When is the museum open?

The museum is open every day from 10:00am to 4:00pm, with last admission at 3:30pm. The museum is closed 10:00am to 1:00pm the first Monday of every month, October through March, for our monthly Homeschool Adventures programming. Please note: No food or drink are permitted in the museum and planetarium, this includes the museum’s lobby and entryway.

When is the planetarium open?

Located in the Museum of Natural History, the planetarium is a dome theater which is only open during showtimes. Public planetarium shows are offered at 2pm every Saturday and Sunday, during RI February and April school vacation weeks and at 2pm daily in July and August.

Please check our calendar of events for other public planetarium show offerings. Early arrival is suggested as tickets are sold first-come, first-served. People are not permitted to enter the planetarium once the show has begun.

What are the admission fees?

Museum admission is $2 per person. Children under age 4 are free.
Some special programs have a separate admission.
Planetarium admission (includes museum admission) is $3 per person. Children under age 4 are not permitted in the planetarium.

During December we are offering  FREE museum admission for guests bringing non-perishable food items for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank or children’s books for Books are Wings, an organization dedicated to putting books into the hands of children.

First Saturday of the month is FREE for Providence residents. The first Saturday of every month is free to Providence (not East or North Providence) residents only, with proof of residency. Proof of residency is a driver’s license or photo ID with name and address printed on it. This serves as a “thank you” to Providence residents who help support the museum.

As a thank you to all those who serve our country, we are offering free admission for active military service members and up to 5 family members Memorial Day through Labor Day. Must show military ID to receive discount. Click here for other participating museums.

Special discounts cannot be applied towards group admission.

Holidays/Days the museum and planetarium are closed:

Easter Sunday
Memorial Day
Fourth of July
Victory Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Election Day (November 6, 2018)
Veterans’ Day (observed November 12, 2018)
Thanksgiving Day (November 22) and Day After (November 23)
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day
New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day

Holidays the museum and planetarium are open

• Martin Luther King Day (including planetarium shows at 1 pm and 2 pm)
• President’s Day (including planetarium shows at 1 pm and 2 pm)

Exhibits

There are 5 exhibit halls (2 levels) and a lobby exhibit.
Current Exhibits are:
African Rhythms: Selections from the Heath Collection
Circle of the Sea: Re-Visited and Re-Imagined
Habitable Worlds? Searching for Life in our Solar System and Beyond
Natural Selections: Museum’s Victorian Past to the Present
Urban Wildlife: Nature at Your Doorstep
Seismic Shifts: Earth through Time

Visiting on vacation?

Check out area hotels and attractions in the Providence area.