Non-Field Trip Days

There are no lead times required if you are an Illinois School visiting on a non-Field Trip Day for just Museum Entry. However, if you’re paying with a credit card, Non-Field Trip Day reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance of the desired visit date. If you need to be invoiced requests must be submitted at least four weeks in advance. Field Trips are not available on Wednesdays. Reservations can be made using the links above at any time.

• Know which day you would like to visit. Check school calendars for any potential conflicts, and contact your bus company to check transportation availability before booking your trip.
• Select the sky show(s) you would like to see.
• Determine the total number of students, teachers, and adult chaperones in your group and book accordingly. Additions to your group on the day of your visit will be charged full price admission and sky show fees. All same-day admissions are subject to availability.

All groups must have at least one adult for every 10 students (one chaperone for every seven students is preferred; especially for younger children). Chaperones are adults ages 21+ and are responsible for all students in your group and their behavior while visiting. Additional chaperones exceeding a 1 chaperone to 5 students ratio will be charged full price. Please inform us at the time of booking if you have 1:1 aides or other accessibility needs that require exceeding this ratio so we can make arrangements.

Advanced ticket purchases are required for all guests including groups. 

When using the links above payment is due online at time of booking. When being invoiced payment is due at least two weeks prior to your visit date. If your reservation requires a deposit, the deposit is due two weeks after receipt of the invoice or three weeks prior to the visit date whichever is soonest.

Refunds and the option to reschedule if plans change are not available at this time.

Enter through the Accessible Entrance, located on the ground level to the right of the main staircase, to check in. Please have your group name and your confirmation letter ready.

If you bring MORE students, teachers, or adult chaperones than is indicated on your group confirmation, you will be charged full price admission and show fees for each additional person. All same-day admissions and sky show tickets are based on availability. If you bring FEWER students, teachers, or adult chaperones than were paid for at the time of booking, you will not receive a refund.

Late arrivals for sky shows cannot be seated. Therefore, please take timing and travel distance into account when making your booking. We recommend an additional 15–20 minutes for travel and traffic to ensure that you arrive no later than 30 minutes prior to your first scheduled sky show.

• Backpacks are permitted in the museum, but they must be carried at all times. The Adler does not have storage space for backpacks. We recommend leaving backpacks and other personal items on your school bus so that you don’t have to carry them around the museum.
• Cameras are also permitted and you are welcome to take photos in all of our exhibits. However, photography and videography is not permitted in any of the theaters during sky shows.

Yes! Teachers are welcome to visit the Adler for free year round so that they can prepare for their field trips and help support their classroom curriculum. Teachers are granted free Museum Entry with a valid school ID. However, sky show tickets, as well as admission for any accompanying guests, must be paid at full rates. You can reserve your free Museum Entry here.

School groups are officially defined as a group consisting of students in Pre-K through 12th grade accompanied by a teacher. We follow a Illinois state statute that reads:

“Any city or park district may charge, or permit such an aquarium or museum to charge, an admission fee. Any such aquarium or museum, however, shall be open without charge, when accompanied by a teacher, to the children in actual attendance upon grades kindergarten through twelve in any of the schools in this State at all times.”

If you have a group that exceeds 175, please divide into two or more groups with separate registrations for each.

We love to support educators however we can. Visit our educator hub for space resources to help supplement your classroom curriculum.