Plan Your Visit
Explore artifacts and natural history, learn with hands-on activities, delve into active research and astronomy, or enjoy a show in Idaho's largest planetarium.
Upcoming Events
Stars, Science, & Skin: Flash Tattoos at the Herrett Center
📅 Saturday, May 16th | ⏰ 9:30 - 11:30 p.m.
Step into a night of art, ink, and stargazing at our Flash Tattoo Event. Entry is $5 and includes access to the Centennial Observatory and museum galleries.
Local artists Tina from Tina's Studio and Abigail Armstrong will be offering a selection of unique flash designs, with tattoos starting at $35 (final pricing varies by design and placement). All tattoo payments will be made directly to the artists.
Explore the Centennial Observatory and take in the night sky, wander the museum galleries after dark, and make the evening unforgettable with a custom flash tattoo.
Reptile Revue
1st & 3rd Tuesdays | 6 PM – 7 PM | FREE
Get up close and personal with some of the coolest cold-blooded residents of the Herrett Center! Reptile Revue happens twice a month and gives you the chance to meet our fascinating reptiles, learn fun facts, and even interact with them in a safe and educational setting.
Upcoming Reptile Revue Events:
May 19th
June 2nd and June 16th
Legends of the Starry Realm
Embark on an unforgettable journey with Legends of the Starry Realm, opening Tuesday, May 26th in the Faulkner Planetarium. Soar through myth and starlight as you race to rescue Princess Andromeda, hunt the Minotaur through the winding Labyrinth of King Minos, and follow Orpheus into the depths of Hades in a powerful tale of love and loss. Along the way, sail beneath a sky alive with ancient stories that have inspired generations.
After the feature, stay for a live presentation exploring the current night sky. Learn how to spot planets, identify constellations, and uncover the myths that connect them - all guided by our expert show presenters.
Summer Solar Session #1
📅 Wednesday, May 27th | ⏰ 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. | Free Admission
Experience the power of the cosmos - right in the daytime sky!
Safely observe the Sun through specially filtered telescopes and witness real sunspots along with the dynamic details of the solar atmosphere. Then look beyond our star to spot an 81% illuminated (gibbous) Venus, Jupiter, and bright stars - visible in the daylight through our 24" telescopes.
Weather permitting. Clear skies are required for viewing.
Best Evening Apparition of Mercury in 2026
📅 Tuesday, June 09th | ⏰ 9:15 - 9:30 p.m. | Free Admission
This special observing session features the best evening apparition of Mercury this year. Through our powerful 24” telescope, you’ll see Mercury shining at 49% illumination—revealing its half-lit phase in remarkable detail.
The sights don't stop there. Venus, glowing at 77% illumination, will appear in a beautiful conjunction with Jupiter, creating a striking planetary pairing in the evening sky. Seeing two of the brightest planets so close together is breathtaking.
Weather permitting. Clear skies are required for viewing.
Monthly Free Star Party
📅 Saturday, June 13th | ⏰ 9:45 - 11:45 p.m.
📍 Centennial Observatory
Join us under the stars for our Monthly Free Star Party at the Centennial Observatory!
You can view:
- Jupiter (before 9:57 PM)
- Gibbous (75% illuminated) Venus (before 10:20 PM)
- Double/multiple stars
- Deep-sky targets (star clusters, nebulae, galaxies)
- Moonless sky
Field Trips and Group Tours
Field trips and educational group events are welcome! Choose from our tour options or request a custom theme when you book a field trip.
Accessibility
The Herrett Center for Arts & Science is committed to making our collections, building, programing, and services accessible to all audiences.
Open Caption is available for most Faulkner Planetarium Shows. To request this service, please let the cashier at the front desk know when purchasing tickets.
The Centennial Observatory features one of the world’s largest fully wheelchair-accessible public telescopes. An elevator takes visitors up to the observatory space, once there, a wheelchair elevator is available to take visitors with limited mobility to the observatory deck. The ARE-125, an optical “periscope” designed by DFM, allows unprecedented access to the telescope for wheelchair-bound or limited-mobility visitors.
For questions concerning accessibility prior to your visit, please call the Herrett Center front desk at 208-732-6655.
Inside Map of the Herrett Center
