In September of 2022, the West Hartford-based Children’s Museum located on Trout Brook Drive moved to 180 Mohegan Drive, resulting in the permanent closure of the Gengras Planetarium.

 

But that doesn’t have to be the end of the story, the end of the legacy. The Friends of the Gengras Planetarium was formed to study the feasibility of building a new planetarium and museum focused on astronomy, earth and space science, with an emphasis on planetary and space exploration.

 

The facility, located in a park setting, will be anchored by a domed stadium-style planetarium, and a one of its kind celestial sphere theater. The museum will also include fully immersive exhibit galleries, STEAM labs, robotic workshops, mission ready room, a public observatory, lecture hall theater, on-site dining, gift shop, and plenty of free parking.

 

Our outreach efforts will include a web-based virtual museum, online educational activities, a podcast studio, after-school programs, and community skywatch events.

 

The new planetarium will be the premiere destination museum serving the greater Southern New England (CT, MA, NY, RI) region.

 

You can stay up-to-date on our progress by following us on Facebook: facebook.com/gengrasplanetarium or by visiting our website at GengrasPlanetarium.org. We will post updates, illustrations, and architectural plans as they become available.

 

We’d like to hear what you think of our ambitious plans. Use the form below to reach us and share your thoughts.