I have a somewhat foggy memory of a field trip I made as a Jr. High School student. It’s of a visit made by my class to the Hudnall Planetarium on the campus of Tyler Jr. College. While I was researching for writing topics, I came across their website and bells went off in my memory so I had to write about my visit and the planetarium in general.
The Hudnall Planetarium was first built in 1963 just as interest in space and space travel was beginning to heat up. At the time of its construction it was one of the largest of its kind in the state. The Planetarium is named for Mr. Jimmy Hudnall who made numerous and sizeable contributions to it’s development and improvement over the years. Dr. Jim Vaughn also made significant financial contributions including a research telescope. Today, Hudnall has a thirty foot domed theater and numerous telescopes. While the original plan for Hudnall was to serve TJC science students, it has proven useful in a surprising variety of classes offered on campus, as well as area grade school, middle school and high school classes from schools around East Texas.
The Planetarium has been a great draw for the college. By offering a whole litany of educational programs for grade schoolers of all ages, (although I’m fairly certain adults and teachers enjoy the presentations as well), they have been able to bring attention to TJC. For those interested in visiting, I strongly recommend checking out their website first as well. Go to http://planetarium.tjc.edu. It’s an excellent resource, with a surprising amount of fascinating pictures and information. See the educator tab in particular. Neat stuff! One weekend a month the Planetarium has a public show. Shows are on Saturday and Sunday at two pm. A small admission fee is required, but it’s only three dollars for adults and two dollars for children and seniors, so it’s a small price to pay for a great educational experience.
The Planetarium can be reached by phone at (903)510-2312. Their physical address is Hudnall Planetarium, Tyler Junior College Box 9020 Tyler, TX 75711-9020. For a memorable experience check them out. I can attest that the kids will never forget it! For more information on Tyler Jr. College go to their website at www.tjc.edu.
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