MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Shiras Planetarium has been a staple of Marquette and the MAPS school district since it opened in 1965.
Now it’s getting a much needed upgrade.
“There’s really so many ways that we could use this space that is way bigger than just a classroom for our students,” said Shiras Planetarium Director Becky LaBrecque. “Which is really what the planetarium is right now.”
“We’re going to be able to take feet off the ground and launch on adventures that have never before been done in the Shiras and it’s super exciting,” said Shiras Planetarium Technician Jacob Phillips.
Since the old digital projector broke in 2017, the facility has been doing what it can with the equipment it has.
“One of the things we did is install a laser system and that really saved our facility,: said LaBrecque. “Having a laser system and doing laser shows and making that our focus and creating laser shows with students is really what kept us open at all.”
With the help of local fundraising and state grants the Planetarium has most of the million dollars it needs for the renovation.
“The Friends of Shiras Planetarium group formed and started to bring together other partners to the table,” said LaBrecque. “That’s when we saw some partnerships come in from other foundations and businesses and organizations. That process is what’s got us to just over $760,000.”
A new cutting-edge digital projector is being ordered from Germany, that the staff said will create countless new opportunities in the space.
“This’ll be the type of facility that is so rare that we’ll get people travelling here to see the facility,” said LaBrecque. “We already have requests to have conferences here. This’ll be something that will help the tourism industry of Marquette.”
“It opens a lot of capability that we don’t currently have,” said Phillips. “And that will extend into astronomy and beyond.”
The Planetarium will close temporarily sometime in early 2025 to finish the renovation process, and plans to be open to the public with the new improvements by September of that same year.
Shiras Planetarium is fundraising to cover the last $240,000 of the renovation cost, if you’re interested in donating, or want to learn about the planetarium’s “Adopt a Star” program, check out the Friends of Shiras Planetarium website.
