Written By Mauricio Segura // Image Created By: The Golden Bay Times Graphics Dept.
If you’re looking for a night out that hits different from the usual dinner and a movie routine, the laser concert series at the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity, better known as MOSAC, will jolt your senses in all the right ways. These shows blend science, music, and light into a full-dome experience that makes you feel less like a spectator and more like you’ve stepped inside the music itself.
Housed inside MOSAC’s UC Davis Multiverse Theater, the series turns the museum’s planetarium-style dome into a living light canvas. With six 4K projectors and a 25,000-watt Dolby 5.1 surround-sound system, it’s a far cry from your average laser show. The result is a hypnotic blend of color, rhythm, and energy that wraps around you from every direction. You’re not watching a stage; you’re immersed in a visual symphony that pulses along with the songs.
The atmosphere inside the theater feels like a mix between a concert and a dream. As the lights fade and the first notes kick in, beams of color slice through the dark dome, shifting with the tempo. Swirling graphics, laser animations, and carefully timed bursts of light dance across the ceiling, pulling you into an almost meditative state. It’s loud, vibrant, and a little bit trippy, but in a good way. This is not a sit-and-chat kind of event. It’s forty-five minutes to an hour of sensory overload, where you sit back, relax, and let the show take over.
Tickets are fairly affordable, though the museum keeps standard admission separate from these special events. Regular museum admission runs around twenty dollars for adults and seventeen for educators, with discounts for children and seniors. The laser concerts, however, typically fall in the fifteen to twenty-dollar range, depending on the artist and event. Seating is limited to about one hundred people, and since these shows tend to sell quickly, arriving early or buying tickets online is a smart move. The museum sits at 400 Jibboom Street near Old Sacramento, and parking in the adjacent lot costs six dollars for the day.
As for the lineup, MOSAC likes to keep things eclectic. Recently, the museum hosted a Pink Floyd laser show that proved to be a fan favorite, drawing both diehard rock enthusiasts and curious first-timers. Coming up this winter, the dome will pulse to the sounds of Taylor Swift on November 7–8 and December 5–6, followed by a high-energy Beastie Boys night on January 9–10, 2026. In past months, shows featuring Prince, The Grateful Dead, and classic rock icons have taken over the dome, each with its own unique choreography of light.
And for those making the drive from the Bay Area or beyond, MOSAC itself is well worth a few extra hours. The museum is one of the newest science centers in California, sitting along the Sacramento River with striking architecture and hands-on exhibits that rival San Francisco’s Exploratorium. Visitors can explore interactive displays about space, engineering, environmental science, and even weather simulations that let you “step inside” a storm. There’s also a full-scale Foucault pendulum, a live science stage, and a kid-friendly zone for younger visitors. Between the museum’s daytime exhibits, the riverside views, and the nighttime laser shows, you can easily fill a full day without feeling like you came just for a one-hour event.
The crowd varies depending on the artist. Families might come for a Beatles or pop-themed night, while younger audiences show up for Swift or electronic acts. Regardless of the show, the mood is always electric but respectful; people aren’t shouting or dancing in aisles, but you can feel everyone vibing with the music. It’s a shared experience, half science, half art, and entirely captivating.
What makes these laser concerts special is how they transform familiar songs into something new. You might know every lyric to “Comfortably Numb,” but when you see it explode across a 60-foot dome in swirling reds and blues, it hits differently. Even pop hits take on a new emotional punch when the visuals are syncing to every bass drop and vocal run. It’s like rediscovering the music you already love, only this time through a kaleidoscope lens.
There are, of course, a few caveats. If you’re sensitive to flashing lights or booming sound, this might not be your ideal evening. The shows are loud, concert loud, and the visuals are relentless, with lasers firing in patterns that could overwhelm some viewers. Still, for most people, that intensity is part of the thrill. It’s a complete escape from the ordinary, a reminder that science museums aren’t just for kids and field trips anymore; they’re also for adults who want to feel something spectacular.
MOSAC’s laser concerts represent what modern science museums are becoming: immersive, artistic, and fun. You don’t walk away with a quiz on the periodic table; you walk away with your heart thumping to the beat of Pink Floyd, Taylor Swift, or whoever’s up next. It’s an intersection of art and technology that manages to be both nostalgic and futuristic.
In a city that’s always chasing its next cultural spark, this is Sacramento’s hidden gem, an evening of light and sound that’s as curious as the museum’s name promises. Whether you’re a diehard fan of the artist or just someone craving a fresh experience, the Multiverse Theater delivers a reminder that science and creativity can absolutely jam together.
For more information: MOSAC Laser Concert
