Adler Planetarium

Founded in 1879, the Adler Planetarium is one of the world’s major museums and America’s first planetarium. Located on Chicago’s Museum Campus along Lake Michigan, the Adler houses an extraordinary collection spanning more than 5,000 years of human creativity and astronomical discovery, with over 300,000 works in its collection.

The planetarium offers immersive sky shows in state-of-the-art dome theaters, including spectacular presentations like Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. Visitors can explore interactive exhibits such as Stars Aligned, Architectural Fragments from Chicago, Life and Afterlife in Ancient Egypt, and the Tiffany Window display. The facility provides educational programs for all ages including school field trips, teen workshops, free daily tours in English and Spanish, and hands-on learning experiences in the Art Exchange.

Special features include the Climate Change and Me program, digital series content, sky observing opportunities, Far Horizons programming, and access to the Zooniverse citizen science platform. The museum offers free admission for Illinois residents on select weekdays, children under 14, Chicago teens under 18, and various other groups. Dining options include a café and Modern Bar. The Adler is dedicated to unlocking the potential in every mind through active learning, investigation, innovation, education, and dialogue about space science and astronomy.