On October 17, 2025, the Spartanburg County Public Libraries’ hosted the highly anticipated Grand Opening of the Planetarium Learning Center at the Headquarters Library in downtown Spartanburg. This date coincided with the 140th anniversary of Spartanburg’s first “public” library which opened on October 17, 1885.

This new 28,000 square-foot addition, located at the corner of Broad and Church Street, houses The Planetarium, a 50-foot-domed planetarium theatre with 135 seats. The NanoSeam dome is a state-of-the-art projection screen consisting of a series of panels that are so perfectly aligned with each other that your eye can’t pick out where they touch while viewing presentations.

The Planetarium Learning Center is also home to the Kitty Black Perkins Maker Lab. This space is named in honor of Spartanburg native Kitty Black Perkins, the creator of Mattel’s first Black Barbie doll.

 

Kitty graduated from Carver High School in 1967 and enrolled at Los Angeles Trade Tech College where she received many awards for her fashion design work. In 1976, she joined Mattel and quickly rose to prominence as the Chief Designer of Fashions and Doll Concepts for Barbie. During her time at Mattel, she received the Chairman’s Award twice, which is the highest recognition for Mattel employees. Kitty’s visionary designs helped transform Barbie into a more diverse brand, introducing dolls with varying skin tones, hair textures, and facial features.

 

Donor directed contributions recognize Kitty’s achievements and legacy while inspiring future creators with sewing machines, 3D printers, embroidery machines, and more.

 

A ribbon cutting ceremony began at 11:00 a.m. and was followed by tours, planetarium shows, and maker demonstrations for the community. Prior to the ribbon cutting, several local dignitaries spoke about the importance of The Planetarium and the Kitty Black Perkins Maker Lab to the community and the lasting impact that these service offerings will have for years to come.

The Spartanburg County Public Libraries were honored to have Governor Henry McMaster at the Grand Opening of this new facility. Governor McMaster was among the local dignitaries who spoke prior to the ribbon cutting and awarded County Librarian, Todd Stephens, the Order of the Palmetto. This award is the State of South Carolina’s highest civilian honor.

Construction on the Planetarium Learning Center began in the spring of 2024. This new addition is a commitment to lifelong learning and discovery and now offers educational experiences to children, teens, and adults.

In addition to bringing pedestrian traffic to Spartanburg’s historic downtown, the Planetarium Learning Center builds countywide partnerships with schools, universities, and businesses. Connections with national partners including NASA and the National Science Foundation are also a priority. This is a donor supported project with funding from both private and public funds.