Crews are gearing up this July for a $2 million renovation of the Herget building at the Cincinnati Observatory, a key piece of a larger $3 million effort to modernize the 1873 landmark without losing its old-school charm. This phase will finally complete the overhaul of the 153-year-old basement and carve out new storage and display areas so more of the observatory’s roughly 30,000-item collection can move out of hiding and into public view. Officials expect construction to wrap by next summer.
According to WKRC, the observatory’s total $3 million campaign will let staff rotate artifacts that are now stuck in storage into fresh exhibits once the basement work is finished. The station also reports that this phase is designed to fuel expanded programming, with an eye on serving more schools and a broader public audience.
Scope Of The Construction
As outlined by the Cincinnati Observatory, the “A New Phase” campaign includes an expansion of collections and archive space, a new viewing area for items that rarely make it into the main museum, and the addition of ADA-compliant restrooms. During construction, the Herget building and its museum spaces will be off-limits, but the Mitchel building and its historic telescope will stay open for tours and programs, so stargazers do not have to press pause on their plans.
Funding And Support
Public money is helping to keep the project moving. The state’s biennial capital budget sets aside $100,000 to complete the observatory’s basement and office renovation, according to a June release from the Ohio House of Representatives. Observatory leaders say community fundraising and the observatory’s own campaign will cover the remaining costs.
A Place With Deep History
The Herget building dates back to the 1870s and was designed by architect Samuel Hannaford. It houses the observatory’s 1904 Alvan Clark & Sons refracting telescope, while the Mitchel building holds the earlier Merz and Mahler instrument. That legacy, along with the observatory’s long-running role in public astronomy, is detailed in coverage from the University of Cincinnati.
Programming During Construction
The observatory reports that most programming will shift into the Mitchel building while work is underway. Tours, Astronomy Evenings, instructor-led classes and private events will continue on site, so regulars will still have a reason to head up the hill after dark. The observatory also plans off-site and partner programming, which means school groups and families should still have options to tap into astronomy education while the Herget building is under construction.
Once the dust settles, the renovation is expected to put a much larger share of the observatory’s collection in front of visitors and to improve accessibility for both casual stargazers and researchers. In the meantime, the Mitchel dome will keep hosting viewings and classes while the Herget gets its long-awaited upgrade.
