The planetarium was opened in 1930 and equipped with a Zeiss Model II projector, which was in service until 1957. For this purpose, a dome hall with a diameter of 20.6 m was installed in the lower half of the tower. Today, with its Zeiss Universarium Model IX, its Digistar-3 projection system, its Spatial Soundwave System, the Hamburg Planetarium is the world’s first planetarium with 3D sound and 3D image. The comfort for the audience has also changed. Initially equipped with wooden chairs and benches, today there are 253 modern and comfortable reclining chairs, in which it is easy to keep an eye on the entire dome area.
In the starry hall, the planetarium offers a diverse and varied program. Always there: The sky over Hamburg in the current month, and in addition many programs not only on astronomical, but also on other scientific and technical topics. And not to forget: The planetarium is a wonderful location for musical multimedia shows and occasionally even live concerts.

With its 45-meter-high observation deck, a visit to the planetarium is a good idea even if you don’t want to see any stars. Two elevators take visitors to the 8th floor; from here, one has a 360-degree panoramic view of the city. To the south, you can make out the city skyline with the church towers, the City Hall tower, the Elbphilharmonie concert hall and the harbor cranes. A piece of the Outer Alster can also be seen from here. To the east, the view falls over the main axis of the city park to the festival meadow and the city park lake with its natural swimming pool, and further on to the buildings of Barmbek. To the north, very close by, are the office buildings of City Nord and, a little further west, the tower, hangars and terminals of Hamburg Airport Helmut Schmidt in Fuhlsbüttel. Finally, to the west, you can see the Volksparkstadion, home of the HSV soccer club.