Reaching for the stars


In 2013, the natural sciences museum complex Space for Life welcomes the brand new Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, taking over for the Montréal Planetarium, which shut down on October 10, 2011. Montréal's own "stellar attraction," Space for Life is already home to the Biodôme, Insectarium and Botanical Garden.

The founding mission of the new Planetarium remains the same: to present astronomy shows—often poetic—that use plain language to make science and technology accessible to all. As such, participants are invited on an interactive adventure bringing them closer to the cosmos in a way that appeals to their emotions and minds. A vast lobby awaits visitors arriving at the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, providing access to all services, including the ticket counter, cloak room, gift shop and café. There will also be a lobby shared with the Biodôme, to accommodate larger groups.

It goes without saying that the three new workshop spaces and two immersion theatres will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Visitors will be able to see what it is really like to be an astronaut in a space flight simulator, and one of the rooms will even feature a meteorite and fossil collection. The stars will align in 2013!