Parents
A Lifetime of Memories
Chabot is committed to helping parents inspire and educate their kids to become the next generation of science leaders, innovators and dreamers.
We offer many fun family activities that help accomplish this goal as well as have fun together and create memories that will last a lifetime!
Spend the night in the museum, become a member, marvel at the large Moon Rock on display, go on a mission together in our Challenger Learning Center® and look at galaxies far far away. Don't forget to pick up some Astronaut ice cream in our Starry Nights Gift Shop before you return home.
The list below is just some of the things you will find especially for PARENTS at Chabot.
Bookmark this page to find out about all the exciting things that we have just for Parents.
EventsView All
Full Moon Hike
Friday, September 20 (6pm - 9pm)
Tickets: $10 (does not include admission into the Center)
RSVP recommended, space is limited!
Register online or call (510) 336-7373
Explore the redwoods in the light of a rising full moon on a moderate 4-5 mile hike. After the hike, stay and view the night sky through our telescopes (weather permitting) or tour the Telescope Makers Workshop. Hike will take place rain or shine.
Mini Martians Day
Sunday, September 22 (11am - 4pm)
Included with General Admission
Let your little ones discover the fun in being a space "alien!" Play games, listen to stories about friendly aliens, eat "alien" food, make fun masks and enjoy special time in the Discovery Lab. See our new planetarium show, We Are Aliens, narrated by Harry Potter's Rupert Grint. This animated piece is great for all ages as scientists explore the vast universe asking the question that has sparked curiosity and inspired exploration for generations: are we alone?
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Tyke Explorers
Tuesday, September 24
(10am, 12pm or 3pm)
For Ages 3 - 5 years
Hey! What's in that Tree?
Join us this September as we look up at the trees and wonder about things that live in trees, things that grow on trees, and what the trees do during the fall.
Snuggle Up & Marvel at the Night Sky
Friday, September 27 (8:30pm - 10pm)
Guests: $62 per Couple
Members: $30 per Couple
Grab your sweetie and snuggle up as you lie on the grass and enjoy Chabot's best kept secret - Star Stories. Bring your sleeping bags and blankets and listen to an expert stargazer explain the mythology and history behind the constellations and look for planets and other clues to help orient you to the night's sky. During the evening wine, beer and hot cocoa will be served. Dinner can be purchased in the Space Café. Includes admission for two to the museum. Arrive early and enjoy access to museum exhibitions and planetarium shows.
Stacking the Space Shuttle
Saturday Night Space Talks
Saturday, September 28 (7:30pm - 8:15pm)
Included with General Admission
On our quest to land astronauts on Earth's moon we built the most massive and most powerful rockets to reach our goal. Assembling such vehicles require a specialized building where it all comes together. At NASA's Kennedy Space Center the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) was built for this purpose. To the aerospace industry, the term "stacking a rocket" is used to describe the indoor process of final assembly of all the stages, payload and components that make up a launch vehicle. In this presentation, we will see the various steps taken to stack a typical Space Shuttle prior to its launch.
Star Stories
Saturday, September 28 (8:30pm - 10pm)
Tickets: $10 (children 1 year & under free)
Does not include General Admission
Lay on the grass and look up at the stars this summer! Bring your sleeping bags and blankets and come listen to an expert stargazer explain the mythology behind the constellations, stories from the night sky as seen throughout history and look for planets and other clues to help orient you to the night's sky.
Space is limited. Call (510) 336-7373 today
to reserve your spot on the hill.
Let's Talk About Space, Baby!
Saturday, October 5 (6:30pm - 9:30pm)
Guests: $55 per Couple
Members: $23 per Couple
Begin your evening with a live planetarium show from our Cosmos 360 series, The Story of H. After the show, join the discussion in our series Saturday Night Space Talks. This session soars into the inner-workings of a Boeing 747 in A Monkey on Your Back! including the extraordinary skills of the crew. This iconic airplane and the Space Shuttle were meant for each other (just like you and your date!).
After the talk enjoy a private cocktail hour in one of Chabot's engaging exhibition spaces and explore the rest of the museum, including Chabot's historic telescopes on your own. Dinner can be purchased in the Space Café. Includes admission for two to the museum. The Story of H begins promptly at 6:30 and runs about 35 minutes with 10 minutes of Q&A. A Monkey on Your Back! is a 45 minute discussion.
A Monkey on Your Back!
Saturday Night Space Talks
Saturday, October 5 (7:30pm - 8:15pm)
Included with General Admission
To date, there is no airplane or helicopter that can carry NASA's Space shuttle as freight inside its cargo bay; enter the Boeing 747 to do the trick. We'll discuss the exceptional skills needed by the crew and the aerodynamic, stability, and vibration challenges that raise the stakes when performing a Shuttle ferry flight. This iconic airplane and the Space Shuttle were meant for each other.
Star Stories
Saturday, October 5 (8:30pm - 10pm)
Tickets: $10 (children 1 year & under free)
Does not include General Admission
Lay on the grass and look up at the stars this summer! Bring your sleeping bags and blankets and come listen to an expert stargazer explain the mythology behind the constellations, stories from the night sky as seen throughout history and look for planets and other clues to help orient you to the night's sky.
Space is limited. Call (510) 336-7373 today
to reserve your spot on the hill.
First Glance
Member Telescope Viewing
Sunday, October 6 (7:30pm - 10:30pm)
FREE Member Admission, RSVP Required!
Space is limited and by reservation only,
so call (510) 336-7392 for tickets today.
Each Sunday preceding the 1st quarter moon, the Eastbay Astronomical Society invites you to a special private telescope viewing. Unlike our regular viewing on Friday and Saturday evenings, EAS personalizes the experience by taking viewing requests, live interaction, and hosting tours and it's exclusively for our members!Tyke Explorers
Tuesdays: Oct 8 | Oct 15 | Oct 22
(10am, 12pm or 3pm)
For Ages 3 - 5 Years
Not-So-Spooky Science
This month, we'll demystify some spooky Halloween symbols like flying bats, frightening Jack-o-Lanterns, and creepy, crawly spiders!
Night Hike
Friday, October 11 (6pm - 8pm)
Tickets: $10 (does not include admission into the Center)
RSVP Recommended, space is limited!
Register online or call (510) 336-7373
Hike through the redwoods from twilight to moonlight on a moderate 3 mile hike. After the hike, stay and view the night sky through our telescopes (weather permitting) or tour the Telescope Makers Workshop. Hike will take place rain or shine.
Slumber with the Stars
A Family/Group Overnight
Friday, October 18 (6pm - 10am)
Ages 5 & Up
Advance reservations required: (510) 336-7373
Join us for Chabot's family night out by spending a night under the stars or with some really cool exhibits. An overnight in the Center includes games, a guided hike, the current Cosmos 360 live Planetarium Show, exclusive telescope viewing with a Chabot Astronomer (Weather Permitting), after hours exhibit exploration, and much more.
Future Fridays
Friday, October 18 (6pm - 7:30pm)
John Romero & Brenda Brathwaite Romero
Tickets: $20 Members / $23 Guests
DOOM, Dungeons and Beyond...
the Importance of Video Games
Join us for a lively conversation about all things gaming! Meet the dynamic husband and wife duo of John Romero and Brenda Brathwaite Romero as they discuss their paths into and through this industry and get a peek at what they believe the future holds.Full Moon Hike
Friday, October 18 (6pm - 8pm)
Tickets: $10 (does not include admission into the Center)
RSVP recommended, space is limited!
Register online or call (510) 336-7373
Explore the redwoods in the light of a rising full moon on a moderate 4-5 mile hike. After the hike, stay and view the night sky through our telescopes (weather permitting) or tour the Telescope Makers Workshop. Hike will take place rain or shine.
Saturn V Countdown
Saturday Night Space Talks
Saturday, October 19 (7:30pm - 8:15pm)
Included with General Admission
Take a closer look at this magnificent flying machine that took man farther and faster than ever before. The story of the complex and powerful Saturn V moon rocket is anything by short and sweet. Nearly half a million dedicated people toiled for the better part of a decade to get the most powerful machine ever built to rise from the wetlands of Florida and send the spacecraft and its crew to the moon. Join the discussion as we examine some of the subtleties of their creation, and reveal the genius in their logic and rationale. Learn what it took to build stages, test, transport, assemble and launch this marvel of engineering.
Member Movie Night
Sunday, October 20 (5:30pm)
FREE Member Admission, RSVP Required!
Space is limited and by reservation only,
so call (510) 336-7392 for tickets today.
October's members-only movie is the spooky animated adventure Hotel Transylvania. Join us in the MegaDome Theater for this free, members-only screening. Refreshments will be available by donation.
Sinful Science
Friday, October 25 (6pm - 10pm)
$12 (does not include admission to the Center)
Stressful day? Grab a bar of chocolate. Heartbreak? That calls for a large bowl of mac and cheese. Nerves on edge? Nothing a glass of wine won't calm. What makes comfort food so... comforting? Why is it that the things that taste and feel so good, are always so bad? Are our brains wired to form habits around vice? Explore indulgence with us as we discover the motivation and benefits of vices. Enjoy music, wine, and beer.
Mystery Science Halloween
Saturday, October 26 (11am - 4pm)
Included with General Admission
Come dressed as your favorite detective. Your mission is to complete the stations in order to collect the necessary clues to solve the cosmic mystery. Try fingerprinting, fiber analysis, chemical evidence and more..jpg)
To the Moon
Saturday Night Space Talks
Saturday, November 2 (7:30pm - 8:15pm)
Included with General Admission
From imagination to realization, NASA’s Apollo program is packed with bold vision, engineering elegance, and tales of courage and shear human toil. We'll take a trip down memory lane and visit the Moon. With colorful images we will look back at the physics and challenges of landing astronauts on the lunar surface. How did we do it? In a play-by-play review, find out the necessary steps we took that put us on the Moon!
Family Hike
Friday, November 8 (5pm - 7pm)
Tickets: $10 (does not include admission into the Center)
RSVP Recommended, space is limited!
Register online or call (510) 336-7373
Take your kids on an adventure! Join our family hike through the redwoods from twilight to moonlight on an easy 3-4 mile hike. After the hike, stay and view the night sky through our telescopes (weather permitting) or tour the Telescope Makers Workshop. Hike will take place rain or shine.
Future Fridays
Friday, November 15 (6pm - 7:30pm)
Robert Weiss: President of the X PRIZE Foundation
Tickets: $20 Members / $23 Guests
Mr. Weiss is Vice Chairman and President of the X PRIZE Foundation. The X PRIZE Foundation's mission is to foster innovation through incentivized competition. The Foundation has active competitions in Genomics and Lunar Exploration, and is now developing X PRIZEs in Healthcare, Energy, and Exploration.
Night Hike
Friday, November 15 (5pm - 7pm)
Tickets:$10 (does not include admission into the Center)
RSVP Recommended, space is limited!
Register online or call (510) 336-7373
The bright fall moon will be shining as we explore the redwoods from twilight to moonlight on an easy 3-4 mile hike. After the hike, stay and view the night sky through our telescopes (weather permitting) or tour the Telescope Makers Workshop. Hike will take place rain or shine.
Hike With Your Honey & Explore the Stars
Saturday, November 16 (5pm - 8pm)
Guests: $68 per Couple
Members: $36 per Couple
The bright fall moon will be shining as you explore the redwoods from twilight to moonlight on an easy 3-4 mile hike led by an experienced hiker and Chabot educator. This interpretive hike includes discussion about the natural environment & events and objects in the sky. After the hike head to a private cocktail hour in one of Chabot's engaging exhibition spaces before exploring the museum and Chabot's historic telescopes on your own. Dinner can be purchased in the Space Café. Includes admission for two to the museum
The Dusty Dozen
Saturday Night Space Talks
Saturday, November 16 (7:30pm - 8:15pm)
Included with General Admission
America and NASA the impossible. We met JFK’s challenge to explore Earth's moon in an up-close and personal way. A dozen American astronauts would become humanity's first ambassadors to visit our companion world, Luna. In this presentation, we will be introduced to the "Dusty Dozen," lucky men who risked so much for the reward of skipping along the surface of, and working on, an extraterrestrial world. We will look at the six Apollo lunar missions and meet the gallant astronauts and Command Module Pilots that brought their insights of what may be the most awesome adventure and accomplishment of humankind.
Tantalizing Telescopes
Friday, December 6 (7pm - 10pm)
Guests: $68 per Couple
Members: $36 per Couple
This evening will begin with a tour of Chabot's Telescope Makers Workshop. This all-volunteer group is committed to helping people of all ages and backgrounds successfully build telescopes from scratch that provide hours of enjoyable observing. After the 45-minute tour, enjoy a private cocktail hour in one of Chabot's engaging exhibition spaces before heading to the observatory deck where you'll capture breathtaking views 1,500 feet above the Bay. The evening is capped with a private viewing led by a knowledgeable museum docent in one of Chabot's historic telescopes (weather permitting).
This package includes a 10% discount for our Starry Nights Gift Shop where you can purchase your very own telescope after being inspired by an evening of stargazing. Dinner can be purchased in the Space Café. Includes admission for two to the museum. Arrive an hour early to explore the museum on your own or take in a planetarium show.
Balloon Drop
Tuesday, December 31 (11am - 4pm)
Members: $5 per child
Guests: $5 per child plus General Admission
SPACE IS LIMTED! - Register by calling (510) 336-7373
September 20: Member priority registration begins
September 27: Guest registration begins
Ring in the New Year without staying up all night! Come to Chabot and celebrate strokes of midnight around the world at 11am, 1pm, and 4pm! Kids count down to 2014 as thousands of balloons reign down on them. And each child receives a special prize. Now the kids can ring in the New Year without staying up past their bedtime!
Featured
Planetarium ShowsView All
Secret of the Cardboard Rocket
Ask Jeeves Planetarium
We Are Aliens
Ask Jeeves Planetarium
Astronaut
Ask Jeeves Planetarium
Tales of the Maya Skies
Ask Jeeves Planetarium