HeyStamford.com: Stamford Museum and Nature Center Break Ground on New Planetarium & Astronomy Center
HeyStamford: Bringing us from October’s Telescope Extraction into the Future
BY PJ KENNEDY | Read original story on HeyStamford.com
The community gathered at the former site of the abandoned Stamford Observatory this week to mark a special occasion!
Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons, area legislators, and community leaders joined Melissa Mulrooney, CEO of the the Stamford Museum and Nature Center and representatives of both the SM&NC’s board of Directors to break ground on a new Planetarium and Astronomy Center, the second major signature venue to be added to the SM&NC’s 118-acre campus in the last five years.
We were on hand last fall as the team took the first step, removing the historic 22-inch Gregory-Maksutov Telescope from the observatory to pave the way for demolition which occurred earlier this week.
At nearly 11,000 sq. ft, the new Planetarium & Astronomy Center will feature:
- 100-seat Planetarium Theater
- Open-Air, Roll-Back Roof Observation Deck with Lunar & Solar Telescopes
- State-0f-the-art Science Technology
- Welcoming Lobby Gallery
- Two School & Community Classrooms
- Scenic Outdoor Terraces
- Astronomy & Technology Offices
In addition to being a cultural attraction, the facility will serve as a center for STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and astronomy, and math) education.
The new venue will unite new and existing SM&NC Planetarium, Observatory, and Astronomy programs under one roof for the first time, establishing a new signature venue and destination.
The Planetarium & Astronomy Center and the Knobloch Family Farmhouse, which opened in 2018, are part of the SM&NC’s visionary master plan to build future capacity for the museum’s educational and public spaces.
The Stamford Museum and Nature Center is expecting the Planetarium & Astronomy Center to open in September/October 2024.
The Stamford Museum and Nature Center is located at 39 Scofieldtown Road. For more information visit: https://www.stamfordmuseum.org