Step into This New Frontier

Most visitors to the Headquarters Library in downtown Spartanburg will be in the habit of entering from the Liberty Street parking lot, but the addition of the Planetarium Learning Center brings with it a major redesign of the library’s streetscape, too. Thanks to a new public plaza at the corner of Church and Broad Street, you can now enter the library directly through the Planetarium Lobby. This makes the entire library a more accessible addition to any trip downtown!

The Planetarium connects with the rest of the library through double-doors on the lobby’s second floor, which leads out to the library’s main floor. Library patrons can also enter the lobby this way if they used the library’s main entrance off Liberty Street. The lobby will be open anytime the library is open, so it’s easy to access and enjoy during regular hours.

Explore the Planetarium Lobby

If you enter the Planetarium Lobby through the ground-level plaza, look up to discover a display of hanging fiberglass globes imported from Italy! You’ll find the queue for the theatre on this side of the lobby near the doors, but take some time to explore farther in, too.

As you proceed across the lobby’s lower floor, you’ll encounter an impressive sight… A massive Foucault Pendulum with a 135-pound brass ball swinging from the second-story ceiling! This unique pendulum is built to swing with the Earth’s rotation. The time it takes for a Foucault Pendulum to swing in a complete circle varies depending on where it is on the planet. At the North Pole, a Foucault Pendulum would swing in a complete circle every 24 hours. How long will it take in Spartanburg? Visit to find out!

Past the staircase, there are some incredible historic models on display. We found replicas of the Dawn spacecraft, the Space Shuttle Discovery, and the Cassini-Huygens Orbiter. Some of these models are on loan from the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, so stop by soon if you want to check them out.

Head up to the lobby’s second floor, and you will find a majorly undersold part of the library’s new developments: The Kitty Black Perkins Maker Lab! This new and expanded makerspace offers a huge array of creative equipment and classes for kids ages 12 years and older. And don’t worry, grown-ups, you’re welcome there, too!

Enter the Planetarium Theatre

After the Grand Opening at 11 am on Friday, October 17, 2025, the Planetarium Theatre played short trailers for the rest of the day. This gave every visitor the opportunity to step inside, sample the experience, and make plans to come back another time for a full show!

Since then, the Planetarium Theatre is only open during its scheduled programs. Each show runs about 30-45 minutes, starting with a short Constellation Talk by one of the staff. These shows offer an extraordinary, immersive journey through outer space, with different themes at different times of day. For details on the latest shows, scroll to the bottom of the Planetarium page on the library’s website.

Doors close as soon as the program starts, and no one will be allowed inside late. Take children to the restroom in advance, because anyone who leaves will not be allowed to re-enter the theatre. The immersive experience depends on ambient darkness, so the doors must remain closed during shows.

A few more important rules to note: No cell phones may be used during the shows, and that means no photos or videos, either—even without the flash. No food or drink is allowed in the theatre. Strollers will need to be parked in the back before you take your seats. There are a few accessible seating areas inside, and these provide ample room for wheelchairs, as well as companion seating.

Experience Outer Space from Your Seat!

Once you enter, prepare to blast off into outer space straight from downtown Spartanburg! Most shows will start with a 360-degree view of Spartanburg’s skyline, and then zoom all the way out from Earth for your interstellar journey.

The technology used was built for space flight simulators in the 1970s, and it has been one long trajectory of expanding capabilities since then! Prepare to soar past stars, sail around planets, and spot familiar constellations on your “flight!”

You’ll be able to enjoy comfortable, cushioned seating with armrests and plenty of leg room. Unless you have a reason to need an aisle seat, we recommend snagging a spot in the middle of a row. This will give you the best wraparound view during the program, but the screen is so large that there really aren’t any “bad” seats, either. The Planetarium dome is about 50 feet wide and 25 feet high, but it feels even larger when you are staring up at it!

Because of the size and scope of the screen, it is possible for sensitive viewers to get a bit queasy. If you are prone to motion sickness, you may want to grab an aisle seat for an easy escape in case this happens to you. It is only the screen moving, though—not your body—so you can also just shut your eyes and remain in your seat to try relieving any discomfort.

Surround sound is another big factor in the immersion experience, and assisted listening devices are available. Sound effects can be loud, so anyone with sensory sensitivities may want to bring noise-dampening headphones. Parents should be considerate of other viewers, and consider your child’s abilities when deciding whether they are ready to attend a show.

Depending on the program you’ve chosen, you might learn about neighboring planets in our solar system, past space missions like the famous Apollo 11, radiation and auroras from the sun, or more amazing topics about the frontiers of outer space. Shows are expected to change every month, so keep your eyes on the schedule for new options to enjoy!

Most shows are geared towards teens and adults, but some may be suitable for children as young as 6 years old. Recommended ages are listed in the event descriptions online, but parents are welcome to contact Andy Flynt, Planetarium Director, at (864) 755-7103 with questions about specific shows or content.

Read for Lift-Off? Plan Your Visit.

The Spartanburg Planetarium Learning Center is the perfect place to ignite curiosity, explore science through immersive storytelling, and connect as a community under the stars—without ever leaving downtown Spartanburg. Whether you’re coming for a show, a science class, or just a quick look at the lobby exhibits, there’s something for all ages to enjoy.