The Buehler Planetarium and Observatory
The cosmos is just the beginning!
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The cosmos is just the beginning!
Mark Bennett
Mark Bennett began his journey in the early 1980s as a workshop student at the Buehler Planetarium. In 1983, he accepted the role of Assistant Director at the Buzz Aldrin Planetarium within the West Palm Beach Science Museum. During his tenure there, he developed and presented live educational programs for schools and the public, while also managing the Gibbson Observatory.
In 1988, Mark joined the Miami Space Transit Planetarium at the invitation of its longtime Executive Director, Jack Horkheimer. Starting as Planetarium Production Coordinator, he went on to serve in multiple leadership roles over the next 37 years, including Operations Manager, Technical Director, Director of the Weintraub Observatory, and Director of Box Office Operations.
As Director of the Weintraub Observatory, Mark led an astronomy mentoring initiative as part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Advanced Academic Internship Program. Through this program, students assisted in operating the observatory’s telescopes during public viewing sessions.
In 2005, Mark began overseeing the design and construction of the new Frost Science Museum campus, managing all aspects of the planetarium and box office build-out and system testing. The Frost Science Museum officially opened its doors in downtown Miami in May 2017. After 37 years at the Miami Planetarium, Mark is honored to join Broward College in 2026 as Director of the Buehler Planetarium.
The Buehler Planetarium recently received several technology upgrades thanks to the generosity of the Buehler Trust and Community Foundation of Broward. We are currently hosting Broward College events and hope to reopen to the general public very soon. Check back for updates!
Since its debut in 1966, the Buehler Planetarium has evolved from a local star-gazing site into a cutting-edge hub for astronomical education. Established through the generosity of Emil Buehler, the facility originally focused on school programs and hand-crafted lectures featuring manually operated projectors and custom special effects.
Here is a look at the planetarium’s journey through the decades:
A period of massive growth. While undergoing a total renovation in 1985, the facility utilized a portable planetarium to keep serving students. By 1988, it became home to the Zeiss M1015 mechanical projector (one of only three in the U.S.) and a state-of-the-art Sky-Skan automation system.
The facility expanded its reach by opening the Buehler Observatory in 2002, providing the public with guided access to high-powered telescopes. In 2005, the transition to digital projection began.
Today, the planetarium boasts 4K laser projection and Digital Sky Dark Matter software, ensuring visuals are powered by real-time internet data.
After a significant hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the planetarium will once again welcome the community. While continuing to support the academic mission of Broward College, the facility will resume public shows for all ages, ranging from children’s programming to evening star observation sessions.
The tabs below include some of the local media history around the Buehler Planetarium.
