Beijing Planetarium located on Xizhimenwai Street, opposite Beijing Zoo.  It is both a research and entertainment center, used to popularize science. It consists of two parts: Beijing Planetarium and Beijing Ancient Observatory, with the Ancient Observatory being located far away at Dongdiaobei Hutong. 

There are two buildings on site, an older and a newer. The older planetarium building was built in 1957.  It was the first planetarium in Asia and contains two exhibition halls, was well as the Celestial Theater which shows celestial phenomena in high definition. The newer facility has several exciting attractions: Digital Space Theater, 3D theater, 4D theater, exhibition hall, two observatories.

The planetarium has 600 seats a large homemade Star Projector and tens of special effect projectors used to display features of the heavens. Now the planetarium presents four to five space shows each day (except Monday and Tuesday). The exhibition hall illustrates the history of astronomy and space travel. The most recent display covers the Shenzhou spacecraft, which launched China's first man into space.