In 1950, university of Nebraska administration thought to cut 10,000 dollars from the museum budget, forcing it to all but close up shop and run on a skeleton crew, sharing a janitor with several other buildings. Before this time, the museum had not been recording attendence or number of visitors. However, a caretaker at the front desk had been keeping records of visitors for years. He produced these records for the administration, and the museum's budget was saved. Museum attendence was recorded religiously thereafter.

In spite of the close shave, the museum continued to recieve a healthy flow of visitors. In 1957 construction on the Ralph-Mueller Theater of the stars began. This was exciting for the people of the state of Nebraska, for a trip to a planetarium would have been out of reach for most. In 1958 the planetarium was completed, and Morrill Hall became a popular attraction for the public. Tickets for "Sky Shows" were sold for 25 cents a piece. The university ROTC began using the planetarium to teach celestial navigation, and many children's organizations and schools visited as field trips. Later incorporation of music and light shows increased the planetarium's popularity. Nebraskans enjoyed the unique opportunity to view the nightime sky in detail.