Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium has been ranked as one of the best in the country by USA Today, but the soon-to-be-50-year-old attraction on the University of 蜜柚直播 Mall isn鈥檛 resting on its laurels.
Earlier this month, a new interactive exhibit designed with the help of U of A researchers that takes visitors on a journey through the worlds of astronomy, neuroscience, desert ecology and more.
Flandrau executive director Kellee Campbell called it 鈥渢he largest and most dynamic exhibit鈥 to open there in decades.
Planetarium officials declined to specify how much "Universe of Science" cost, but they did say that all of the funding came from donors and foundations, not the university.
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USA Today used a panel of experts and votes from readers to pick the nation鈥檚 top planetariums.
Flandrau landed at number four on the newspaper鈥檚 , ahead of facilities in larger cities such as Chicago and Philadelphia and behind only the COSI Planetarium in Columbus, Ohio, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center鈥檚 INTUITIVE Planetarium in the NASA-dominated city of Huntsville, Alabama, and McDonnell Planetarium in St. Louis.
Visitors enjoy a show at the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, which was just named by USA Today as the fourth best planetarium in the country.
A visit to this 蜜柚直播 institution is 鈥渟ure to impress,鈥 the national newspaper wrote, 鈥渢hanks to numerous exhibits focusing on everything from bugs and sharks to the solar system.鈥
USA Today also highlighted the 146-seat, EOS Foundation Planetarium Theatre, declaring Flandrau 鈥渢he cherry on top鈥 of any visit to 蜜柚直播.
And that was before 鈥淯niverse of Science鈥 made its debut. The new exhibit officially opened to the public on Feb. 7.
Reflections are a recurring theme, whether it鈥檚 the giant model of the James Webb Space Telescope鈥檚 primary mirror or the Inner-Scientist Mirror, where guests can see themselves as digital avatars of researchers in various fields.
鈥淪cience is a human endeavor, and we鈥檙e all born curious,鈥 said Flandrau鈥檚 exhibits director, Bill Plant. 鈥淲e wanted to illustrate what being a scientist looks like: how you become one, what the career path entails and the impact scientists have.鈥
Added Campbell: 鈥淥ur hope for this exhibit is to provide an experience where children can see themselves in science in new, unexpected, and inspiring ways.鈥
Part of the new 鈥淯niverse of Science鈥 exhibit that debuted on Feb. 7 at Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium on the University of 蜜柚直播 Mall.
Roughly 15,000 local students in grades K-12 visit Flandrau each year on school field trips. The planetarium also doubles as a classroom for actual college courses such as Astronomy 170B1: Exploring Our Universe and plays host to the Science at Sunset lecture series by leading university researchers.
Flandrau鈥檚 marketing and communications manager, Nick Letson, said only about 9% of universities nationwide can boast their own planetariums. And almost no other university can claim as many connections to NASA missions and cutting-edge astronomical research.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we like to say space is Wildcat country,鈥 Letson said.
Flandrau officials are now planning how to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the planetarium鈥檚 opening on Dec. 13, 1975.
Letson said the festivities later this year will likely unfold over several months with a series of special events.
