FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE REOPENS RESTORED FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT PLANETARIUM

LAKELAND, Fla., Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Southern College (FSC) will reopen its newly restored Frank Lloyd Wright designed Planetarium to the public this month, returning the historic space to active educational and public use for the first time in more than two decades. The Planetarium will offer regularly scheduled public shows and opportunities for schools, community organizations and other groups to experience the historic space.

Located within the Polk Science Building, the Planetarium is the only planetarium constructed from a design by Frank Lloyd Wright and is part of Florida Southern's collection of 13 Wright designed structures, the largest single site collection of Wright architecture in the world.

"Florida Southern has long been entrusted with preserving Frank Lloyd Wright's extraordinary vision for this campus, and reopening the Planetarium allows us to bring an important piece of that vision back to life," said Dr. Jeremy P. Martin, president of Florida Southern College. "This restoration honors the history of this remarkable space while creating new opportunities for our students, visitors and the broader community to experience it in a meaningful way."

Public shows will be offered Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30 p.m., beginning Saturday, Sept. 26. Six programs will rotate monthly through the schedule: Cosmic Adventure; Destination Mars: The New Frontier; From Earth to the Universe; God, Science, and Our Search for Meaning; Oasis in Space; and Undiscovered Worlds: The Search Beyond Our Sun. 

Programs range from approximately 20 to 32 minutes and explore topics including the solar system, Mars exploration, exoplanets and humanity's understanding of the universe. The full Planetarium experience will last approximately 60 to 90 minutes and include an introduction to the history and significance of the Frank Lloyd Wright designed space before the featured show.

Tickets are $20 per person and $15 per person for families and groups of four or more. Planetarium admission is separate from Florida Southern's Frank Lloyd Wright architectural tours.

In addition to regularly scheduled public shows, the Planetarium will support Florida Southern students and faculty and provide opportunities for school field trips, community organizations and other groups to visit and experience its programming.

"Reopening the Planetarium allows us to bring an important part of Florida Southern's history back to life while creating new opportunities for our students and the community," said Tory King, director of Tourism Operations & Visitor Experience at FSC. "The architectural restoration brought the space back, and the new technology now allows us to return it to active educational and public use."

The reopening represents the culmination of a multiphase restoration. Exterior restoration was supported by State of Florida and private funding, while interior restoration was supported by federal Save America's Treasures funding and private donors. The most recent phase, also supported by State of Florida funding, included the installation of a new COSM projection system and Bowen sound system, allowing the restored space to function as a modern planetarium once again.

Designed as part of Wright's plans for the Polk Science Building, the Planetarium was constructed between 1954 and 1958, with its first show held April 7, 1960. The space supported Florida Southern's astronomy program while also welcoming school field trips and the public. Astronomy professors used shows to introduce students to core concepts, and four public shows were traditionally offered each year. After the projection system stopped functioning in 2004, the Planetarium saw only limited use until restoration efforts began.

Wright had pursued the idea of designing a planetarium for decades before incorporating one into his plans for Florida Southern. His original vision for the Science Building included several public educational spaces, reflecting his belief that colleges should extend opportunities for learning beyond their students and into the surrounding community.

With its restoration complete and new technology in place, the Planetarium once again brings together Wright's architectural vision, science and education while opening a distinctive part of Florida Southern's campus to a new generation of students and visitors.

Tickets, current show schedules and additional information are available through https://fsc.universitytickets.com/w/default.aspx?cid=177 

About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1883, Florida Southern College is the oldest private college in the state. The College maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 70+ undergraduate programs and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, nursing, and physical therapy. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio, is an award-winning national leader in engaged learning, and boasts 32 NCAA Division II National Championships. In the U.S. News & World Report's 2025 "Best Colleges" guide, Florida Southern ranks #11 among "Best Regional Universities in the South," #12 in "Most Innovative Schools," and #24 in "Best Value Schools." The College is also highlighted in The Princeton Review's 2026 Best 391 Colleges guide and the "Fiske Guide to Colleges 2025." The 2025-2026 Colleges of Distinction guidebook praises Florida Southern's AACSB-accredited Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise alongside the College's School of Education and its Ann Blanton Edwards School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Home to the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, Florida Southern houses 13 Wright-designed structures.

SOURCE Florida Southern College