Categories: Travel

Jasper is home to the world’s largest astronomy park & here’s how to stargaze there

Photo via Jasper Planetarium

There’s no shortage of hours in a day spent beneath the night sky in winter. It’s almost enough to forget about the magic of stars, galaxies, and everything else that makes the night sky so special. Almost.

At the Jasper Planetarium, this magic isn’t only remembered — it’s celebrated. Hidden deep in the Alberta Rocky Mountains, this enchanting destination offers visitors a window into galaxies far, far away.

The darkest skies

First things first, the Jasper Planetarium will get you away from the city lights. The park is a dark sky preserve, which means local rules and bylaws are in place to defend against light pollution from city lights. There are just 13 dark sky preserves in Canada, and Jasper happens to be the largest — not just in Canada, but in the whole world.

While there are a variety of tours and packages available, the telescope and planetarium combo is the best way to experience everything the park has to offer.

The tour kicks off with a world-exclusive live interactive planetarium dome experience. Guides will share stories about Canadian Indigenous constellations, show views of recent Northern Lights from Jasper, and answer your questions. It’s basically a trip to the edge of the universe and back in under 40 minutes.

From there, you’ll get to look through the largest, most powerful telescopes in the North American Rockies. Choose between evening stargazing or early-evening solar gazing, and rest easy knowing that the experience is backed by a two-year raincheck. Because with Alberta weather, you just never know!

The telescope and planetarium combo is $74 for adults and $25 for kids. You can also opt for one or the other, or go all-in for the Jasper Dark Sky package, which includes all of the above plus a constellation and binocular tour experience.

The universe is right at your fingertips. Book your experience and enjoy, Alberta.