More room to learn and chow down: Inside Clark Planetarium’s expansion

The Clark Planetarium is all about space, and the popular Salt Lake County facility is about to get more of it.

It’s no Big Bang, but an expansion effort underway at the planetarium will add about 4,400 square feet and include staff offices and two classroom-type settings. A large room would be able to accommodate about 125 visitors, while a smaller room could host about 30.

Planetarium officials have long wanted to spread out a little, and found an opportunity to do so last year when officials at The Gateway, where the planetarium is located, decided to move some of their own offices.

“One of the big things it’ll do when complete,” planetarium Director Duke Johnson said, “is allow us to give a really specialized experience to the public coming in for our community programs.”

The larger digs will provide the public with a new place to join programs such as Fun Science Friday or Micro Wednesdays, where participants can catch a glimpse of the microscopic world around them. It also will offer touring school groups a new place to unpack a lunch and grab a bite while on a field trip.

New areas coming on line at the planetarium will not, however, host new exhibits.

County Mayor Jenny Wilson heralded the project as “a giant leap for science education in Salt Lake County.”

Wilson said the expansion will play a “vital role” in nurturing a growing school population, and underscores the county’s commitment to supporting children and a passion for learning.

“Let us embrace this exciting journey together,” she said in a statement, “as we propel Salt Lake County towards a future where science thrives and imaginations soar.”

Johnson expects the new rooms to be open in the new year. Planetarium officials are pursuing grant money to supplement county and state investments in the project.