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Chesapeake planetarium to get new projectors, seating and expanded family shows, official says
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Summary
Alex Smith of Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism told the Peak Life program the city’s planetarium — opened in 1963 with Sputnik-era support — has been repainted and will receive new projectors, a modern system and reclining seating while continuing live ‘edutainment’ and full‑dome movie offerings.
Alex Smith with Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism said the city’s planetarium will receive a new planetarium system, updated projectors and new seating, and that staff are expanding both live and full‑dome movie programming.
"The planetarium opened right back in 1963," Smith said, noting some initial funding and public interest dated to the Sputnik era. He described the venue as a long‑running local attraction that now serves multiple generations of Chesapeake families.
Smith said the facility has undergone a near‑complete renovation: the dome and interior walls were sanded and repainted, old circular benches were removed, and seating was reoriented to face one direction. "We're gonna get nice new seating to actually lean back properly," he said; temporary seats remain in use.
On technical upgrades, Smith said the city is replacing aging equipment. "The planetarium system we run on now, runs on Windows 7," he said, and current projectors output roughly 1080p resolution on a dome the city estimates at about 30 feet across. The planned replacement systems include new computers and higher‑resolution projectors to enable more sophisticated full‑dome programming.
Smith described the program mix as both live "edutainment" shows — a blend of education and entertainment aimed at families — and full‑dome movies that can cover space and non‑space topics. He noted a recent seasonal draw, a Christmas show called Santa’s trip around the world, and highlighted a winter sky show about Orion and the winter hexagon as audience favorites. He also said the department hopes to bring an Arctic full‑dome film in the future.
Admission and reservations remain limited by seating: Smith said live shows cost $3 for residents and $5 for nonresidents and require advance registration. He added that some full‑dome movie showings are free but still require reservations because seating is limited.
For schedules and signups, Smith directed listeners to the Parks and Recreation page on cityofchesapeake.net, the department’s Facebook page and the monthly newsletter where links to registration are posted.
Asked for a visitor tip, Smith advised patrons to arrive a little early for a dark, immersive experience and said staff typically set up music and hands‑on activities about 30 minutes before shows begin.
The interview aired on Peak Life; Smith described planned seating and equipment upgrades but did not provide specific installation dates.
