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

Chansky’s Notebook: Sorry, We Miss You
Why do you think the Beat Duke Parade fizzled out? There may be a lot of reasons why college parades with whacky floats are things...
Wed Nov 19, 2025

Chapel Hill’s He’s Not Here Among The Athletic’s ‘Top 10 College Bars’ for 2025
A downtown Chapel Hill staple long known for its appeal to both UNC students, Tar Heel fans and visitors recently landed on a national list...
Wed Nov 19, 2025

3 Carolina seniors win Rhodes scholarships
For the second time ever, the University of North Carolina has three Rhodes scholars in the same year. Seniors Rotimi Kukoyi and Gabrielle Moreau received...
Mon Nov 17, 2025

UNC expands support for military and student veterans with success center
UNC-Chapel Hill unveiled its expanded Military and Veteran Student Success Center this week, a move aimed at better supporting students who are vets and their...
Sun Nov 16, 2025