Planetário do Porto: Centro Ciência Viva

The Planetário do Porto opened in November 1998 as part of the University of Porto and was one of the first members of the Ciência Viva network of science centres. It’s run by the Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA), Portugal’s biggest astronomy research institute, so the people explaining the sky to your children are trained astronomers. It welcomes more than 40,000 visitors a year, most of them school groups, and the planetarium says its weekend children’s sessions are the best proof that it’s a good place for families.

It sits on Rua das Estrelas (Star Street) in western Porto. A 2014 refit replaced the old Carl Zeiss star projector with a digital system that uses real scientific data, turned all the seats to face one way, and installed a new dome screen, which the planetarium describes as the best in Portugal.

A full session under the dome has three parts. First come short immersive animations, then the main film, and then a live section in which an astronomer flies the audience through the night sky and out into the Universe as if you were on a spaceship, answering questions along the way. The digital simulator can travel to planets, exoplanets, nebulae, star clusters, galaxies and even black holes.

The live part is what sets it apart from watching a space film at home: children can ask about black holes or the Moon and get an answer from someone who studies them. The films fill the whole dome above you, so it feels more like being inside the picture than watching a screen.

The Saturday line-up changes every week, and each film page gives a recommended age. When we checked, the autumn 2026 programme included:

• Há Formas no Espaço (there are shapes in space), 18 minutes, for ages 3 to 7. A pizza and a ball argue about who lent their round shape to the Sun and planets, and children help steer the “spaceship” through the solar system.
• Vítor e Sofia vão à Lua (Vítor and Sofia go to the Moon), 18 minutes, for ages 6 to 12. After watching a total solar eclipse in Porto’s Parque da Cidade, two children blast off to the Moon.
• O Sol, a Nossa Estrela (the Sun, our star), 25 minutes, from age 10, made with the European Southern Observatory.
• Somos os Guardiões (we are the guardians), 25 minutes, from age 10, about how satellites help protect the planet.
• Buracos Negros Supermassivos (supermassive black holes), 20 minutes, from age 10.

Titles also listed that autumn included O Fantasma do Universo, 3CLIPSE and Biosfera da Escuridão. Weekday 16:00 sessions are chosen by the first visitors to arrive. The films are in Portuguese; if your child needs English, ask the ticket office before booking which sessions can offer it.

Mais Perto das Estrelas (closer to the stars) is a free night-sky evening, usually on the last Friday of the month from 21:00 to 22:30. It starts with a short show inside the dome of that night’s sky, then, if the weather allows, everyone goes outside to look through telescopes with astronomers from the IA. Registration is compulsory and each participant needs their own place. The minimum age is 7, children must be with an adult, and it isn’t open to organised groups. The next one listed when we checked was on 30 October 2026.

For children aged 8 to 18, the planetarium hosts the Academia de Robótica, a course of 18 two-hour Saturday afternoon sessions from October 2026 to June 2027 on electronics, circuits, microcontroller programming and sensors. When checked it cost €378 in nine monthly payments of €42, plus a robotics kit (€85 for level 1, €70 for level 2), with a minimum of 10 participants per group.

Every February the planetarium hosts AstroGeoFest, a free fair of minerals, fossils and meteorites with drop-in family activities. The 2026 edition ran from 12 to 15 February; see What’s on for the pattern.

Tickets are per session. When checked in September 2026 they cost €6.60 for adults, €4.40 for ages 3 to 17 and over-65s, and nothing for under-3s. A family ticket for up to two adults and their children up to 17 cost €15.40. Holders of the Porto. card get 30% off individual tickets, and a CP regional or intercity train ticket gets 10% off. The Circuitos Ciência Viva annual family pass gives free entry to all 20 Ciência Viva centres.

Public sessions are on weekdays at 16:00 and on Saturdays and public holidays at 15:00 and 16:00. The planetarium is closed on Sundays, which catches a lot of families out. You can buy tickets at the ticket office or online through BOL, or reserve by phone or email.

The doors close when the show starts and latecomers aren’t let in, so collect booked tickets at least 30 minutes before. The dome is dark and the films fill your field of view, which a child who is scared of the dark may find too much. The planetarium warns that some films include flashing sequences that can trigger photosensitive epilepsy, and that some visitors feel dizzy or unwell.

The dome show is short, so pair it with something else in western Porto. The Parque da Cidade, where the Vítor and Sofia film begins, is the big green space nearby, and the Serralves park is another option. For a rainy afternoon, SEA LIFE Porto is on the seafront.

Is the planetarium open on Sundays?

No. It’s closed on Sundays. Public sessions run on weekdays at 16:00 and on Saturdays and holidays at 15:00 and 16:00.

What age is the planetarium suitable for?

Some Saturday films are made for ages 3 to 7 and 6 to 12, and under-3s go free. Films about the Sun, black holes and the planet are recommended from age 10.

How long is a planetarium session?

The main films run 18 to 25 minutes, with animations before and a live tour of the sky afterwards, so allow about an hour.

Are the sessions in English?

The programme is in Portuguese. Ask the ticket office before booking whether a session can be given in English.

Do you need to book?

It’s wise, especially on Saturdays. Book by phone, email or online, and collect reservations at least 30 minutes before the session.