10 Things At The Adler Planetarium You Don’t Want To Miss
Header Image: Adler Planetarium December 2021.
Editor’s Note: Updated in September 2024 to reflect more current and updated exhibit information.
As the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere (and one of the historic attractions located on Chicago’s Museum Campus) we’ve got some pretty stellar exhibits you don’t want to miss during your visit! Read on to check these experiences off your Chicago museum bucket list and learn some behind-the-scenes tidbits along the way.
#1 Our Dome Theater Sky Shows
One of the coolest things about the Adler Planetarium is that we have not one, but two dome theaters! Fun fact: we were also the first planetarium in Chicago to open a dome theater back in the day. When you step inside a planetarium dome theater and take a seat, you become immersed in spectacular space visualizations that transport you across time and space.
- Niyah And The Multiverse: Join young Niyah, her grown-up self, and her friends on an Afrofuturist journey through multiverse theory! Learn about shadow matter, bubble universes, many worlds, and the connections between science and culture.
- The Dark Side Of The Moon: Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s best selling album with an immersive space and musical experience like you’ve never seen before.
- Destination Solar System: It’s 2096, and you’ve just signed up for a trip around the solar system with Space Express Tours! Get ready to tour the hottest hot spots, and most spectacular sights in deep space—fun for space explorers of all ages.
- Imagine The Moon: Explore how the Moon—our partner in space and companion in our sky—has inspired human creativity, learning, and exploration ever since looking up.
- Planet Nine: Meet Planet Nine—the theorized ninth planet lurking at the edge of our solar system. You’ll follow a team of intrepid explorers as they unlock secrets about how our solar system formed—and what it may be hiding.
- Skywatch Live: See Chicago’s magnificent night sky simulated without light pollution. Our live presenters will show you constellations, stars, the Moon, and more as seen above the city on the day of your visit—perfect for stargazing enthusiasts!
- One World, One Sky: Blast off in an imaginary rocket with Big Bird and Elmo on an unforgettable journey to the Sun, Moon, and the Big Dipper!
#2 Our Newest Exhibit: Other Worlds
If you’ve ever looked up at our shared night sky and wondered about the worlds that lie beyond our own, you’re not alone. Planets can be hot or cold, rocky or gassy, enormous or teeny-tiny. Exoplanets—planets that orbit other stars—are even more diverse than the worlds of our solar system. With recent advancements in technology over the last several decades, scientists have been able to explore further than ever before, so we learn more about these planets each and every day.
While exploring Other Worlds at the Adler Planetarium, you’ll experience how diverse these planets truly are. More importantly, you’ll learn how studying planets in our solar system and discovering exoplanets both help us better understand our Earth and how other worlds came to be.
#3 Say Cheese and Take A Selfie
There are eight different Selfie Spots around the museum—can you find them all?
Take a selfie with our inflatable Moon near the Cosmic Cafe, on a light pollution map of Chicago in Chicago’s Night Sky or with the JWST mirrors in Stargazers Hub. When exploring Other Worlds, there are a couple of awesome selfie spots where you can take pictures with large models of Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, or Uranus hanging from the ceiling, a climbable gas giant ringed exoplanet, and a real meteorite from the Arizona desert.
#4 Astronomical Objects Everywhere
The Adler has the best and most comprehensive sundial collection in all of North America, but we also have a ton of other collections objects too! You can learn about different cultures through these objects like astrolabes and celestial globes on display. We’ve also got a lot of space artwork featured throughout the museum. In Chicago’s Night Sky there is a stellar piece of artwork by Frederick J. Brown titled, “Milky Way.” This work of art weighs in at about 375lbs. To secure it to the wall we used a series of special hooks and five staff members to lift it up!
#5 The Doane Observatory
Did you know the Doane Observatory is home to the largest publicly accessible telescope in Chicago? Since opening in 1977, the observatory in Chicago has had several telescopes within its walls, and these telescopes have given Chicagoans the opportunity to look up at the Sun, the Moon, stars, nebulae and planets despite light pollution’s interference in the city. The Doane is open (weather permitting) during select Adler at Nights throughout the year.
To know when the Doane will be open, join our Facebook Group. You can also check in at the box office on the evening of your visit to inquire about the availability of the Observatory.
#6 The Telescope Terrace
When skies are clear and the weather is nice, our public observing educators and telescope volunteers will be out on the terrace with small ‘scopes for daytime observing fun. The telescope terrace is located to the right of the Accessible Entrance of the Adler Planetarium!
#7 An Out-Of-This-World Stomp Rocket
Located in our Mission Moon exhibit, there is an interactive stomp rocket where you can build your own foam rocket and try to send it up as high as you possibly can through the atmosphere (aka a very large tube)!
#8 Architectural Secrets
In 1930—the year the Adler Planetarium opened—Italian-American sculptor Alfonso Iannelli built and installed a dedication plaque in what is known as our Rainbow Lobby. To get into the museum, you walk up the front steps and pass through this lobby! Why is it called the Rainbow Lobby you ask? Around sunset every single day, the Sun’s rays pass through our glass angled prism-like front doors causing the light to bend and the colors in the Sun’s light to spread out, creating lots of tiny rainbows!
Fun fact: the Rainbow Lobby’s dedication plaque is not the only sculpture around the building created by Alfonso Iannelli. Outside and inside the Planetarium are 12 zodiac constellation plaques that match the Rainbow Lobby’s plaques that depict the planets.
#9 Spaces For Collaboration, Curiosity, and Experimentation
Around the planetarium are several Community Design Labs that are flexible spaces for guests to learn through play, test ideas, create art, and reflect. Located in the Telescopes: Through The Looking Glass exhibit, the brand new Community Stargazers Hub offers a multiversity journey through time with a focus on historic objects and is great for all ages. The Community PlayLab is located in the Planet Explorers exhibit and is great for children six and under and their families. The Community Star Studio is located in the Chicago’s Night Sky exhibit and is great for all ages!
Most of these spaces are open 10:00 am–2:00 pm Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday–Sunday pending staff availability, however, Stargazers Hub is always open during our public open hours.
#10 City Views
There’s lots to look at on the inside at the Adler, but what about the outside? We’ve been located on Chicago’s lakeshore for almost 93 years, and the views of the city are unbelievable! Fun fact: there is a huge sundial out in front of the Adler. Have you seen it before?
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