LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The University of Louisville has decided not to reopen its on-campus planetarium, permanently closing a facility that for years served as a hub for astronomy education and public outreach.
The Gheens Science Hall & Rauch Planetarium closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and never reopened to the public, though some UofL professors continued to use it for classes.
“This planetarium has been used for two different things,” said Benne Holwerda, an astronomy professor. “Both education here at the University of Louisville, but also education for schoolchildren around the whole area — this area of Kentucky, basically.”
Holwerda said the hands-on experiences offered in the space, including observing sunspots and other celestial features, made it a unique learning environment.
“You really get into the mode of learning about astronomy,” he said. “I like the fact that we share the sky here. We look together rather than individually at our own little screens.”
Holwerda said the large theater — which could seat about 150 people — encouraged collective learning.
“The fact that you have 150 people looking at the same thing and thinking about it, rather than individually on their own Chromebook or what have you … I think we’re all collectively coming back to, like, no, we actually need to do things together to really learn something,” he said. “So I was hoping that we could use that in the future. I’m still hoping we can use this in the future. I would love to teach a class.”
UofL President Gerry Bradley called the decision difficult but final, citing financial constraints.
In a statement, the university said the planetarium “… has always operated with a financial deficit, which means the university subsidized the operation each year. The cost of reopening the facility, which needs a significant investment in new equipment, is not one the university is able to justify. UofL has tried to secure external partners/donors to underwrite the expenses involved in the planetarium’s operation but has not been successful.”
Over the years, thousands of students and community members visited the planetarium for classes, public events and laser-light shows.
UofL said it plans to take an inventory of the equipment inside and either repurpose or sell it. The university will also assess how to best use the space in the future.
The closure comes as another Kentucky university moves away from its own planetarium. Eastern Kentucky University’s Board of Regents voted in late February to demolish the Hummel Planetarium in Richmond, which has been closed since 2019.