UWM History Distinguished Professor Emerita Margo Anderson will set the scene by taking us back to Philadelphia on September 17, 1787 at the signing of the United States Constitution, which continues to serve as our most important reminder of our nation’s founding principles and reliance on the rule of law. The UWM Planetarium Director, Jean Creighton, will then take us on an indoor tour of the night sky on the evening of September 17, 1787, helping us appreciate what the Framers saw and what they understood about what they saw at that essential moment in American history.  

Join us on this unique visit to our nation’s past as seen through the eyes of those who so ably foresaw the governmental structure we needed to get here, to their future. 

The evening will culminate in a questions and discussion period, and refreshments will be provided.  Free pocket constitutions will be distributed as well.

Resources

• Read the U.S. Constitution. Produced by the National Archives and Records Administration, this site contains a full transcript of the Constitution as well as images of the original document and other historical facts.
• 8 Basic Facts about the Bill of Rights.
• 25 Landmark Constitutional Law Supreme Court Decisions.
• Register to Vote and Election Information. This site provides information on voter registration and information on upcoming elections.
• Test your Constitutional knowledge with this online quiz.
• Test your overall civics knowledge with iCivics, an online game created by Sandra Day O’Connor.
• Additional classroom lessons.
• Learn about free speech at UWM.

Event Schedule

Activity	Start Time	End Time
Introductions	7:00 PM	7:05 PM
Presentation by Prof. Emerita Margo Anderson	7:05 PM	7:20 PM
Indoor Stargazing	7:20 PM	8:00 PM
Refreshments and Pocket Constitution Handout	8:00 PM	While supplies last

Instructions for Attending Planetarium Show

To attend the planetarium show, check in at the ticket table in the hallway outside of the Planetarium starting as early as 30 minutes before the show start time to reserve your free spot. Seats are first come first serve. We do not accept ticket reservations for free shows in advance.

The planetarium is a theater that projects stars, planets, the Sun, and the Moon on a 30-foot dome. Portions of the show involve complete darkness and may not be suitable for children under 4.

Doors close 5 minutes after the planetarium show starts. Sorry, no late admissions.

Location & Parking

Address

The Manfred Olson Planetarium is located inside the UW-Milwaukee Physics building:

Physics Building Room 139
1900 E Kenwood Blvd
Milwaukee, WI, 53211

The main entrance to the Physics building is on Kenwood Blvd.

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Accessibility

There is one wheelchair-accessible entrance via the path between the Physics building and EMS building off Cramer St. (see map below).

Unfortunately, our rooftop stargazing deck is not wheelchair accessible.

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Map

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Parking

There is no free parking on campus. Please allow extra time to park when you visit.

Cunningham Lot parking is available for purchase just north of the Physics building. The entrance is at the corner of Cramer and Hartford. Please be sure to avoid the spots that are for permit holders (they say “This spot is reserved for staff/faculty”). Pricing varies from $1-2/hour depending on the time and day.

You may be able to find street parking (both metered and free) but be sure to read the street signs for restrictions.

Payment for parking spots can be done by using the Parkmobile smartphone app or pay stations located on the perimeter of the lot. Purchase a parking ticket from one of the booths by entering your license plate number and the amount of time you will be parked. The booth accepts cash, Visa, and Mastercard.
For additional information, please visit Transportation Services.

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Transportation

The Green Line and 66 bus routes have stops near the Physics building. Other nearby routes with on-campus stops are the Red Line, Gold Line, 22, and 30. For more info see the MCTS website.