fairbanks welcomes Alaska’s largest planetarium

Fairbanks is about to get its most immersive view of the stars yet.

The Walt and Marita Babula Planetarium at UAF just announced its grand opening for April 25, which happens to be Spring Astronomy Day. Admission is completely free, and doors open at 11 in the morning right on the UAF campus next to the Museum of the North.

This is a 65-seat immersive theater under an 11-meter tilted dome, which works out to about 36 feet across. You can expect night sky tours, previews of upcoming shows, and hands-on science activities going until 4 in the afternoon.

The whole 5,700 square foot facility is officially the largest planetarium in Alaska. That might surprise some folks, but Alaska only had a handful of small planetariums before this one.

It is named after Walt and Marita Babula, longtime Fairbanks locals who donated roughly $7.4 million to make the whole thing possible.

That is neighbor money turning into something this entire Interior community gets to enjoy for free on opening day.