The Jasper Planetarium & dark sky telescope tours

We were genuinely lucky as we had clear skies and about 2 hours of Northern Lights on show, so overall an incredible night. We paid for the extra package which included a walk into a darker area to be privately talked through what we could see. The giant scientific grade telescopes and the talks by the staff we so interesting and you could really feel the passion of the staff who were able to answer every question we had. However, I can appreciate if you only purchase the basic package of just the dome show, this would be disappointing as it's just a projector inside a tent, in a hotel car park, but the full package is well worth the money. There is a rainy day guarantee which is good, if you don't see stars, you have 2 years to return to try again, which is good even if you're a tourist on holiday.

The highlight of my summer so far! The tour is fantastic and the staff have so much knowledge it blew my mind. We arrived on a cloudy night but still learned and saw so much in the displays and talks, they have a nice cosy set up with a fire, too! We managed to go back the following evening for a complimentary look through the telescopes on a clearer night which was a brucey bonus. Kudos to everyone at the planetarium for putting on such a wonderful show, especially Gerran! And Beth was great with all the organizing!! I am recommending to everyone who visits Jasper, come clear or cloudy skies!

The planetarium tour was fantastic. The presentation had great information and the visuals were nice. Would love to go back and do the telescope experience if we had time. The drive up was beautiful and the lodge is lovely.

We had a wonderful experience at Jasper Planetarium! The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, and the sky show was truly amazing. Seeing the stars through the big telescopes was unforgettable. Highly recommended for visitors to Jasper! — MM Taxi Jasper 🚖✨

My partner and I went to the Jasper planetarium and did the dark sky package tour on July 27th! INCREDIBLE RAINY DAY POLICY! We were originally booked for July 26th but the weather was gray, muggy, and cloudy. One simple phone call and the Planetarium had no issue rescheduling us for any day of our choosing. They even let us think about it for a day to see how the weather would be before picking a new tour date. Absolutely beautiful clear night amidst a week of clouds and rain. HIGHLY RECOMMEND GOING FOR THE DARK SKY PACKAGE, we got to walk privately with a small group around Lake Beauvart and see constellations, satellites, and even a glimpse of Saturn (looks like a big star, you can't see the rings through the binoculars on this particular day) through the crystal clear binoculars they provide. Super nice lodge and surrounding area, very fancy. Everything was ran well and smooth. You can tell the people working here love what they do and love teaching/showing others the night sky. Shoutout to Lyn our tour guide.

This is a temporary built setup with a very very small dome and folding chairs and recliners inside. It’s on a parking lot of the Fairmont hotel. The hotel itself has a great view and walking area, that we enjoyed more than the show itself. The projection is blurry and the whole story is not well thought. It keeps jumping from one point to another without a logical sequence. Skippable.

Unfortunately disappointed. Priced like it is a world-class attraction, which it is not. On the plus side, very friendly and knowledgeable staff. But on the downside: -poor and confusing information. The website and Fairmount said only open Thurs-Sunday. But it was possible to book online for a Monday night, without clarity if the show would happen or not. We called to clarify that morning. Finally received a call back after 5pm when we didn’t have much time to adjust our plans. -the website says the planetarium is inside the Fairmount hotel. However, it is not. It is all outside, which in minus 20 weather is no joke! There was a campfire to warm up but with only 2 logs it didn’t generate much heat. Need much better info for what to expect to dress appropriately. The website says “cloud proof” telescope viewing which made it sound like it was indoors/covered, but it means they will show photos taken from the telescope with clear skies if it’s cloudy. -I was disappointed in the planetarium show. It is small (seats 30), in a temporary structure that’s only a bit warmer than outdoors, and the quality of the film (both content and resolution of the film) was only okay. -It was clear when we arrived but cloudy after the planetarium show. Obviously this is unavoidable and the staff did their best to show cool photos taken with the telescope on clear nights, so can’t complain about that. There were also short talks in tents about the aurora and meteorites which were informative. Maybe if we had been able to see the dark sky stars with a telescope we would have been blown away, there is the 2 year option to return with clear skies. But overall, at this price point, I expected better facilities and information and overall experience. To sum up: The planetarium show is not really worth it. Do not bother with the outdoor telescope experience unless it’s a clear night. And I would say don’t bother going at all if it’s too cold to enjoy. I’d say -10 as a cutoff, remember you’ll be standing still, outdoors, on frozen ground (they could have mats!), at night, so it’s pretty quick you get chilled even fully bundled.

The staff were incredibly knowledgeable, interactive and fun. It was a wonderful learning experience but more important it gave me a greater appreciation of the night sky overall, the Northern Lights, meteors and meteorites. I've touched a moon rock before but one from Mars left me full of wonder and awe. Plus the opportunity to view stars through good telescopes added to the event. A great experience for people of all ages. Thanks so much to the staff for making the evening a wonderful experience.