Morehead Planetarium, The First of Its Kind in the South

Posted Jun 10, 2018
On May 10, 1949, the Morehead Planetarium opened on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. It was first planetarium in the South, the first planetarium on a university campus and the sixth planetarium to be built nationwide. The planetarium was primarily a gift of John Motley Morehead III, an 1891 graduate and founder of Union Carbide Corporation. (NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources)

Related: Campus Connections

Sarah Fox, Trey Giddens Represent UNC At ACC Career Trek
Sarah Fox of the UNC rowing team and Trey Giddens of the football program were selected to take part in the three-day ACC Career Trek...
Fri Jul 10, 2026

Andy Griffith’s showbiz status endures
Few entertainers have stayed in the nation’s collective conscience like Andy Griffith. Griffith is best known for his warm and wise television portrayals of Sheriff...
Thu Jul 9, 2026

Tar Heel hoists the Stanley Cup — twice
Mallory Wilmoth knows how much the Stanley Cup weighs. It’s about 35 pounds and can be cumbersome to lift, especially while standing on ice in...
Wed Jul 8, 2026

UNC student, Rhodes scholar brings hope back home to Jamaica
When Tiana Dinham flew home to Jamaica in November 2025, the University of North Carolina senior experienced the “lowest of lows and highest of highs.”...
Tue Jul 7, 2026