Hutchinson, Kan. – When the Kansas Cosmosphere opened more than 50 years ago it was just a little building with the little dome that was the planetarium. Not much has changed in that little part of the space museum sine then, but that is about to change after two donations that will fund a major overhaul of the small theatre.

Thanks to the generous contribution from the Walter E. & Velma G. Justice Fund for Reno County and a personal gift from Dave and Dee Dillon, the Cosmosphere’s Justice Planetarium will undergo a $400,000 renovation in February 2015. The renovation will include implementation of new programs through a state-of-the-art digital projection system, the Spitz Sci-Dome, replacing the optical starball currently in use. New seating, carpet, lighting, control system, and an upgraded sound system will also be installed, transforming and modernizing the space.

Advancements in planetarium technology over the past two decades, when the current system was installed, have drastically transformed the planetarium experience. The Spitz Sci-Dome digital projection system will give Cosmosphere educators the ability to tailor programming in the Justice Planetarium to meet specific school field trip themes, grade levels, and standards – providing fully customizable presentations. 

The Justice Planetarium will close in February 2015 for renovations and reopen in March 2015 before Spring Break when families from Reno County, across Kansas, surrounding states and even the nation visit Hutchinson and the Cosmosphere.