YSU Planetarium Attendance Tops 10,000
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Attendance at Youngstown State University’s Ward Beecher Planetarium last school year was at its highest level since 2004, the university announced.
Between Sept. 22 and May 26, 10,062 people saw the 122 free shows at the planetarium, up from 7,110 the previous season and the first time since the 2003-2004 school year attendance topped 10,000.
In addition to the Friday and Saturday free shows, Ward Beecher Planetarium hosted 167 field trips that brought in 6,867 elementary students, pushing total attendance to nearly 17,000.
Planetarium engineer Curt Spivey attributed the increased attendance to the new SkySkan Definiti video system that was installed last August, as well as the solar eclipse that same month, improved social media efforts, monthly spots on WFMJ and the completion of road projects on Lincoln and Wick avenues.
The next season begins in September. A full schedule of planetarium shows will be released in August.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
