Spring 2022
A special planetarium show to illustrate the motions of the sky for introductory astronomy classes will be held at Staerkel Planetarium at Parkland College in Champaign.
SESSION DATES, RESERVATIONS, AND COST
Session Dates: Planetarium sessions will be held on the following days:
- Tuesday, February 1
- Thursday, February 3
- Monday, February 7
- Wednesday, February 9
The planetarium doors open at 6:30pm. The sessions begin at 7pm and last until 8:20pm.
Reservations: The planetarium sessions are by reservation only because of limited space. You must sign up in advance via the Planetarium Session Online Reservation Form.
Door Charge: Tickets for the session are $3.00 at the door, please bring exact change to make life easier for the planetarium staff. Checks are accepted, but not debit/credit cards.
Be advised that if evening classes at Parkland College are canceled due to severe weather, the planetarium will be closed as well. If there is inclement weather on the night of a show, check local news sources before heading out to verify local closings.
GETTING TO THE PLANETARIUM
Directions are available for driving or riding a CU-MTD bus.
DRIVING TO THE PLANETARIUM
Directions: Parkland College is located 2400 W. Bradley Avenue in Champaign (west of Mattis Avenue). Click on the map icon below to see the locations of Parkland, the U of I, and major Champaign-Urbana streets.
Parking: Staerkel Planetarium is situated on the west side of the Parkland Campus. It may be located by the distinctive triangular Cultural Center open-air arch that connects the Parkland Theatre and the Staerkel Planetarium. Park in the M-1 lot just north of the planetarium dome and follow the signs to the planetarium (see the map below).
RIDING THE BUS TO THE PLANETARIUM
CU-MTD Bus Routes: Several CU-MTD bus routes offer service from campus and the downtown areas of Champaign & Urbana to Parkland College. The times of departure and arrival are summarized below. Click the individual route links for a more detailed version of the bus schedules and route maps.
| BUS ROUTE |
DEPARTS |
DEPARTS TRANSIT PLAZA |
DEPARTS ILLINI UNION | DEPARTS ILLINOIS TERMINAL (DOWNTOWN CHAMPAIGN) |
ARRIVES PARKLAND COLLEGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5W Greenhopper (not the regular 5W Green!) | 5:24 pm | -- | 5:35 pm | 5:44 pm | 6:01 pm |
| 7W Grey | 5:50 pm | -- | -- | 6:13 pm | 6:30 pm |
| 9B Brown | -- | 5:54 pm | -- | 6:03 pm | 6:19 pm |
| -- | 6:24 pm | -- | 6:33 pm | 6:49 pm |
| BUS ROUTE | DEPARTS PARKLAND COLLEGE | ARRIVES ILLINOIS TERMINAL (DOWNTOWN CHAMPAIGN) |
ARRIVES ILLINI UNION | ARRIVES LINCOLN SQUARE (DOWNTOWN URBANA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50E Green | 8:33 pm | 8:51 pm | 8:59 pm | 9:05 pm |
| 8:48 pm | 9:06 pm | 9:14 pm | 9:20 pm | |
| 70E Grey | 8:34 pm | 8:50 pm | -- | 9:10 pm |
From the Bus Stop to the Planetarium: Staerkel Planetarium is situated on the west side of the Parkland Campus. The bus stop is at the main entrance to the college. Enter the building through this entrance, by the revolving door, and veer to your left. Go down a narrow hallway, which will take you to the entrance to A-wing. Enter A-wing, make a right turn, and then walk straight through A-wing to the College Center. Turn right, walk to the Art Gallery (on your right), make a left turn and then walk to the entrance of M-wing. Once in M-Wing, follow the signs to the Staerkel Planetarium.