The Eye Programs
The Eye Programs
The Eye @ SMWV offers a variety of STEAM experiences–from traditional planetarium star shows to arts and music programming. The Eye is the point of intersection between science and art–showcasing the commonality between the two, and the ways in which multimodal, multi-disciplinary experiences enrich our world.
Daily Shows
Please note: For the month of October, The Eye will be offering one daily show per day, Tuesday through Sunday at 3:30 PM.
The Eye @ SMWV offers two public daily shows Monday through Saturday at 11:30 AM and 3:30 PM, and one show on Sunday at 3:00 PM. Admission to standard public daily shows can be obtained through purchase of an ultimate ticket. Ultimate tickets grant access to the full museum, the Eye, and one (1) Parakeet Garden feeding time per visit. Ultimate Members can enjoy an unlimited number of public daily shows throughout the month.
Below we introduce the additional programs and offerings provided by the Eye–
Special Events Programming
SIGHT + SOUND Series
The SIGHT + SOUND Series @ the Eye is a multimodal, immersive experience held 1-2 times per month. Special event tickets are available in advance online and on-site.
Join us at the space where sight and sound fuse, forging immersive sensory experiences. SIGHT + SOUND exposes the science of perception as it’s happening–as light waves become vision, sound waves vibrate into sensation, and reality is shaped by the mind’s interpretation.
Each installment explores the intricate interplay between sight and sound, in the fullness of their forms. Through these mindfully curated pieces, you’ll experience the science of perception in action through atmospheric storytelling and evocative soundscapes. Installations include reactive music visualizers, silent film and footage fragments, digitally-rendered sonics, fusions of familiar and unfamiliar music, and more. As you navigate this liminal space where art and science intersect, allow your senses to guide you, transfix you, and transform the way you see, hear, and experience the world around you.
Upcoming Events:
October 25 & 27: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Stars Over Star City Series
Stars Over Star City is a monthly series, featuring speakers and custom shows guided by researchers, scientists, experts, and explorers as they guide audiences through their special topics, accompanied by a full dome show and immersive visuals. Special event tickets are available in advance online and on-site.
The series offers once monthly speakers and shows designed to educate, inspire, and explore a wide range of STEAM topics. Dive deeper into celestial events, sociological and ethical questions, and worlds of research previously unexplored. Paired with immersive, interactive visuals, Stars Over Star City brings the science to you. This series is for the lifelong learners and the casually curious, both!
*Resident Astrophysicist Specials: Take a guided and curated tour through the night sky! With our Stars over Star City series, learn about the seasonal changes to the stars, local astronomical phenomena, our planetary neighbors, and more! Our traditional star show hosts a rotating list of topics that will be sure to appeal to all space enthusiasts. You’ll even have the opportunity to ask your host all of your burning space questions!
Runtime:
- Full show: approximately 45 mins with Q&A
- Combined with Full-Dome Shows: approximately 20 mins
Topic List:
October 11, 2024: “An Evening with Savannah Mandel”
Premiere Events
Premiere events are held throughout the year and are ticketed in advance online and on-site.
From collaborations with local arts and sciences organizations to in-house produced premiere content, these events showcase the best of what the eye has to offer. Previous premiere events include the sold out premiere of Stars Over Star City and the Solar Eclipse once-in-a- lifetime event.
Upcoming Premiere Events...
Matthew Mosley’s “In Places Where Black Skin Grows” (February 2025)
Roanoque Baroque Orchestra: “In Gardens & Palaces with the Sons of JS Bach & Handel” (February 22nd & 23rd, 2025)
Opera Roanoke Young Artists Performance (April 2025)
Full-Dome Shows
Our selection of full-dome prerecorded shows provide an entertaining and informative viewport into the world of STEM. Explore the outermost reaches of our Universe, visit exoplanets, and learn what exactly it is that makes our personal star, the Sun, tick. Navigate the cosmos, the oceans, the arctic, and more. Explore our own planet and discover stories and facts about the world around you. Experience art, culture, engineering, science and technology all within our various offerings.
Select shows include a custom, interactive experience following the conclusion of the show. Topics will focus on enhancing content from the show, current news stories in STEM, or other curated content. Presentations and Q&A sessions are hosted by one of our subject matter experts.
Runtime: 15 – 30 minutes depending on show, + 15 – 25 minutes custom experience (select shows only)
Passport to the Universe:
Runtime: 18:30 (+20 min interactive experience on select shows)
What is our place in the cosmos? In the American Museum of Natural History’s iconic space show Passport to the Universe, this question is answered as visitors travel through the observable universe to explore our “cosmic address.” In an unforgettable experience, cutting-edge science creates images of unprecedented realism and accuracy as viewers begin to understand the true enormity of the cosmos. A captivating explanation of fundamental cosmology, Passport to the Universe is an “evergreen” presentation—always relevant, always educationally important, always illuminating.
Narrated by Tom Hanks.
Passport to the Universe was developed by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org) in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Major support for new version provided by the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco.
The Sun, our Living Star:
Runtime: 24:43 (+15 min interactive experience on select shows)
The Sun has shone on our world for four and a half billion years. The light that warms our skin today has been felt by every person who has ever lived. It is our nearest star and our planet’s powerhouse, the source of the energy that drives our winds, our weather and all life. The passage of the Sun’s fiery disc across the sky — day by day, month by month — was the only way to keep track of time for countless past civilizations. Discover the secrets of our star in this planetarium show and experience never-before-seen images of the Sun’s violent surface in immersive full-dome format.