Museum of the Southwest

Renovation and Expansion

Star Parties

West Texas Astronomers

"Reach for the Stars"

August 6, 2008 Planetarium Groundbreaking
(left to right) David Grimes, Dr. David Daniel, Mike Canon, Tom Craddick, Tom Jones, John James

The renovation and expansion of the Marion Blakemore Planetarium is under way. Grand Re-opening is scheduled for fall of 2009.
The renovations and upgrades will include:

State of the art projection system
Updated dome
Classroom space with capabilities for distance learning in association with The University of Texas McDonald Observatory
Expanded seating.

Funding for the project includes the $1.2 million from the Texas Legislature, with additional support from the Abell- Hanger Foundation, the Helen Greathouse Charitable Trust, the City of Midland, and individuals from the community.

There are still a few "leadership" naming opportunities available for key donors as part of our "Reach for the Stars" campaign. Another popular option is naming one of the new theater seats at $500 each. This would be an ideal tribute for someone your admire, or in celebration of the birth of a child, or to recognize your business. Please consider pledging an amount you are comfortable with to help accomplish our funding goal. We appreciate your consideration of choosing to be part of this exciting endeavor.

Outreach:
The Planetarium will continue its educational programs in the community and region through a variety of outreach programs including presentations in the schools and state parks as well as star parties on the Museum grounds. Further, the Children's Museum will be hosting an astronomy exhibit called "The Space Spot" during 2009 featuring sophisticated visual style and hands-on interactive stations for audiences of all ages. The exhibit was produced by Seattle's Pacific Science Center with support from the National Science Foundation. For more information contact Gene Hardy, Planetarium Director, at meteor@museumsw.org