Entry No. 209 — the Denver file — filed under: after-dark
Fiske Planetarium Laser & Liquid Sky Shows
On CU Boulder's campus, Fiske runs a 65-foot dome (the largest between Chicago and Los Angeles), and after dark it turns that 8K dome into a trippy laser-and-Liquid-Sky music venue. Late shows pair full-surround sound with abstract visuals rendered live overhead, set to artists like Pink Floyd and Tool. The MegaStar projector can throw ten million stars across the dome, so a real night-sky show often bookends the lasers. It seats just over 200, leaning intimate for a big-dome experience.
The story
On the southern edge of CU Boulder's campus sits a 65-foot geodesic dome—the largest planetarium screen between Chicago and Los Angeles. Most planetariums are built for fourth-grade field trips and polite constellation lectures, but Fiske takes a decidedly weirder path after dark. Opened in 1975 thanks to a bequest from alumnus Wallace Franz Fiske, the theater spent decades running on "Fritz," a massive analog Zeiss Mark VI star projector. Today, Fritz rests retired in the lobby, replaced by an 8K Sky-Skan digital theater system paired with a MegaStar projector capable of throwing ten million individual stars across the dome.
The real draw happens late at night when student laserists and visual arts specialists take over the controls. Fiske converts its 206 reclined seats into an intimate audiovisual venue for Laser and Liquid Sky shows. Rather than running canned video loops, student operators manipulate full-dome visualizers and laser projectors live, rendering fluid, hypnotic abstract visuals in real time. Setlists span full albums from classic rock and heavy metal like Pink Floyd and Tool to electronic artists like Daft Punk and Pretty Lights.
Because the high-res digital system works in tandem with the optical star ball, these late shows often bookend the laser chaos with a pure, unadulterated recreation of the night sky. You walk into a university astrophysics department expecting academic slides, only to find yourself inside a high-decibel optical simulator run by undergrads who treat the dome like a giant live canvas.
What it's like
Park in Lot 308 directly west of the dome—parking is free there on weekends and weekday evenings—and pass through the lobby past the retired analog projector "Fritz." Settle into the reclined seats, aiming for the upper-middle rows to capture the full 65-foot overhead field without straining your neck. The crowd is a mix of students, local music heads, and late-night visual art seekers. These are scheduled events capping at 206 seats, so popular album nights sell out well in advance—buy tickets online early. Shows last about an hour, wrapping surround sound and live visuals before sending you back out into the crisp Boulder air.
The move: Grab reclined dome seats for a late Liquid Sky laser show set to an album you both love, then walk it off under Boulder's actual stars.
📍 Before you go Late laser/Liquid Sky shows are scheduled events with assigned dates; buy tickets in advance as they sell out.
- 📍 Boulder
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 2414 Regent Dr, Boulder, CO 80309
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Sommers-Bausch Observatory Open House Nights — Located right next door on campus, you can transition from projected laser stars to observing actual celestial targets through research telescopes on clear Friday nights.
- License No. 1 — Head 1.4 miles down to downtown Boulder's basement speakeasy beneath the Hotel Boulderado to dissect the planetarium visuals over craft cocktails.
- The Lighthouse Bookstore — Spend an afternoon browsing two floors of metaphysical books and crystals on Pearl Street before heading to campus for late-night abstract dome visualizers.
- Little Horse Vintage (and the Electric Room) — Browse thousands of vintage vinyl records at Little Horse beforehand to get into an album-listening mindset before the dome's surround-sound laser set.
Good to know
What is the difference between a Laser show and a Liquid Sky show?
Laser shows use dedicated laser projectors to beam crisp geometric lines and figures across the dome, while Liquid Sky shows feature fluid, full-dome digital visualizers rendered live by student operators. Many music nights combine both into a single show.
Do I need to buy tickets in advance?
Yes. Late laser and Liquid Sky shows operate on assigned dates with a hard cap of 206 seats, and popular music shows frequently sell out before showtime.
Where do I park when visiting Fiske Planetarium?
CU's Lot 308, located directly west of the planetarium, offers free parking on weekends and weekday evenings. Weekday daytime visits require paid metered parking.
Will I see stars or just laser graphics?
Most late music shows bookend the laser and Liquid Sky visualizers with a demonstration of the MegaStar projector, casting ten million realistic stars across the dome.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: colorado.edu · Wikipedia · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-23