The William M. Staerkel Planetarium at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois, is one of the largest planetariums in the state and serves as a major center for science education and public astronomy programming. Planned as part of the college’s campus development in the late 1960s, it was dedicated in 1987 and named for Parkland’s founding president, William M. Staerkel. Its notable features include a 50-foot dome, seating for 144, and a Carl Zeiss Model M1015 star projector, identified as the first installed anywhere in the world and the first in the western hemisphere. It continues to host school programs, public shows, outreach events, and science lectures.