LifeFairbanks · April 21, 2026
fairbanks welcomes Alaska’s largest planetarium
UAF's new Walt and Marita Babula Planetarium, Alaska's largest, opens free to the public April 25 on the Fairbanks campus.
Daily Alaska staff · April 21, 2026 · Fairbanks
The Walt and Marita Babula Planetarium at the University of Alaska Fairbanks will hold its grand opening on April 25, which is Spring Astronomy Day, with free admission for the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the UAF campus next to the Museum of the North.
Visitors can take in night sky tours, previews of upcoming shows and hands-on science activities throughout opening day, all at no cost.
The facility is a 65-seat immersive theater under an 11-meter tilted dome, about 36 feet across, inside a 5,700 square foot building. It is officially the largest planetarium in Alaska.
The planetarium is named for Walt and Marita Babula, longtime Fairbanks residents who donated roughly $7.4 million to fund its construction.
In this story
Questions people ask
When does Fairbanks' new planetarium open?
April 25, 2026, on Spring Astronomy Day, and it's free to visit from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where is the Walt and Marita Babula Planetarium?
On the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, next to the Museum of the North.
How big is Alaska's largest planetarium?
The theater seats 65 people under an 11-meter dome about 36 feet across, in a 5,700 square foot facility.
Who paid for it?
Walt and Marita Babula, longtime Fairbanks residents, donated roughly 7.4 million dollars to build it.
Evidence
Sources
Claims and where they come from
- The Walt and Marita Babula Planetarium at UAF opens to the public April 25, 2026, free of charge from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. · alaskapublic.org
- The facility is a 65-seat theater under an 11-meter tilted dome inside a 5,700 square foot building, making it the largest planetarium in Alaska. · alaskapublic.org
- Walt and Marita Babula donated roughly $7.4 million to fund the planetarium. · alaskapublic.org
Produced with AI assistance, narrated with Slav Lund's voice clone with his consent, and reviewed by a person before publishing. How we use AI →