On April 8, 2024, the day of a total solar eclipse, Grand Universe, an immersive center for science, space and technology, plans to break ground on property adjacent to Grand Park.
“This will be the place to go to touch science and space,” Grand Universe CEO Greg McCauley stated. “This world-class center will encourage many to pursue careers in STEM-related fields and help the state of Indiana take a national leadership role in STEM education.”
When complete, the Grand Universe campus will span 78 acres and will be dedicated to fostering curiosity, exploration and education through a wide variety of hands-on opportunities. A few notable features of Grand Universe will be a fully operational replica of NASA’s mission control center, an 8K ultra-high-definition digital planetarium and virtual reality theater and smart telescopes housed in advanced solar and deep space observatories.
All K-12 STEM programming at Grand Universe will be developed with Purdue University’s Center for Advancing the Teaching and Learning of STEM (CATALYST), and curriculum and activities will align with the Indiana Academic Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.
McCauley anticipates Grand Universe will open to the public in late 2025, coinciding with the next landing of human astronauts on the moon.
The Grand Universe Information Center is currently operating at 17219 Foundation Pkwy., Suite 100-B, in Westfield. For more, visit granduniverse.org.
