James S. McDonnell Planetarium
 James S. McDonnell Planetarium | |
 | |
| Established | 16 April 1963 |
|---|---|
| Location | St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Coordinates | 38°37′53″N 90°16′15″W / 38.631287°N 90.270881°W |
| Type | Planetarium |
| Architect | Gyo Obata |
| Owner | Saint Louis Science Center |
| Website | www |
The James S. McDonnell Planetarium is a planetarium in Saint Louis, Missouri, located in Forest Park. It opened on April 16, 1963,[1] as the original building of what later became the Saint Louis Science Center. The James S. McDonnell Planetarium was ranked No. 2 in USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards for best planetarium.[2]
As of 2026, the planetarium receives about 80,000 visitors annually, hosts about 600 sessions annually, and has a staff of five.[1]
History
[edit]Planning for the planetarium began in 1955, when the City of St. Louis set aside part of a bond issue for a planetarium as part of a larger museum complex. The first proposed location on the north side of Forest Park was abandoned, and the project was moved to the southern part of the park, on the site of the former mounted police station, which was demolished in 1960.[3]
The building was designed by architect Gyo Obata of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum.[4] Contemporary descriptions emphasized its distinctive futuristic form, and the structure is widely noted for its thin-shell and hyperboloid-like appearance.[5] James Smith McDonnell, the aviation pioneer and co-founder of McDonnell Aircraft Corporation and McDonnell Douglas, donated funds for equipment such as the star projector, and the facility was named in his honor in 1964.[3]
Architectural Forum magazine described the building as "looking like some strange craft spun down to earth from outer space ... St. Louis's new planetarium perches gracefully on a rise in Forest Park."[3]
In 1983, the Museum of Science and Natural History purchased the planetarium from the city and closed it for remodeling. It reopened on July 20, 1985, as part of the Saint Louis Science Center. The site was later expanded in 1991 with a new building connected by a skybridge over Interstate 64.
Planetarium equipment
[edit]The McDonnell Planetarium is home to a ZEISS UNIVERSARIUM Mark IX Star Projector, installed in 2001. According to the Saint Louis Science Center, it is one of only three in the United States and thirteen in the world.[6] The planetarium also offers telescope-based public programs, including nighttime telescope viewing and daytime solar observing on the building's grounds.[7]
Public astronomy programs and other attractions
[edit]The planetarium has offered public telescope viewing since before 1966. These sessions are led by amateur astronomers and Science Center staff and include both night sky observing and solar viewing when weather permits. The Science Center describes the planetarium as a long-running public space for astronomy education and community observation.[8]
There is a Mission to Mars program.[9]
The planetarium also offers an exhibit titled Liftoff about the history of space travel in which Saint Louis played a role.[10]
Laser shows are scheduled to resume in late 2026.[11]
Recent developments
[edit]As of 2026, the Science Center says the planetarium is undergoing a major technology upgrade and is expected to reopen in summer 2026.[12] The project is intended to make it the largest and most advanced hybrid planetarium in the United States, with a GOTO Chiron III Hybrid Star Projector and a Cosm Digistar full-dome data visualization system.[12]
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "Worldwide Planetariums Database". planetariums-database.org. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ↑ "McDonnell Planetarium at Saint Louis Science Center". USA Today 10Best. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- 1 2 3 Loughlin, Caroline; Anderson, Catherine (1986). Forest Park. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press. p. 207–209. ISBN 0-9638298-0-7.
- ↑ Staff, PLSN (March 10, 2014). "St. Louis Planetarium, Dark for Years, Glows Anew". PLSN. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ↑ "McDonnell Planetarium". Saint Louis Science Center. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ↑ "Zeiss Planetarium Installations". www.zeiss.com. Archived from the original on 2021-08-08. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
- ↑ "Planetarium: Solar Sunday Telescope Viewing (Free)". Saint Louis Science Center. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ↑ "Public Telescope Viewing". Saint Louis Science Center. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ↑ "Mission: Mars". Saint Louis Science Center. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ "Liftoff". Saint Louis Science Center. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ↑ "Laser Shows". Saint Louis Science Center. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- 1 2 Celedon-Ortega, Nancy (March 24, 2026). "James S. McDonnell Planetarium Progress Report". Saint Louis Science Center. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
