EKU’s Hummel Planetarium, one of largest in state, has been closed for over 2 years. Why?
The Hummel Planetarium at Eastern Kentucky University, the largest facility of its kind in the state, will remain closed as the university looks for funding opportunities to update and reopen the building, university officials said.
The planetarium has been closed to the public since 2020 because of COVID safety requirements. In August 2021, it was announced that it would remain closed temporarily. There were also fewer field trips to the planetarium around the same time because of changing requirements from K-12 schools, said Jill Price, associate vice president for outreach and engagement at EKU.
The building is in need of repairs and technology updates, which has contributed to the ongoing closure, Price said. The university is keeping the building closed to the public while it looks for grants and other funding opportunities to reopen the planetarium.
“We’re trying everything we can to see if there’s a way to fund it,” Price said. “But without grant funding or state funding, public use is unlikely.”
Price said it’s difficult to estimate how much it would cost to repair the building, which was built in 1976, and update the technology. Repairs to the exterior of the building are needed, the dome of the planetarium needs to be cleaned and the technology needs to be upgraded. Many aging planetariums in the area are facing the same challenges, she said.
“It’s a very expensive facility to maintain,” Price said. “It’s a very unique structure, and technology out-dates so quickly.”
EKU still holds classes and laboratories in the planetarium, but it will remain closed to the public until the building can be updated, she said.
Prior to its closure, the planetarium would host field trips and shows that were open to the community. Price said she and others at EKU have heard feedback that people want public shows to resume, and hope to find funding that will allow them to reopen.
“It’s been maintained and operated over many years, and it’s iconic almost,” Price said. “People remember going on field trips. People remember it and have fond memories.”
Earlier this year, a Facebook post called for letters of support to revitalize the planetarium. Mark Pitts, assistant professor of physics at EKU, said he received 20 letters over 10 days, all recalling warm memories of visiting and enjoying the planetarium.
Kentucky is home to several planetariums, many of them located on university campuses. The Hummel Planetarium, one of the largest planetariums in the region, has seating for 164 people, according to EKU’s website.
The Gheens Science Hall & Rauch Planetarium at the University of Louisville, which is also temporarily closed according to its website, seats 160 people. The Hardin Planetarium at Western Kentucky University seats 120 people, and Haile Planetarium at Northern Kentucky University seats 61.
“I’m hopeful that the team working on this funding will be able to find funding and a way forward,” Price said. “Stay tuned.”
This story was originally published July 21, 2023 at 10:45 AM.