Formed in 1965, the Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society (MAPS) is one of the oldest regional planetarium associations in the United States. In 1968, MAPS, in conjunction with the Great Lakes Planetarium Association, was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the founding of the International Society of Planetarium Educators (now known as the International Planetarium Society.)
Each spring the membership gathers to exchange information, view planetarium presentations, and examine vendor exhibits at the Annual Conference.
Year | Conference Location | Conference Theme | City, State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Mystic Seaport Museum | Launching into the Next 100 Years | Mystic, CT |
| 2023 | 2023 US National Conference – Kingsport, TN | Stars for All | Kingsport, TN (National Conference) |
| 2022 | Versant Power Astronomy Center & Jordan Planetarium | Dome Visualization and Climate Change | Orono, ME |
| 2021 | Virtual Conferencce | MAPS Virtual Conference | *** REMOTE *** |
| 2020 | Virtual Conference | MAPS Virtual Conference | *** REMOTE *** |
| 2019 | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Planetarium, South Carolina State Museum | Columbia, SC (MAPS/SEPA) | |
| 2018 | Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport Museum | Full S.TE.A.M. Ahead | Mystic, CT |
| 2017 | James S. McDonnell Planetarium and St. Louis Science Center | Pleiades National Conference | St. Louis, MO (National Conference) |
| 2016 | James E. Richmond Science Center | Innovate, Imagine, Inspire – Taking a New Approach | Waldorf, MD |
| 2015 | Cradle of Aviation Museum and Nassau Community College | Universal Knowledge | Garden City, LI NY |
| 2014 | Maryland Science Center’s Davis Planetarium | Baltimore, MD | |
| 2013 | Earth and Space Science Laboratory | Spaceship Earth: Educating Its Crew | Frederick, MD |
| 2012 | Robert J. Novins Planetarium | When Worlds Align | Toms River, NJ |
| 2011 | Edelman Planetarium | H.W. Ray planetarium | Upper Dublin School District Planetarium | Teaching in the Dark | Glassboro, NJ | Warminster, PA | Dresher, PA |
| 2010 | University of Southern Maine, Southworth Planetarium | Portland, ME | |
| 2009 | H.B. Owens Science Center | Lanham-Seabrook, MD | |
| 2008 | Suits-Bueche Planetarium, Schenectady Museum | Schenectady, NY | |
| 2007 | Benedum Planetarium | Wheeling, WV (MAPS/GLPA/SEPA) | |
| 2006 | Robert J. Novins Planetarium | Toms River, NJ | |
| 2005 | Fels Planetarium, Franklin Institute | Philadelphia, PA | |
| 2004 | Ethyl Universe Planetarium, Science Museum of Virginia | Richmond, VA (MAPS/SEPA) | |
| 2003 | H. B. Owens Science Center | Lanham-Seabrook, MD | |
| 2002 | Eco Tarium’s Alden Planetarium | Worcester, MA | |
| 2001 | Henry Buhl Jr. Planetarium, Carnegie Science Center | Pittsburg, PA | |
| 2000 | Arthur Storer Planetarium, Calvert County Public Schools | Prince Frederick, MD | |
| 1999 | North Museum, Franklin & Marshall College | Lancaster, PA | |
| 1998 | Benedum Planetarium | Wheeling, WV | |
| 1997 | Spitz Space Systems Inc. | Chadds Ford, PA | |
| 1996 | Charles Hayden Planetarium, Museum of Science | Boston, MA | |
| 1995 | Raritan Valley Community College Planetarium | Raritan Valley Community College, NJ | |
| 1994 | Southworth Planetarium | Portland, ME | |
| 1993 | Davis Planetarium & Owens Science Center | Baltimore, MD | |
| 1992 | Buhl Planetarium | Pittsburg, PA | |
| 1991 | Fels Planetarium & Franklin Institute | Philadelphia, PA | |
| 1990 | Benedum Planetarium | Wheeling, WV | |
| 1989 | Bucks County Planetarium, Bucks East High School | Doylestown, PA | |
| 1988 | Ellie Milliken | Durham, NH | |
| 1987 | Vanderbilt Planetarium | Centerport, LI NY | |
| 1986 | Benedum Planetarium | Wheeling, WV | |
| 1985 | Hayden Planetarium/American Museum of Natural History | New York, NY | |
| 1984 | Reading, PA | ||
| 1983 | Strasenburg Planetarium | Rochester, NY (MAPS/GLPA) | |
| 1982 | H.B. Owens Science Center | Lanham-Seabrook, MD | |
| 1981 | Fels Planetarium | Philadelphia, PA | |
| 1980 | Hayden Planetarium, Museum of Science | Boston, MA | |
| 1979 | Ithaca, NY | ||
| 1978 | Ellie Milliken | Durham, NH | |
| 1977 | Baltimore, MD | ||
| 1976 | Trenton, NJ | ||
| 1975 | Hartford, CT | ||
| 1974 | Langley, VA (MAPS/SEPA) | ||
| 1973 | Pittsburg, PA | ||
| 1972 | Hollow Hills High School & Vanderbilt Planetarium | Dix Hills, LI NY | |
| 1971 | Reading, PA | ||
| 1970 | CAPE Meeting? | ||
| 1969 | Hillcrest Junior High School Planetarium | Trumbull, CT | |
| 1969 | North Museum, Franklin & Marshall College | Lancaster, PA | |
| 1968 | Strasenburgh Planetarium | Rochester, NY | |
| 1968 | Shoreham hotel | ||
| 1967 | Charlotte Children’s Nature Museum & Morehead Planetarium | Chapel Hill/Charlotte, NC | |
| 1967 | Earth and Space Science Laboratory | Frederick, MD | |
| 1966 | Chesapeake, VA | ||
| 1965 | Lancaster, PA |