As COSI hosted its 50th anniversary celebration this past weekend, they did more than just blow out candles and cut the cake. The center officially announced plans that it would be reopening its popular planetarium after a 10 year absence.
“A planetarium was an original feature on opening day and I am thrilled to be able to share the news with Columbus on our 50th anniversary that a planetarium will reclaim its spot as a key feature here at COSI,” said COSI president and CEO David Chesebrough. “We’ve been looking for ways to reopen the planetarium since its closure in 2004 and are delighted to have a target date.”
The closure was due to financial problems at COSI, but leaders are confident that the budget has been balanced and that the fixture will be ready for use again by the public this fall. In the meantime, COSI officials are embarking on a $1 million fundraising campaign that will help to renovate the 221-seat 60-foot dome planetarium and provide updated equipment for the project.
“As part of the training for the first group of astronauts, we spent a considerable amount of time in a planetarium learning how we could, if necessary, utilize celestial navigation in emergency situations for re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere, even though our journey was to remain in lower earth orbit,” said Senator John Glenn during the announcement on Saturday. “I congratulate COSI on the re-opening of the Planetarium and hope its use may be a great inspiration to young and old alike.”
For more information, visit www.cosi.org/planetarium.