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Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is a unit of
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Morehead Building houses the GSK Fulldome Theater, as well as the Science Stage, Launch Lab, exhibits in the Breakthrough Hub and Gateway Gallery, and classrooms. The Morehead-Cain Foundation and UNC Morehead Observatory are also located in the Morehead Building. In front of Morehead, along Franklin Street, you will find our iconic sundial. The Morehead Building, including the planetarium, was built as a gift from John Motley Morehead III, UNC class of 1891.

Since the planetarium opened in 1949, millions of North Carolina students, teachers, and families, as well as visitors from around the world, have benefited from Morehead science programs. Our most famous visitors were the U.S. astronauts in training for Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions, including 11 of the 12 astronauts who have walked on the Moon.

Many of our planetarium shows are original productions, written and designed by Morehead’s production team.

Morehead’s programs include classes for adults and children, special courses for teachers, summer camps for children, after-school programs, memberships, public viewings of astronomical events, and public lectures. Since 2010, Morehead has proudly produced the North Carolina Science Festival.

Between traditional on-site offerings and outreach across the state, Morehead serves more than a half million people each year.