There's a 60-foot dome on the downtown riverfront, and on Saturday, Nov. 14, it's turning into a heavy metal arena. The Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road, wraps up its Rock the Dome laser series with Laser Metallica at 6 p.m. in the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium.

How Rock the Dome works

Since June, LASM has given each second Saturday to one band. Laser Swift came first, followed by Queen, the Beatles, U2 and Led Zeppelin. Metallica closes out the six-show 2026 lineup. Each hour-long show turns the planetarium into a full-sensory fusion of laser light, sound and motion set to the band's music.

Tickets are $20 for general admission or $25 for VIP early seating. With only one showing, it makes sense to buy ahead.

Bring the kids earlier in the day

Nov. 14 is a good day to make a full outing of it. At 10 a.m., Family-Hour Stargazing starts with an interactive talk on the stars and constellations in our local night sky, then rolls into a featured show for all ages. From 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., BASF's Kids' Lab runs 45-minute hands-on chemistry workshops in the STEAM Lab for young scientists ages 6 to 12 and their grown-ups.

Both are included with regular admission: $16 for adults, $13 for kids 3 to 12, $13 for seniors 65 and up, and free for members. That ticket also covers the permanent and changing exhibits plus unlimited regular planetarium shows. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A calmer visit on Nov. 8

If bright lights and crowds aren't your family's thing, Sensory Second Sunday runs Sunday, Nov. 8, from 3 to 5 p.m. The museum dims the lights, turns the background music down, sets up quiet areas and has fidget toys on hand.

Come for the constellations in the morning or the guitar riffs after dark. Either way, LASM's dome makes a strong case for spending Saturday downtown.

Photo courtesy of Louisiana Art & Science Museum.