Fayetteville State University Planetarium — Attraction in Fayetteville

Lecture Review: "Rocket Science" by Joseph Kabbes I recently attended a lecture on rocket science delivered by Joseph Kabbes at the university planetarium. The talk covered the history of space exploration, the space race, modern space programs, and the potential future of space travel. As someone from Russia with a deep appreciation for space science, I was initially excited about the topic. Unfortunately, I found the lecture to be disappointingly one-sided. The speaker gave little to no attention to the immense contributions of the USSR and Russia to space exploration. Pioneers like Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and Sergei Korolev—whose work laid the foundations of modern astronautics—were completely omitted. Instead, the lecture strongly favored American achievements while portraying Russia and China in a mocking tone. At one point, the lecturer referred to the Russian segment of the International Space Station as "breaking apart," which was followed by laughter. This, along with his repeated use of the term "Russki," felt dismissive and inappropriate, especially in an academic setting intended for young audiences. Such comments not only misrepresent historical and technical facts but also reinforce harmful stereotypes. Children should be taught science and history in a balanced and respectful way—one that encourages global understanding, not ridicule or bias. It's no wonder we ask ourselves why children grow up with prejudice or feel alienated when international students are treated this way, even subtly. As a parent, I had hoped this lecture would be educational and inspiring for my daughter. Instead, we left feeling uncomfortable and disheartened. I would not recommend this lecture from this lecturer. We paid for an educational experience and expected thoughtful insight—not mockery of other nations'...

The experience was great and the planetarium is really nice inside! But like others mentioned, parking was a nightmare only because there is no indication of where to actually park. We were able to get assistance from a security officer who was kind enough to escort us to the proper parking lot. Which is parking lot O, and it is right across from the Lyons Science Center where the planetarium is. All of which is very near the entrance Google Maps will take you to (pretty much the first building). When the center is on your left and you reach the 4-way stop in front of the railroad tracks, make a right at the stop sign and use that first parking lot on the right. Again, parking lot O. It says it is reserved, but we had no issues parking there or with towing of any sort. I hope this helps...

Fayetteville State University's Planetarium has just re-opened after remodeling. It is fresh, clean, and absolutely gorgeous. The Planetarium has the highest resolution currently of any planetarium (in the world) due to the number of 4K projectors in its 30 foot dome.

Brought my kids, we had a great time- the pics are from the actual presentation. Amazing to see the universe in multiple dimensions.

It is open to the public! Check Fayetteville State's website for tickets...