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

Savannah Bananas At Kenan Stadium Generate $17.1 Million In Economic Impact
The Savannah Bananas' appearance at UNC's Kenan Stadium generated more than $17.1 million in direct economic impact for the town of Chapel Hill and the...
Mon May 11, 2026

Video: Eric Church 2026 UNC Spring Commencement Address
UNC's newest alumni and their guests heard from country music star, North Carolina native, and lifelong Tar Heel fan Eric Church at Carolina's spring Commencement...
Mon May 11, 2026

Carolina puts on a show for the Class of 2026
For Carolina’s graduates, the party’s been going on for weeks now. The good times continued during Spring Commencement Saturday night at Kenan Stadium. Country music...
Sun May 10, 2026

Look back at UNC Commencement through the years
UNC celebrates the newest Tar Heel graduates at Spring Commencement on Saturday at Kenan Stadium. Commencement has a long history at Carolina. UNC was the...
Sat May 9, 2026