The Barlow Planetarium in Menasha. PC: Fox 11 Online
WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The planets are once again aligned as Winnebago County is preparing to take people beyond the stars.
One month after the county took control of the former UW-Oshkosh Fox Cities campus, the Barlow Planetarium is set to reopen after a two-month closure.
And it’s all starting at the Winnebago County Fair.
One of the indoor exhibits to open the fair is a portable planetarium courtesy of the Barlow. Paid for by a grant the planetarium received last summer, these shows are some of the first in the inflatable dome.
“We’re just giving people a chance to kind of see what we just barely got. We’ve only done one other public show with the portable so far, and we’re going to be using this throughout the school year for schools. Our hope is that this is something that will be used both in the community and in the schools,” said Teri Gee, director of the Barlow Planetarium.
The portable planetarium at the fair just happens to coincide with the reopening of the real Barlow Planetarium in Menasha, which is happening Friday.
The Barlow has been closed for nearly two months while it worked to transition to a county-owned facility, following the closure of UWO-Fox Cities.
According to Gee, “The county couldn’t start doing things until the 1st of July. And I thought, ‘Okay, sign a couple of papers and we’re done.’ But no, it’s not that. It was a lot more complicated.”
The closure was originally thought to only be for the month of June, but it stretched through the entirety of July, as well.
But now that all the i’s have been dotted and the t’s crossed, the Barlow Planetarium will once again welcome visitors.
“It’s something different. You can go out and see the stars, but here, they’re explaining stuff and they do it in such a fun way. It was engaging, that’s what it is. It’s engaging,” said Cecilia Vogelsang, a planetarium fan.
The Barlow has a full slate of shows and events planned, including Laser Prince! Friday night and Family Astronomy Night scheduled for Saturday.
Gee said, “It’s a combination of entertainment and education. That’s just, I would say, is almost unique to planetariums and places like this.”
Now that the planetarium is set to reopen, work can once again begin to raise funds to update its projector, as the Barlow looks to become a premier planetarium again.
While the Barlow continues to transition to a county entity, the planetarium will only accept cash.
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