Planetarium Jesus Emilio Ramirez Medellin — Attraction in Medellín

I haven't been to a planetarium since I was a kid, and how they have changed, at least Medellín. I'm giving this place a ridiculous five stars because it's reignited my curiosity in educational spaces.

Honestly, I wasn't planning on visiting the planetarium during my trip, but the botanical gardens were magically closed on Tuesdays (that's a whole different story), and Parque Explora offered me a package to ticket deal. So, why not?

I don't know how much the ticket costs by itself, but after visiting, I'm positive it's worth it. The ticket includes a movie in the dome theater, and after a brief explanation of my options, I chose The Unseen Universe (roughly translated).

Before the movies started I had about an hour to tour the facility's other exhibits. Immediately upon entering, a group of children was making an absorbent amount of noise, which was actually comforting considering major cities in the United States barely have enough money to remain open, nevermind take a field trip to the planetarium.

My first thought after seeing the children was that it was too bad there wasn't a classroom built into this place. Then I turned to my right, and BAM, classroom. Well played...

I continued to circulate through the exhibits being thoroughly impressed with the practical demonstrations that had been configured to explain very complicated concepts. Even as an adult, unless you're scientifically inclined, I would suggest touring by yourself. The staff performs great demonstrations, and is well versed in the information.

At this point, I was thinking this place is a solid four stars, then the staffer with the master tablet showed up. He stepped into the room and began changing the planets displayed on the projector, rotating to highlight specific areas, and I was impressed.

The staff member then escorted everyone into the theater and previewed the movie for us. He explained what was going to happen, how long the experience would be, and warned everyone about their phones (which turned out to be a litmus test for iPhone users understanding their settings 😂).

I was surprised that phones were allowed in the dome, but after explaining how reflective the screens are and how anyone recording needed to lower their brightness, I proceeded to watch iPhone users struggle for the next ten minutes trying to figure out how to adjust the setting. 😂😂😂

The movie was great and it played for exactly as long as promised. I thought the experience was over and wondered why there wasn't some kind of animated film that took advantage of the ability of 3D software to create 360 movies (S/O Blender). Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, he introduced a short animated film made just for the occasion. 5 Stars!

The whole thing was great. The tech was great; the science was great; and the staff was great. The experience was so good that I'm going to visit planetariums in other cities. It's...

I had an amazing time at the planetarium, and I want to express my gratitude to the employee named David, whom I met on the third floor. David's passion and enthusiasm for science and languages left a lasting impression on me. He taught me about the cycle of stars, time dilation, and black holes in a way that was easy to understand, and his willingness to help me practice and understand my Spanish was exceptional.

Thanks to David, I learned so much about our universe and made significant progress in improving my Spanish skills. It was evident that David cares about his job and genuinely wants visitors to have a memorable and rewarding experience.

David's dedication to his work and exceptional service deserves recognition and appreciation. I hope that the management acknowledges his outstanding contributions and rewards him accordingly. He is a true asset to the planetarium, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have met him.

Once again, thank you, David, for making my visit to the planetarium an unforgettable one. I look forward to returning and learning more from you...

Esta es una fecha para recordar nuestros compromiso con la ciudad, a los que con sus aportes han hecho posible nuestra existencia y a los que con sonrisas y auténticos rostros de asombro han iluminado este lugar. Hoy sumamos 34 vueltas al Sol, con la ilusión de dar muchas más en compañía de ustedes: los vagabundos del universo. Nuestro deseo es seguir enamorándolos del cosmos, continuar con esta apasionante misión de divulgar las ciencias de la tierra y el espacio. Evocamos el día de la inauguración con Gabriel Jaime Gómez Carder, primer director del Planetario de Medellín: " Fue la realización de un sueño de más de diez años, pues desde 1974 iniciamos los contactos para construir un Planetario para la ciudad. En la noche de la inauguración nos acompañaron el Gobernador de Antioquia, Dr. Alberto Vásquez; el Alcalde, Dr. Pablo Peláez González; el Secretario de Educación de Medellín, Dr. Gustavo Robledo Clavijo; el Embajador de Alemania Democrática; funcionarios de la Casa Carl Zeiss de Jena de Alemania; varios astrónomos, entre ellos Juan José Salas, director técnico del Planetario de Bogotá; representantes de la comunidad científica; cerca de trescientos invitados como el exministro Edgard Gutiérrez Castro; el poeta del Quindío Bernardo Pareja; familiares y amigos. Los doce años que siguieron a la inauguración, el Planetario brilló por ser uno de los mejores centros de divulgación científica del país con reconocimiento local, nacional e internacional... El Planetario hizo época en uno de los momentos más difíciles, el apogeo del narcotráfico, dándole a la ciudad un respiro que nunca se podrá olvidar. Fue un faro de luz en la más oscura noche que haya tenido Medellín".

Desde entonces hemos sido centro de ciencias de la ciudad, un museo que evoluciona a la par con la comunidad a través de actividades divulgativas como el Coloquio de Astronomía, el programa de Viernes para #VagabundosDelUniverso, las comunidades de grupos de estudio, el Club de Ciencia Ficción, Club de Astronomía para Ciegos: El Ojo Sonoro, nuestra museografía, el domo Planetario, entre otros. También salimos de la ciudad, llevamos alegrías cósmicas con nuestro domo portátil a diferentes lugares del país, como La Guajira, Barranquilla y Valledupar. Con el programa El Cielo de mi Barrio recorrimos más de 10 Casas de la Cultura de la ciudad compartiendo actividades astronómicas y de observación para toda la familia. Vivimos noches fantásticas en la terraza de la fundación EPM con el programa #DesdeLaTerraza... Agradecemos el apoyo de la Alcaldía de Medellín, Bancolombia, las diversas comunidades astronómicas de la ciudad y al Parque Explora, que desde 2011 adelanta la exigente tarea de renovar y administrar el Planetario de Medellín, Jesús Emilio Ramírez González. Hoy queremos celebrar con ustedes. Durante todo el día tendremos ingreso gratuito para las familias que habitan en barrios estratificados como 1, 2 ó 3 de Medellín. Deben presentar la factura de servicios públicos y podrán ingresar hasta 5 personas.*Cupo limitado por capacidad del domo. También tendremos observación solar con telescopios de 11 a.m. a 12 m. y...