The James S. McDonnell Planetarium at the Saint Louis Science Center reopens this Saturday after a months-long closure, returning with a new hybrid star projector, immersive full-dome visuals and an upgraded surround-sound system. Staff say the overhaul will let educators fly audiences to distant planets, cruise through the Milky Way and pull in up-to-the-minute imagery of Earth. The upgrade is being billed as one of the largest technology refreshes in the planetarium’s six-decade history.
What's new under the dome
According to a press release from Saint Louis Science Center, the Bill and Laura Orthwein StarBay will reopen after a nearly six-month project that installed a GOTO Chiron III hybrid star projector, the first of its kind in the United States, paired with a Cosm Digistar full-dome data-visualization system. The Science Center says the installation also added a 22,000-watt surround-sound setup, the first Auracast hearing-assistance system in the St. Louis area, a refreshed entry experience and newly developed live shows for members and the public.
Tickets and new shows
St. Louis Magazine reports that tickets for three new live shows — The (New) Sky Tonight, The Earth Today and The Little Star That Could: 360 — went on sale July 6, with members receiving complimentary access to the new programming. The magazine notes that the Digistar system will let presenters pull in satellite imagery and live data during performances so they can connect what is happening in St. Louis to broader planetary stories playing out across the solar system.
Price tag and what staff say
Local business reporting pegged the cost of the projection upgrade at about $2.5 million, according to the St. Louis Business Journal. Planetarium manager Will Snyder told Spectrum the hybrid system "transports guests into the heavens above and to specific points across the globe," allowing educators to match classic star shows with real-time Earth data.
What this means for St. Louis
The overhaul positions the McDonnell Planetarium, a Forest Park landmark since 1963, as a regional draw for school field trips, family outings and STEM programming, the center says. The Saint Louis Science Center calls the project the largest technology refresh for the space in more than 25 years and says the upgraded dome will help local educators bring complex, current science into fully immersive classroom-style experiences.
