Miller Planetarium Reopens After Six-Year Restoration

Florida Southern College restores the only planetarium ever designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright for the public.

Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Space

Bold flat-color editorial illustration showing a circular mid-century modern architectural facade, representing a historical building restoration project. — Florida Southern College has reopened the historic Miller Planetarium in Lakeland following a six-year, comprehensive structural and systems restoration project. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Florida Southern College has reopened the Miller Planetarium in Lakeland following a comprehensive six-year restoration. The project returned the 1958 structure to service after years of closure due to building damage and projection system failure.

Why it matters

The restoration preserves the only planetarium ever designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, maintaining a piece of architectural history at the heart of the college campus. It secures the future of one of 13 Wright-designed buildings at the site.

The 60-seat theater underwent a complete mechanical and structural overhaul, including roof replacement, waterproofing, and the installation of 300 custom tiles. The team also restored the original circular seating and updated the internal audio-visual projection hardware.

The players

Florida Southern College

An academic institution in Lakeland that maintains the world's largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.

Frank Lloyd Wright

The architect who designed 13 buildings on the campus, including the Miller Planetarium.

J. Paul Getty Foundation

A philanthropic organization that provided partial funding for the structural restoration of the planetarium.

The details

Architects performed structural stabilization to address years of building damage. The team waterproofed the site and replaced exterior elements with 300 custom-designed tiles, while theater engineers modernized the interior systems to restore operational utility to the 60-seat space.

May 1938: Frank Lloyd Wright toured the campus.
1958: The Miller Planetarium was completed.
2020-2026: The six-year restoration project took place.
October 2026: The planetarium reopened to the public.

The Tech Race

This project represents the latest milestone in Florida Southern College's ongoing effort to maintain its 13 Frank Lloyd Wright structures. It aligns with the college's broader mid-2000s push to preserve its 67-acre campus, which hosts the world's largest collection of the architect's work.

The 60-seat facility is now open to the public for use after its years-long closure. Visitors can now access the updated theater in Lakeland for scheduled programming and educational engagement.

The takeaway

The successful restoration of the planetarium preserves a singular example of mid-century design. Interested observers should monitor the college for updated public programming schedules to experience the modernized theater firsthand.