Choose your Iziko Planetarium show by subject and the age of the group, then book the exact screening you want. For younger children, start with a story about the seasons or a space adventure. For a first visit with older children or adults, pick a science topic or a night-sky story you would enjoy together. The South African Museum shares the address, so it is easy to add a gallery visit once you have fixed your show time.

By Aqua Terra's editorial team. Visitor information checked 3 November 2026.

Featured photo: the historic Iziko South African Museum building at the Planetarium's address. Archive photograph by Josephou, uploaded in 2012, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and cropped for display.

Pick the show by subject

A first-time visitor asked what to watch at the Planetarium. Start with Iziko's current Planetarium and Digital Dome schedule. The dome uses a screen that wraps around the audience. The stories and science covered vary by show, so read the description for the session you will actually attend.

Iziko’s term-four programme is dated 6 October to 9 December 2026. It gives useful examples of how to choose. For later visits, use the programme that covers your date.

For younger children: Iziko recommends Tilt for younger viewers. Its story introduces the seasons. Accidental Astronauts uses a fictional space journey to explore the Earth, Moon and Sun.
For older children interested in space science: Look at Cosmic Collisions if they want to understand what happens when objects in space meet. Read the description before booking if fast-moving images or dramatic scenes are a concern.
For adults who prefer storytelling: Iziko describes Starlight as a reflective story about curiosity, constellations and the life of stars. Choose it if the group likes a story-led show and it appears on the ticket page for your date.

For small children, read any age guidance and ask about the running time, sound and darkness before buying. A short description can help a child decide whether the show sounds interesting. If someone needs a particular seat, step-free entry or information about sound or light effects, contact Iziko about that specific screening.

Book a specific screening at 25 Queen Victoria Street

Iziko's Planetarium page links to its Planetarium and Digital Dome ticket listing. Match the date, title and start time before paying. The dated table on the Iziko site has a weekend heading and also notes one weekday-only slot. Check the dated ticket listing for the show you want instead of inferring an identical schedule on weekdays and weekends.

For example, the published term-four table puts Tilt at 11:30 and Cosmic Collisions at 13:00 on the weekend programme. Those times give you two different ways to build the day. A morning show can leave the afternoon free, while a later slot can give you time for a museum gallery beforehand. Use the actual ticket listing to verify either option.

Use 25 Queen Victoria Street in Gardens for arrival. Give yourself time to reach the right entrance, get your tickets ready and find the door to the dome. Check the admission instructions and ask about late entry before cutting it close. Both Iziko’s general visitor page and the Planetarium page mention Monday research closures, but they describe school-holiday exceptions differently. If your only free day is Monday, confirm whether a public show actually appears for your date.

Iziko lists local and international rates separately. Select the right category for each visitor and check any ID requirement or fee for children in your group. If you also want to visit the Iziko South African Museum, check its separate admissions page and the wording of your ticket. Confirm whether any combination you select covers both, and when you can use each part.

If you are choosing between two screenings on a busy holiday day, pick the one that leaves the group time to arrive without rushing. A party with a timed lunch or ferry later in the day can ask Iziko for the running time and add the journey from the museum. For visitors with only one indoor slot, booking the show and keeping the gallery optional gives you a clear starting point.

Decide what goes before or after the show

For an early show, go to the Planetarium first. Decide afterwards whether the group wants to see a museum gallery or spend some time outside. For an afternoon show, choose one museum gallery before the screening and set a time to leave it. This gives the children room to explore while you keep the show as the fixed point in the day.

Stone path and trimmed hedges in Cape Town's Company's Garden — A path in the Company's Garden, March 2024. The garden gives you an outdoor option near the museum. Photo by Dietmar Rabich, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for display.

Allow time after the show for questions or a break. If the group is eager to keep exploring, the museum's collection includes fossils and specimens from southern Africa. Ask which relevant galleries are open that day. If people want a change of setting, leave time for a short stroll in the Company's Garden when conditions suit. Both choices keep the rest of the day flexible around your booking.

For a wider plan that leaves room to swap indoor and outdoor stops, see our Cape Town wind and rain itinerary. If your holiday also includes a separate Cape Peninsula stay with travellers aged 12 and over, check Aqua Terra availability in Simon's Town.