To the Stars: UAF Planetarium Construction Begins
Planetarium construction continues at the west side of the University of Alaska Museum of the North on UAF’s Troth Yeddha’ Campus in Fairbanks.
Photo Credit: Rod Boyce
Construction has begun on a sixty-five-seat planetarium at UAF. The project, greenlit by the UA Board of Regents in February 2024, is primarily funded by a $7.4 million anonymous private donation. The planetarium will be located on the west side of the University of Alaska Museum of the North on UAF’s Troth Yeddha’ Campus in Fairbanks.
New Donors Add Enhanced Features
The 5,700-square-foot planetarium is scheduled to open in spring 2026. It will house an 11-meter dome, two projectors, four image-generation computers and theater-quality surround-sound audio with built-in lighting systems. The seating capacity is on par with the UAA Planetarium and Visualization Theater, which became Anchorage’s first astronomical auditorium when the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building opened in 2009.
“A planetarium, despite its name, is really just a big dome theater,” says Patrick Druckenmiller, the museum’s director. “We’re looking forward to bringing in a variety of content programming that will feature a multitude of subjects, especially relating to Alaska and the Arctic.”
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July 2025
In addition to the anonymous benefactor, two other donors supported the project: the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and longtime UAF boosters Sarah and Cary Keller.
“The Murdock Trust has been honored to support the collaborative and innovative work of the Geophysical Institute and Museum of the North over the years,” says Elaine Charpentier Philippi, senior program officer for education and leadership development at the Murdock Trust, a Vancouver, Washington-based charity endowed by tech pioneer Jack Murdock.
The UAF Planetarium will include an 11-meter dome, two projectors, four image-generation computers and theater-quality surround-sound audio with built-in lighting systems.
Photo Credit: Karen Tomasik
The trust has pledged nearly $500,000 toward the planetarium’s projection and sound systems.
“As the planetarium takes shape, we will be excited to see how these investments bring expanded capacity, increased visitor experience and deeper research in the natural sciences for the benefit of the visitors and researchers alike,” says Charpentier Philippi.
The Murdock Trust has been an incredible partner on the planetarium project, Druckenmiller says. “They recognized the power of philanthropy by the anonymous donor for this transformational project and saw that as a great opportunity to partner with us on this crucial component of the project.”
Donor support will help elevate the programming at the planetarium, adds UAF Geophysical Institute Director Robert McCoy.
“We are delighted to partner with the trust to purchase the latest systems so we can provide the public an exciting and highly enjoyable science experience,” he says.
Sarah and Cary Keller, inspired by the anonymous donors’ generosity and their shared enthusiasm for science, have committed $125,000 to fund the planetarium manager position.
Monetary and in-kind service donations, including those from the Kellers and contractors on the project, show the planetarium’s importance to the Fairbanks community, McCoy says.
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