Travel through the southern skies in our state-of-the-art planetarium. Explore our exhibition to find out how space technology is influencing life here on earth and then, with the help of our friendly staff, take a look at the night sky through our Thomas Cooke telescope.

Space Place is housed in Carter Observatory, New Zealand’s longest-serving national observatory. The Observatory is named after Charles Rooking Carter, an English immigrant who gifted £2,240 from his estate to the Royal Society of New Zealand. It was his wish that the money be used to establish an astronomical observatory in Wellington for the benefit of the people of New Zealand. Parliament established Carter Observatory in 1937 and it opened its doors in 1941. Carter became a base for astronomical research in New Zealand. Work began with solar investigations and when new staff joined during the 1970s, it expanded to include variable stars, galaxies and asteroids. Carter Observatory became New Zealand’s National Observatory in 1977. In 2005, a government report recommended that Carter Observatory be transformed into a world-class visitor attraction, paving the way for Space Place.

Weather permitting, there are guided telescope viewings of the night sky on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings, beginning approximately 1 hour after sunset.