Planetarium

Recently revamped and expanded into the Life Science Centre (Centro Ciência Viva), the Calouste Gulbenkian Planetarium can be found between the west wing of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and the modern extension of the Maritime Museum. The large dome-shaped building was built in 1964 by the architect Frederico George in order to recreate the night sky for the purpose of teaching navigation.

Today it is a high tech fully interactive experience that is very popular with kids, who love the virtual space voyage through the night sky, detailing some 9,000 stars in the Milky Way. The Planetarium dome stretches 25 metres in diameter and displays astronomical shows throughout the day in Portuguese, English and French. Shows typically explain the movement of stars and the solar system, but there are also specialist themes such as the movements of the Star of Bethlehem and Halley’s Comet. The museum has an indoor and outdoor cafe bar area where lunch is served.

Praça do Império. Tel: 21 362 0002.