NJ Science Center Gears Up To Build ‘Largest Planetarium In USA’

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — There’s good and bad news for IMAX and planetarium fans in North Jersey. The bad news? This weekend will be your last chance to catch an IMAX movie at the iconic dome theater of the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City.

The good news? When the space reopens, it will house the “largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere.”

On Monday, July 31, the Liberty Science Center (LSC) will temporarily close their dome theater to begin renovations on the much-anticipated Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium, made possible by an unprecedented $5 million gift from a former high school teacher.

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While the good news about the renovation should bring a smile to the faces of local stargazers and movie lovers alike, it also means that this weekend will be the last time to catch an IMAX movie at the LSC's massive dome until the new space opens in December of 2017.

However, while the dome is closed, the JD Williams 3D Science Theater will continue to play a bonus lineup of films and 3D laser shows, the LSC stated.

Show times for the currently playing movies – “Extreme Weather” and “Dream Big: Engineering Our World” – can be seen here.

The LSC issued a statement about the renovations earlier this week:

“To be clear – this does not mean we are getting rid of movies! The space is going to reopen as the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium, the biggest and best planetarium in the Western Hemisphere. When it reopens, we will still show incredible films, but guests will also get to experience out-of-this-world planetarium presentations. We can’t wait!”

A NEW PLANETARIUM

The new theater is the result of a $5 million gift from former high school teacher Jennifer Chalsty of Short Hills.

Chalsty’s donation will pay for the conversion of the center’s immense IMAX Dome Theater from film to digital, the addition of software and hardware necessary for the theater to also function as a planetarium, the replacement of the screen and general refurbishment, LSC staff said.

In a statement about her reasons for making the donation, Chalsty praised the work of the center, particularly its STEM educational programs that serve children from underserved communities.

“As a former teacher, I know that education is life’s great equalizer,” Chalsty said. “I also know that if we hope to fill the tremendous need for more top quality STEM professionals, we have to start inspiring children and imbuing in them a lifelong love for these subjects. That is the mission of the Liberty Science Center and why I’m proud to support this great institution.”

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According to a LSC news release, Chalsty was born in South Africa and attended The University of The Witwatersrand, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a high school teacher’s diploma.

After teaching high school in Pretoria for two years, she moved to North America and taught in Montreal. She has since lived in New York City, Texas, The Hague, and London. She has been a New Jersey resident for about five decades and currently resides in Short Hills.

Chalsty joined LSC’s board of directors in 2004.

When LSC expanded from 168,000 square feet to 300,000 square feet in 2007, her support helped to build the Jennifer A. Chalsty Center for Science Learning and Teaching, which features a large forum, a 100-seat interactive theater, a computer learning room and five laboratory classrooms.

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Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photo: Liberty Science Center

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