteroid Mission Extreme

Asteroid: Mission Extreme

Mar 3 (Fri) at 8:15 pm

Asteroid: Mission Extreme takes audiences on an epic journey to discover how asteroids are both a danger and an opportunity. The danger lies in the possibility of a cataclysmic collision with Earth; the opportunity is the fascinating idea that asteroids could be stepping stones to other worlds – veritable way stations in space – enabling us to cross the Solar System.

National Geographic and Lockheed Martin present a Sky-Skan production

Narrated by Sigourney Weaver

 

Larry Cat in Space

Larry Cat in Space

Mar 25 (Sat) at 1:00 pm

Larry Cat In Space is an imaginative story about an inquisitive cat who takes a trip to the Moon. Through Larry's eyes, we observe his human family, a group of enthusiastic sky-watchers. Larry's owner, Diana, takes a job on the Moon, and sadly leaves Larry behind.

Larry stows away on a Space Plane, which t ultimately takes him to the Moon and Diana.  There, Larry meets the rest of Imbrium Village's inhabitants, including Commander Stone who makes Larry a cat space suit. When Larry ventures outside, he spots the Earth, looking a lot like the Moon did from the porch at home.

 

Cowboy Astronomer

The Cowboy Astronomer

Mar 25 (Sat) at 2:15 pm

This show is a skillfully woven tapestry of star tales and Native American legends, combined with constellation identification, star-hopping and astronomy tidbits--all told from the unique viewpoint of a cowboy astronomer who has travelled the world plying his trade and learning the sky along the way.

Narrated by cowboy poet Baxter Black, the audience is transported to the Western outdoors, listening to star legends and cowboy tales around the campfire. Our cowboy astronomer gives us his perspective of the night sky and the things he's discovered over a lifetime of stargazing.

 

Earth, Moon and Sun

Earth, Moon and Sun

Apr 22 (Sat) at 1:00 pm

Earth, Moon and Sun is a fulldome Imaginarium show that explores the relationship between the Earth, Moon and Sun with the help of Coyote, an amusing character adapted from Native American oral traditions, who has a razor sharp wit, but is a bit confused about what he sees in the sky.

Join this fast-paced and fun-filled show as it explores the wonders of lunar phases, sunrises and sunsets, eclipses, space travel to our Moon and other puzzles. Native American stories are told throughout the show to help distinguish between myths and science.

 

Earthquake

Earthquake

Apr 22 (Sat) at 2:15 pm

Take a breathtaking tour of our ever-active planet. Fly to sites of historic earthquakes and envision a future made safer from seismic events. 


"Earthquake: Evidence of a Restless Planet" gives a high-speed tour of the past 200 million years that will unearth the science behind our ever-changing planet.

Narrated by Benjamin Bratt

 

Tales of the Maya Skies

Tales of the Maya Skies

May 5 (Fri) at 7:00 pm

This Imaginarium show recreates the splendor of Maya architecture and astronomy. Grammy Award winner and Oscar nominee Lila Downs narrates this magnificent journey through Maya cities and temples aligned to the movements of the Sun, Moon and planets.

Rediscover the treasures of this advanced civilization whose sophisticated mathematics predicted eclipses, forecast seasonal change and formulated a calendar of extraordinary precision.

 

Big Astronomy

Big Astronomy

May 5 (Fri) at 8:15 pm

Big Astronomy: People, Places, Discoveries explores three observatories located in extreme environments and remote locations in Chile. Due to its special climate and location, which creates stable, dry air Chile is one of the best places in the world for astronomy. By 2022, 70% of the world's optical and infrared collecting power will be located in Chile. The show highlights the multitude of careers needed to keep the great observatories working.

Narrated by: Barbara Rojas-Ayala, a Chilean astronomer

 

Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon

May 19 (Fri) at 7:30 pm

Immerse yourself in a fulldome experience of Pink Floyd’s 1973 classic rock music album synched with the next generation of computer generated imagery of mesmerizing waves of colors, images, and animations. Not recommended for young children, suggested age 13 and above.

(This presentation does not include the Imaginarium's usual live sky segment.)

Astronaut

Astronaut

May 27 (Sat) at 1:00 pm

Find out what it takes to be an astronaut! Explore inner and outer space as you experience a rocket launch from an astronaut's point of view and float around the International Space Station in microgravity.

Presented in stunning high-definition fulldome video and surround sound, Astronaut is an experience like nothing on Earth! Narrated by Ewan McGregor.

Season_of_Light

Saturn and Beyond

May 27 (Sat) at 2:15 pm

Saturn’s rings are one of the most beautiful sights in the solar system. Astronomers have known about these rings for over 400 years, yet they still present many questions. In 2004, the Cassini spacecraft reached Saturn and sent back volumes of data. Learn the history of the discovery of Saturn’s rings and explore the mysterious features seen by the Cassini spacecraft. Travel beyond to the outer gaseous planets to learn how their rings systems were discovered.

 

Black Holes

Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity

       CANCELED

Jun 2 (Fri) at 7:00 pm

This cutting-edge production features high-resolution visualizations of cosmic phenomena, working with data generated by supercomputer simulations, to bring the current science of black holes to the screen.

Audiences will be dazzled with striking, immersive animations of the formation of the early universe, star birth and death, the collision of giant galaxies, and a simulated flight to a super-massive black hole lurking at the center of our own Milky Way Galaxy.

Narrated by Liam Neeson

 

Stars Powerhouses of the Universe

Stars: Powerhouses of the Universe

       CANCELED

Jun 2 (Fri) at 8:15 pm

Every star has a story. Some are as old as time, faint and almost forgotten. Others burn bright and end their lives in powerful explosions. New stars are created every day, born of vast clouds of gas and dust. Through every phase of their existence, stars release the energy that powers the Universe.

Journey to the farthest reaches of our galaxy and experience both the awesome beauty and destructive power of STARS.

Narrated by Mark Hamill

 

PerfectPlanet

Perfect Little Planet

Jun 24 (Sat) at 1:00 pm

Discover our solar system through a new set of eyes – a family from another star system seeking the perfect vacation spot.

Fly over the surface of Pluto, our best known Dwarf Planet. Dive over the ice cliffs of Miranda. Sail through the rings of Saturn. Feel the lightning storms of Jupiter. And walk on the surface of Mars. Which destination would you choose? A solar system journey for space travelers of all ages.

 

Cosmic Collisions

Cosmic Collisions

Jun 24 (Sat) at 2:15 pm

Cosmic collisions are a universal force of nature, both destructive and creative. 


Dynamic and dazzling, they have created many things we take for granted—the glowing Moon, the Sun’s warmth and light, our changing seasons, and waves washing up on a sandy shore. They’ve ended the age of the dinosaurs and changed the very map of the cosmos, reforming galaxies and giving birth to new stars and new worlds.

Cosmic Collisions provides an stunning view of these catastrophic events that have shaped our world and universe.

Narrated by Robert Redford

 

Origins of Life

Origins of Life

Jul 7 (Fri) at 7:00 pm

This show deals with the origin of life and the human search for life beyond Earth. Starting with the Big Bang, the show deals with prebiotic chemistry in the universe, the formation of stars, the formation of solar systems, and the first life on Earth. It covers the great extinctions as well as our search for primitive life beyond planet Earth.

Origins of Life features many recent discoveries related to life science, demonstrating to the youth that if there was ever a time that science made its greatest advances, it would be right now!

Narrated by Lord Robert Winston

 

Expeditiion reef

Expedition Reef

Jul 7 (Fri) at 8:15 pm

Expedition Reef narrated by Tony Award® winner Lea Salonga, will immerse audiences in an undersea adventure. Learn the secrets of the "rainforests of the sea" as you and your visitors embark on an oceanic safari to the world’s most vibrant — and endangered — marine ecosystems.

This fulldome planetarium show provides an up-close look at a part of our planet many people have never experienced. Discover how corals grow, feed, reproduce, and support over 25% of all marine life on Earth — while facing unprecedented threats from climate change, habitat destruction, and overfishing.

One World One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure

One World One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure

Jul 29 (Sat) at 1:00 pm

Elmo and Big Bird live in the United States and Hu Hu Zhu lives far away in China, but they discovered that they still see the same stars at night! The word for star in Chinese is “xing xing” (pronounced sing sing). How many “xing xing” do you see in this sky?

One World One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure was made possible by the generous donation of the Iris and Rodney Fukui Family through the Imaginarium's Adopt-a-Show sponsorship.

 

Two Small Pieces of Glass

Two Small Pieces of Glass

Jul 29 (Sat) at 2:15 pm

Double-Feature show with Flight Adventures

Four hundred years ago a simple adjustment to a child's spyglass revealed for the first time an infinite and perplexing universe to our eyes and our imaginations.

Join us as the world's great telescopes, born out of that serendipitous moment allow audiences to gaze into our distant past as well as our future.

 

Flight Adventures

Flight Adventures

Jul 29 (Sat) at 2:15 pm

Double-Feature show with Two Small Pieces of Glass

This 30-minute multi-media show from the Children's Museum of Indianapolis introduces children and families to the science, technology, and history of flight.

The show features NASA's research and the advancements that have made space travel possible, along with the important role that models have played in flight development.

 

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Center for Aerospace Education
Windward Community College
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updated: 6/4/23