Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium is a space discovery centre inside Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha. It works best as a planned indoor centrepiece in a wider garden or Mt Coot-tha day: enter the free public areas, then build the visit around a booked Cosmic Skydome session if that is what brought you there.
Decide whether to book a show
Council says the Planetarium itself is free to visit, while Cosmic Skydome shows are ticketed. The 12.5-metre projection dome presents fulldome shows and Brisbane night-sky projections, with guided astronomy content. General-audience tickets are currently listed from $11 for children aged 3–14, $12.50 concession and $17.50 adult; shows and prices can change, so confirm the live listing and book ahead.
The venue is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm, with Monday opening during Queensland school holidays only. Arrive with enough time before the show start rather than treating the published hours as a guarantee of late entry. Event listings carry the booking details and are the right source for the actual programme.
Use the free areas well
Before or after a show, take in the Display Zone, Sundial Courtyard and Galaxy Gift Shop. Council lists exhibits on Earth, Sir Thomas Brisbane and Skylore: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Astronomy. The displays are a useful way to give the visit shape even when no paid session suits your time.
The Sundial Courtyard is a good low-key pause, not a separate ticketed attraction. Give it a few minutes and then continue into the botanic gardens next door; that pairing turns a short indoor activity into a more balanced outing.
Arrive with the gardens in mind
The Planetarium is on Mt Coot-tha Road in the botanic gardens, about five kilometres from Brisbane’s CBD. Council lists free parking in the gardens’ main car park, overflow parking via Ada Street in designated bays, and wheelchair-accessible parking. Buses stop at the gardens; use Translink’s Journey Planner for the live route.
Accessible facilities, toilets and entrances are shown on the gardens’ mobility map. If access needs shape the day, consult that map before leaving. Cyclists can use several racks in and around the gardens, but a show start time should still determine when you arrive.
Make a modest itinerary
A sound first visit is simple: reserve the show you actually want, arrive early enough to settle in, browse the display areas, then walk into the gardens or drive five minutes to Mt Coot-tha Lookout. Avoid trying to predict a future programme from a static article—the live event list is the authority.
Sources
Sources last validated: 14 September 2026.