Worldwide Planetariums Database

Planetarium Sheet Santa Monica College (SMC)
John Drescher Planetarium

USA , CALIFORNIA , SANTA MONICA

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Type: School
Opened in 1971
Closed in 2025
Address: 1900 Pico Boulevard - Santa Monica, CA 90405
Country: USA
Email: mahon_james@smc.edu
Phone: +1 310-434 4223

Website: https://www.smc.edu/community/planetarium/history.php
Website 2: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2025/July-2025/07

Team
James Mahon (director)

55 seats

Dome of 8.5m

Technical
Digital system Evans_and_Sutherland : Digistar-II
Software: Digistar
Video system 1 vp : Fisheye
Dome: Astro-Tec, 160 deg., 62%

Facilities
Other: Spice (Skyskan)

Operation

History
- May 1971: 8.5m/60s/Minolta MS-8
- July 1992: closed to renovations
- January 17, 1994: destroyed by earthquake (closed during 3.5 years)

- June 6, 1997: rebuilt: Digistar II Drescher donated $530,000
- Fall 2021: project new planetarium

- Summer 2025: closed and replaced by new planetarium in October 2025

Comments

Latitude: 34°01'03" N - Longitude: 118°28'18" W - Altitude: 45m
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last update: 05/09/2026
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