SPARTANBURG — The new Spartanburg Planetarium Learning Center is expected to draw visitors from across the Upstate once it opens on Oct. 17.
Tucked away on the corner of Broad and Church streets, the $15 million project includes a 136-seat theatre covered by a 50-foot dome. The 28,000-square-foot building includes a maker lab named for Spartanburg native Kitty Black Perkins, who is best known for being a designer for Mattel Barbie.
Perkins is a pioneer of sorts having been the first Black designer for the company. In 1980, she designed Mattel’s first Black Barbie. In 2004, Perkins retired from Mattel.
While Mattel had released Black dolls in 1968 called Francie and Christie, it wasn’t until 1980 that the company released a Black doll named Barbie.
A Foucault Pendulum will hang in the lobby suspended from the ceiling by a cable. There will be meeting space also inside the building.
A grand opening event will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 17 at 151 S. Church St. It will include tours, demonstrations and provide information about the planetarium and what it will offer to the public.
Perkins will also attend the grand opening event and plans to conduct demonstrations at the maker lab at the new center.
The project was first announced in 2022. In early 2024, construction started. The project was completed a year later.
Spartanburg County Librarian Todd Stephens told The Post and Courier excitement is building ahead of the grand opening.
“The community has been hearing about this through one presentation or another,” Stephens said. “We have done our best to keep people informed and will be fascinated how the community chooses how to interact with the planetarium.”
Stephens added, “Our job is to provide the best services so that people have a good experience and want to come back.”
There will be public seating, planters and trees at two entrances on ground level at Church and Broad streets. An outdoor plaza is also included. Funding for the project included private donations, county-issued construction bonds and the library system’s fund balance.
The planetarium is expected to bring more pedestrian traffic to downtown Spartanburg and attract interest from local schools, universities and businesses.
Brett Vaughn, executive director of curriculum and instruction for Spartanburg County School District 7, said the new planetarium will help students make better connections to science.
“The new building is truly a launchpad of discovery and imagination,” Vaughn said. “Programming will open opportunities for students and families to connect with NASA and the International Space Station.”
Vaughn added, “I cannot wait to see the Foucault Pendulum in the lobby. For as many years as I taught students about the Earth’s rotation and revolution, I look forward to seeing the pendulum demonstration in real life.”
Beginning Oct. 18, the planetarium theater will present three shows daily, Tuesday through Saturday. The first three shows are “Worlds Beyond Earth, “CAPCOM GO! The Apollo Story” and “Aurora: Lights of Wonder.”
The planetarium learning center will also invite guest speakers. School group tours should begin in early 2026. Stephens said over the next few weeks, staff will work to calibrate the planetarium’s system and get a full understanding of how it all works before opening to the public.
“We will get a clear understanding on how it functions to make sure we present the planetarium in the best way,” he said. “Staff will continue to practice to have comfort with the process.”
For the grand opening event, parking will be made available at the Spartanburg County Public Library Headquarters at 151 S. Church St., Spartanburg. The new planetarium is connected to the library, so guests may enter through the library.