Morehead Planetarium and Science Center Fact Sheet
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center was the first planetarium to be built on a college campus in the United States and is located in downtown Chapel Hill on scenic Franklin Street. The building is on the north end of the campus of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Morehead features a 68-foot planetarium dome with a Definiti fulldome digital video projection system including surround sound. The facility also features the Science Stage, exhibits, the UNC Visitor's Center, a portrait gallery, a rose garden and a massive sundial. UNC's department of physics and astronomy operates the Morehead Observatory at the east end of the building.
Nearly 160,000 people visit the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center annually, including 85,000 schoolchildren.
Planetarium schedules at Morehead feature multimedia shows and live star shows narrated by planetarium staff members. The Science Stage offers Science LIVE! demonstration shows as well as Science 360 presentations.
Non-credit classes for adults and children, special courses for teachers, summer camps for children, monthly skywatching sessions and other programs for all ages keep the community involved in science.
Downloadable high-resolution images of the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center building, people and programs can be found in our Image Gallery.