Clark Planetarium

What Clark Planetarium does

Clark Planetarium is a public science museum and theater complex operated by Salt Lake County Government, located at 110 S 400 W in Salt Lake City, Utah. Established in 1965 with 76 employees, the institution delivers immersive astronomy and science experiences through two primary theatrical venues: the Hansen Dome Theatre, a 55-foot-diameter dome offering 360-degree projection of star fields, animated films, and laser shows; and the Northrop Grumman IMAX Theatre, a 70-foot-wide by 50-foot-tall screen presenting documentary films from professional production teams including the American Museum of Natural History. These venues are supported by three floors of free interactive exhibits themed around Earth, Near Earth, and Beyond space concepts.

The business model blends consumer-facing revenue streams with public funding. Earned revenue derives from ticket sales to dome and IMAX shows, facility rentals for private events, structured education programs including K-12 field trips and at-school visits, merchandise sold through the Planet Fun Store, and recurring memberships and donations. Free public exhibit access reflects the institution's role as a county-operated public amenity. Programming is anchored on recurring signature events such as Moon Day, Sci-Fi Month, Clark After Dark (an adults-only evening series), and the Summer Space Academy children's camp. The customer base is segmented across general public and families, K-12 schools and educators, and adults/young professionals, with marketing executed through a Constant Contact email newsletter, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube), the institutional website, and Eventbrite for special adult events.

Strategic context includes a long-standing naming-rights partnership with Northrop Grumman for the IMAX Theatre and an AirGarage-operated parking integration with Delta Center adjacency. There are no funding rounds, M&A activity, or geographic expansion beyond the single Salt Lake City venue, and the institution faces structural dependence on county budget allocations alongside diversified but unquantified earned revenue.

Name

Clark Planetarium

Legal name

Clark Planetarium

Website

https://clarkplanetarium.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Clark Planetarium is a Salt Lake County-operated public science museum in Salt Lake City, Utah, offering a 55-foot immersive dome theatre, a 70-foot IMAX theatre, three floors of free exhibits, and K-12 and adult education programs for regional families, schools, and visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Museum and Planetarium

NAICS

Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Science museum exhibits
• Planetarium dome theatre
• IMAX documentary films
• Educational field trips
• Summer science camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from admission tickets to Hansen Dome Theatre shows and Northrop Grumman IMAX Theatre screenings of documentary films.
2. Facility Rentals: Revenue from renting planetarium facilities for private events, corporate functions, and special occasions.
3. Memberships and Donations: Recurring and one-time contributions from members and donors supporting the planetarium's mission and operations.
4. Education Programs: Fees collected for structured educational programs including field trips, at-school visits, educator resources, and summer camps.
5. Merchandise Sales: Revenue from Planet Fun Store selling space-themed merchandise and educational items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Clark Planetarium operates a public science museum and theater complex featuring two flagship venues—the Hansen Dome Theatre (55-foot diameter 360-degree immersive dome) and the Northrop Grumman IMAX Theatre (70x50 ft screen)—along with three floors of free themed exhibits (Earth, Near Earth, Beyond). It sells admission tickets to theatrical shows, rents facilities for private events, and delivers structured educational programs including field trips, at-school visits, and summer camps. Additional offerings include the Planet Fun Store gift shop, memberships and donations, and the Utah Dark Skies Initiative.

Product overview

Clark Planetarium is a public science museum and theater complex offering a unified visitor experience centered around two main theatrical venues—the Hansen Dome Theatre and the Northrop Grumman IMAX Theatre—complemented by three floors of free science exhibits organized by theme (Earth, Near Earth, Beyond). The facility provides educational programs, summer camps, facility rentals, and a gift shop, creating an integrated science education and entertainment destination in Salt Lake City.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hansen Dome Theatre: A dome-shaped theater with a 55-foot diameter offering 360-degree immersive experiences displaying accurate star fields, animated films, and laser shows.
• Northrop Grumman IMAX Theatre
• Summer Space Academy

Products and services

• Hansen Dome Theatre A dome-shaped theater with a 55-foot diameter providing a 360-degree immersive experience that displays accurate star fields, animated films, laser shows, and virtual space travel journeys for general public visitors and school groups.
• Northrop Grumman IMAX Theatre A large-format theater with a 70-foot wide by 50-foot tall screen showcasing documentary films about nature and science with professional narration and visuals for general public visitors and school groups.
• Science Exhibits (Earth, Near Earth, Beyond) Three floors of free interactive science exhibits covering Earth, Near Earth, and Beyond themes for general public visitors and school groups.
• Education Programs (Field Trips and At-School Visits) Structured K-12 educational offerings including field trips, At Your School programs, and educator resources designed to supplement astronomy and earth science curriculum.
• Summer Space Academy Summer camp program offering hands-on space and science activities for young learners at the planetarium facility.
• Planet Fun Store On-site and online gift shop offering space-themed merchandise and educational items to visitors and the public.
• Facility Rentals Rental of planetarium facilities for private events, corporate functions, and special occasions for event organizers and corporate clients.
• Memberships and Donations Membership programs and donation opportunities providing access benefits to members and supporting the planetarium's mission and operations.
• Utah Dark Skies Initiative Community program promoting Utah dark sky preservation and education, including a specialty license plate, for the general public and conservation supporters.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northrop GrummancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthrop Grumman sponsors the IMAX Theatre, which bears the company name as the Northrop Grumman IMAX Theatre. This naming rights partnership provides corporate visibility while supporting the planetarium's large-format documentary programming.
• Hansen Family (Hansen Dome Theatre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hansen Dome Theatre is named after the Hansen family, indicating a significant benefactor partnership supporting the planetarium's flagship dome theatre experience.
• Delta CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAdjacent venue partnership allowing Clark Planetarium visitors to select 'Merchant Parking' option when attending during Delta Center events, with special parking validation rates.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carnegie Science Center: Pittsburgh science center combining IMAX theatre, planetarium programming, interactive exhibits, and education outreach — direct peer in the regional science-center-with-large-format-theatre category.
• Liberty Science Center: New Jersey-based interactive science center with IMAX dome-style theatre, free and ticketed exhibit zones, and robust K-12 programming. Comparable in combining large-format theatre, school-group channel, and family admissions.
• Discovery Place: Charlotte-based science center and IMAX theatre operator with education programs and member-supported admission model. Direct comparable in regional mid-market science center with large-format theatre.
• Griffith Observatory: Los Angeles public observatory and planetarium with a major dome theatre, free exhibit galleries, and astronomy-focused programming. Closely comparable as a municipally supported, free-entry space-science attraction with a ticketed theatre.
• California Science Center: Los Angeles science center with IMAX theatre, free exhibit halls, and strong K-12 and family programming. Comparable as a state/county-supported large-format-theatre science attraction in a major metro.
• Adler Planetarium: Chicago-based public planetarium operating dome theatres and immersive space exhibits with a comparable mix of ticketed theatre shows, free exhibit floors, and K-12 education programming. Closest direct analogue in scale and visitor mission.
• Maryland Science Center: Baltimore science center featuring an IMAX theatre, planetarium programming, and exhibit floors with school and summer-camp offerings. Comparable in mid-sized regional science-center operating model.
• Hayden Planetarium: The planetarium inside the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, featuring a large-dome immersive theatre and astronomy exhibits embedded in a broader science museum — directly comparable theatre-plus-exhibit format and mission.

Broad incumbents

• Museum of Science, Boston: Larger, established science museum with IMAX theatre, planetarium programming, and broader STEM exhibit portfolio. Comparable in mission and theatre format but operates at materially greater scale and scope.
• Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Federally operated national museum covering aviation and space with IMAX theatre and immersive planetarium-style exhibits. Comparable in space-science mission and large-format theatre programming, but with national tourism scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ClarkPlanet
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ClarkPlanetarium
• Facebookfacebook.com/ClarkPlanetarium
• Instagraminstagram.com/ClarkPlanetarium
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clarkplanetarium

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clark Planetarium