UNC's Morehead Planetarium celebrates 69 years

Posted May 17, 2018
The Morehead Planetarium opened its doors on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's campus May 10, 1949 after 17 months of construction. It was the first planetarium in the South and only the sixth in the United States. At $3 million – more than $50 million in today’s dollars – it was the most expensive building in the state at the time. (WRAL.com)

Related: Campus Connections

Meet Sutton's Drug Store owner Don Pinney
Opened in 1923 by Lynwood and Lucy Sutton, Sutton's Drug Store was sold to Elliott Brummitt in 1965 with the understanding that the store wouldn’t...
Fri Feb 27, 2026

Carolina Covenant Documentary Wins Emmy
Chase Martin, assistant director of video for university development, and Jeyhoun Allebaugh, assistant director of photo and video for university development, accepted the best educational...
Wed Feb 25, 2026

When Every Second Counts: This UNC Device is Saving Lives
A breakthrough from UNC is helping frontline teams fight America’s drug crisis. Chemist Mike Ramsey’s research led to the MX908, a handheld mass spectrometer, that...
Sun Feb 22, 2026

Forbes Names Carolina to “Best Large Employer” List
The University of North Carolina is the top-ranked public institution in North Carolina on the Forbes 2026 Best Large Employer List released Tuesday. UNC is...
Sat Feb 21, 2026