February School Vacation
All Programs
February 17-19, 2026
CHRISTA MCAULIFFE CENTER
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY
Date: Tuesday, February 17
Time: 1:00PM - 5:00PM
Audience: Grades 5-8
Location: McAuliffe Center
Activity: Destination Moon
Planetarium: Destination Mars
Destination Moon satellite challenge from the Challenger Learning Center’s Mission Control and interactive planetarium program including the Destination Mars full-dome film. For individual participants in grades 5-8 during February School Vacation. REGISTER / More information.
Date: Wednesday, February 18
Time: 9:00AM - 2:00PM
Audience: Grades 5-8
Location: McAuliffe Center
Activity: Expedition Mars
Planetarium: Undiscovered Worlds
Expedition Mars space mission simulation in the Challenger Learning Center, including brand-new VR briefings, and interactive planetarium program including the Undiscovered Worlds full-dome film. For individual participants in grades 5-8 during February School Vacation. REGISTER / More information.
Date: Thursday, February 19
Time: 9:00AM - 1:30PM
Audience: Grades 5-8
Location: McAuliffe Center
Activity: Be a Health Scientist!
Planetarium: Mars: The Ultimate Voyage
Be a Health Scientist! hands-on activities and interactive planetarium program including the Mars: The Ultimate Voyage full-dome film. For individual participants in grades 5-8 during February School Vacation. REGISTER / More information.
February 20, 2026
planetarium film series
Planetarium films are not drop off events. Guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Date: Friday, February 20
Time: 1:30PM-2:15PM
Audience: Families & All Ages
Location: FSU Planetarium
Living networks connect and support life forms large and small—from colonies of tiny microbes and populations of massive whales to ever-expanding human societies. Purchase Tickets / More information.
Date: Friday, February 20
Time: 2:30PM-3:15PM
Audience: Families & All Ages
Location: FSU Planetarium
Dynamic Earth explores the inner workings of Earth’s great life support system: the global climate. With visualizations based on satellite monitoring data and advanced supercomputer simulations, this cutting-edge production follows a trail of energy that flows from the Sun into the interlocking systems that shape our climate: the atmosphere, oceans, and the biosphere. Purchase Tickets / More information.
Date: Friday, February 20
Time: 3:30PM-4:15PM
Audience: Families & All Ages
Location: FSU Planetarium
Take a journey through observatories used by professional astronomers in the gorgeous mountains of Chile, one of the best astronomical observing locations on Earth. Purchase Tickets / More information.

