Northern Lights Centre

We just happened to see this as we were driving over to the Sign Post Forest. The visitor centre is located inside. The staff is so nice. We bought tickets for one of the shows that is in the planetarium. It actually was 2 short movies that were very informative and fun. The shows are every hour and last about 45 minutes. They have restrooms available and a lot of information that you can pick up for free. This is definitely worth the cost of the ticket.

We are scheduled to return to this park in a few weeks and very much looking forward to it. The lake front view with float planes occasionally taking off and landing was great. Dockside fire was a great gatheribg spot and the staff was attentive and helpful.

$15 for tickets to the shows in the planetarium. As of Sep 10, 2025 they showed two films, one about black holes, the other about northern lights. When I was there, there were four other people in the theater with me. Shows start every hour on the hour, and last about 45 minutes. It was definitely worth the $15. Highly recommended.

AFAIK they have a little theatre in the back that shows informative movies about the area. I didn't get to see any of the movies so I don't know if the movies are good or not. I'm just giving them a 5 star review because the centre also doubles as the local tourist information centre. The woman at the counter was very kind, helpful and informative regarding questions involving overnight accomodaations as well as local attractions and local restaurants and amenities. When she heard we were traveling in an RV she even offered us info about where we could boondock for free overnight as well as where we could charge the RV, refill the RV's fresh water tank and dump out the RV's grey and black water tanks without having to pay for a stay at an RV park overnight. While we just ended up paying $60 to stay overnight at the local RV park we appreciated the gesture. (Regarding the RV free services she mentioned those are kind of limited and so I'd still recommend just staying at the local RV park overnight, especially since if too many people use the free and low cost services in the town then they won't be available to poor people travelling through the town and if too many people end up using/abusing those services then the local town might have to stop offering them and ban people boondocking overnight.) (By boondocking I'm talking about parking overnight at the cul de sac at the end of one of the roads near the Sign Post Forest, not like parking in the woods or something. Also there's limited space in that cul de sac for just like 5 to 7 RVs and AFAIK, it's more a situation where the local police "turn a blind eye" rather then "officially endorse doing that" and I think if you stay parked there longer then a day or two you might be told to move on by the local police department.)

Stunning visuals on the overhead theater. Two shows (44 min total) back to back. Saw Solar Storm first up, was very informative with exciting footage and animations. Price was worth the experience. Just lean back and enjoy the show. Some concessions available as well as gift items. Friendly staff, and visitor center is now set up on site when you walk in. Will definately take in another show next time I'm in town!

We stopped overnight in Watson Lake and stopped by here to see what it was. Excellent program about northern lights & space exploration. Staff was extremely helpful in planning stops on our trip to Anchorage. Worth the stop!

My husband and I had the opportunity to come visit the Northern Lights Centre and the Visitors Centre.The people working here are really nice and informative! They have lots of brochures and maps and they don't hesitate to look at them with you and point out places to visit alongthe way. Their bathrooms are nice and clean, but the best part was the dome! A wonderful must see movie about the Northern lights and the science and history behind it! Definitely come visit them! I highly recommend it!

Really need and totally unexpected. Stopped at the visitor centre and found a really great video about Northern lights.

The Northern Lights Centre is the #2 highlight activity to do while visiting the very small town of Watson Lake, Yukon, Canada. So...you may be asking...what is the #1 attraction in Watson Lake?? Without a doubt...it is Sign Post Forest!...located across the street from here. But, this Northern Lights Centre is basic. All it features is a giant IMAX sized movie theater where you learn about the histories and weather conditions for what initiates the colorful northern lights for this section of Northwestern Canada. The theater seats about 100 people and it offers 2 separate, 20 - 25 minute films. In total, your time here is basically 1 hour long. And, as you can imagine, films start running at the top of every hour throughout the day. The Northern Lights Centre is conveniently open from 10am - 9pm, daily. So...you can arrive for the 10am showing, 11am, 12pm, 1pm....and so on and so on. If you arrive at say, 10:40am...you'll be waiting 20 minutes until 11am. While waiting in the lobby area, there are posters, information, artifacts and paraphernalia containing all things northern lights, as well as just the area surrounding Watson Lake, located in a remote part of Canada. It won't take you long to look around the lobby, maybe 5 - 10 minutes. Along with the hallway lobby being decorated with facts and figures...there's a very tiny gift shop if you'd like to purchase a souvenir. I believe I grabbed a postcard and magnet from my time in Watson Lake and the ALCAN (Alaska/Canada) Highway, for which this Northern Lights Centre is situated upon. The entrance fee was roughly $8, give or take. Or maybe it could have been $10? But, point is...it's not expensive. And...that's in Canadian dollars for all you USA citizens! I think my couple of souvenirs cost more than the price of admission, lol. The 2 films that they featured, which were back-to-back, one right after the other...introduce you to this part of Northwestern Canada, and provide a background story/general sense for how northern lights can appear so colorfully stunning. Plus, northern lights are extremely popular with photography experts who are willing to travel to the far reaches of the globe to witness them. And...the best/most optimal viewing season is mainly during winter time. The seats inside the theater were comfortable and spacious. In fact, I felt so at ease while looking up at the IMAX screen that it was possible my eyes closed for a few moments, lol. But...there were points along both films where...funny, I decided to take pictures of the actual IMAX screen. That's how beautiful the images were from inside the theater...that I got out my camera and started snapping photos, lol. Never thought I'd be doing that. The roughly 45 - 50 time frame for both films went by quickly. Actually, too quickly. In the end, after 1 hour, I guess it was time to leave:( If I had to make one critique, and it's a very critical one, lol...is that they didn't sell popcorn, candies, drinks or snacks! I was really craving buttered popcorn to enjoy while viewing the films, a perfect compliment! Instead, they didn't sell any goodies or refreshments. That's too bad because they probably could overcharge for that stuff and get away with it. That's where all the big theaters get their profits from. Oh well, maybe in the future they'll consider offering popcorn and sodas. Well, this Northern Lights Centre was a pretty good compliment to the main attraction of...wandering through Sign Post forest. Also, when in Watson Lake...stop by the Visitor Center if you need any tips or suggestions from staff about continuing your journey along the famous ALCAN Highway. So...when in Watson Lake, YT... 1. Sign Post Forest. 2. Northern Lights Centre. 3. Watson Lake Visitor Center.