The Moscow planetarium is located near the Garden ring, near the Moscow zoo. The idea of building in Moscow planetarium was owned by David Ryazanov, who headed the Institute of Marx and Engels in the CEC of the USSR together with Glavnauka RSFSR people's Commissariat. The decision to build in Moscow planetarium was taken by the Presidium of the Moscow Soviet in 1927. It was decided to build the country's first the latest scientific and educational institution – a planetarium. Equipment – projection Planetarium, at the time it was the newest invention on a global scale. It was first shown in the autumn of 1923. Ryazanov was sent to Germany for talks about the making of equipment for the planetarium with the company Carl Zeiss.

At this time in Moscow was developed architectural and construction design of the planetarium. The development took young architects barsch and Sinyavsky. The architects took as a basis the draft natural egg shape, or rather in the form of geometric and tectonic terms. The constructivist Alex Gunn described the planetarium, optical-science theatre.

The planetarium building was laid on September 28, 1928, the day of the autumnal equinox. The opening took place in November 1929. At the time, the planetarium was the first and only one in the country and the thirteenth in Europe and in the world.

The main activity of the planetarium is to popularize scientific knowledge in the field of space.

In 1977, the Moscow planetarium was reconstructed. Installed a new device, made in the GDR, the plant "Carl Zeiss Jena". It was a machine with programmed control. This gave the opportunity to perform at the planetarium automated audio-visual representation.

Astronomical circle at the planetarium visited future known astronomers Kardashev, Novikov, Gurstein, Efremov, goldfinches, Balls, etc. In 1987 in the planetarium were trained in navigation, all Soviet cosmonauts.

In 1990, the planetarium has established the largest telescope in Moscow. Access to it is opened to everyone.

In 1997 a group of scientists under the leadership of A. V. Anisimov started the development of the project of reconstruction of the planetarium. Anisimov has proposed to raise the building on 6 meters. The project was awarded a first degree diploma of the Union of Architects of Russia.It is possible to increase the area of the building. In the new areas posted: Museum, research Department, exhibition hall, underground Parking and a café, as well as technical areas.

Started were in 2002. Reconstruction was long, it was the dispute of the shareholders. In 2009, the owner of the Moscow planetarium was the Moscow Property Department.It was agreed that the planetarium will open in 2010, but was moved to the opening on June 12, 2011.The planetarium opened in Day of Russia.

On the underground floor of the planetarium is small star hall, cinema 4D, Museum "Lunarium".The first level is the halls devoted to the history of space exploration and the halls of the Museum "Urania". At the second level – a big and a small astronomical Observatory, the site of the "sky Park" and exhibition of the collection of meteorites. At the third level, under the dome, is a large star hall. It allows the projector to see about 9 thousand celestial objects and their movement across the sky in time.