The Jenks Planetarium: A Must-Visit Place
On February 2, I was laying in bed drifting off to sleep when the slight rumble of the 5.1 Oklahoma earthquake had me springing to my feet. The kids slept right through it, though I’m told plenty of people in the area woke up because of the late-night surprise quake. The irony for us was that we had just visited the Jenks Planetarium the day prior to see a show about earthquakes!
Have you visited the Jenks Planetarium? It is an impressive facility! We built the perfect weekday family date-night around our visit there. We started our evening at Rustic Gate Creamery on Jenks Main Street. The ice cream is amazing, the merchandise is wonderful, and they even have an area in the back where you can hang out and catch a show or movie. Rustic Gate Creamery is just a short walk from Jenks High School.
The planetarium is located in Jenks Public Schools Mathematics and Science Center. The next time you drive by, you’ll notice it at the top of the building if you haven’t already. It is a state-of-the art facility that was built in 2010 and has been meticulously cared for. There is an impressive lineup of shows spanning this winter into the spring, but we chose Earthquake: Evidence of a Restless Planet (again, ironic). The visuals were outstanding, and we all learned so much. After the show, they showed a night sky map. We will definitely go back soon!
Inside the Jenks High School Mathematics and Science Center
Excited to learn more, I asked Dan Zielinksi, Jenks Public School Planetarium Director, a few questions about the Jenks Planetarium and his position there.
How did you get your position with the Jenks Public School Planetarium?
When the planetarium was built in 2010, I was working in a planetarium in Philadelphia. Jenks Public Schools reached out to me and asked if I’d be interested in directing their new planetarium. After a phone interview and then an in-person interview and tour, I was hired and moved to Tulsa for the job!
How did you get into planetariums to begin with?
I was in a freshman-level astronomy course in college, and it was held in a planetarium. I not only enjoyed the science, but also loved the simulation provided by the planetarium. The professor saw my interest in both and offered me a job as a TA of sorts. I worked four years under my professor in both the planetarium and observatory. I did my student teaching also in a planetarium and then became the director of my first planetarium right after college.
What types of programs do you all run throughout the year?
Jenks Planetarium runs public shows every Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. We also host a matinee showing at 11 a.m. and an evening showing with a rooftop telescope stargaze afterwards at 8 p.m. one Saturday a month.
Other than public shows, Jenks Planetarium is a community planetarium and serves all school districts in the area. This includes Bixby, Union, Glenpool, Broken Arrow and many of the local private, charter and home schools.
What other fun facts should people know about Jenks Planetarium?
Jenks Planetarium is a production facility in that we make our own planetarium shows. Each year, under my direction, high school students narrate the show. Students compose the music for the show. Students provide supplemental art or design the logo for the show. We even have some that program the automations. We are proud that our students create great shows and that our shows can be seen in 20+ planetariums nationwide!
The Jenks Planetarium hosts groups such as schools, scouts, birthday parties, and business meetings as well. Contact Dan at 918-299-4415, ext. 3307 or email him at dan.zielinski@jenksps.org for details or to schedule an event.
