You’ll have to travel to the outermost tip of Museum Campus to visit the Adler Planetarium, but the journey seems appropriate considering this institution’s focus on out of this world experiences. Astronomy and astrophysics take the spotlight at the Adler, which features permanent exhibitions like “Mission Moon,” which documents the history of U.S. space exploration, and “The Universe: A Walk Through Time,” which posits theories on how the galaxy was started. Visitors can also look through the telescope in the Doane Observatory or take in Chicago skyline views outside of the museum on Northerly Island.
No trip to the Adler is complete without taking in a show in the museum’s Grainger Sky Theater. Instead of simply projecting movies on a screen, this theater utilizes multiple projectors to cover the surface of a 70-foot-diameter dome, filling your field of vision and taking your on immersive journeys to other planets, stars and solar systems. Even though it’s not 3D, it’s vivid enough to make you feel as if you’re traveling through the stars.
For those who prefer an after-hours museum experience, every Wednesday, the Adler stays open late from 4pm–10pm so that folks can visit after work or school. And best of all, admission is free on those nights for Illinois residents.
