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Monday 9am - 4pm Tuesday 9am - 4pm Wednesday 4pm - 10pm Thursday 9am - 4pm Friday 9am - 4pm Saturday 9am - 4pm Sunday 9am - 4pm

The Adler Planetarium

Name: The Adler Planetarium
Address: 1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60605, US
Telephone: +13129227827
Price range: $$
Rating: 4.4

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The Adler Planetarium

Located on Chicago's lake, The Adler Planetarium is the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere.
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The Adler Planetarium is the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere! Located on Chicago’s lakeshore, the museum typically hosts more than half a million visitors each year and reaches millions more through youth STEAM programs, neighborhood skywatching events, people-powered research, and other outreach efforts. Today, the Adler is bringing our unique approach—scientific exploration rooted in

community and connection—to guests from around the world who can enjoy the digital Adler from their own homes, libraries, schools or offices.

03/07/2025

The Moon will be sneaking around in the shadows next week and camouflaging itself with all the sunrises and sunsets around the Earth. 🥸

On 3/13 to 3/14, the Moon will be blocked by the Earth’s shadow, creating a total lunar eclipse for us Earth-dwellers. Lunar eclipses only occur during full moons. This full Moon is nicknamed the worm Moon—making this a worm Moon total lunar eclipse! 🪱

In Chicago, the fun really begins at 12:09 am CDT on 3/14, when the Moon becomes partially eclipsed. From there, watch the Moon slowly shrink in the shadows, until it becomes fully eclipsed at 1:26 am to 2:31 am. During this time, we’ll see a blood Moon—when the Moon can appear red, orange, or even dark grey.

This lunar eclipse is visible across ALL of North and South America, so be sure to check when the eclipse starts in your time zone so you don’t miss out on the fun. Get ready to stay up late to catch the celestial event of the spring! 🌕

03/03/2025

Get ready to MARCH into spring stargazing! With a total eclipse and several planets visible, we’re in for another great month of sky observing.

🌝 A total lunar eclipse crosses all of North and South America on 3/13–3/14! Chicago will see a penumbral lunar eclipse begin at 10:57 pm on 3/13, and a total lunar eclipse from 1:58 am–2:31 am on 3/14.
🌷 Spring is nearly here! The vernal—or spring—equinox occurs on 3/20, when the Sun is directly in line with Earth’s equator, marking the beginning of astronomical spring.
🪐 Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter will all be visible this month. On 3/6, catch Jupiter by a waxing crescent Moon and the Pleiades cluster. On 3/8, spot Mars in conjunction with a waxing gibbous Moon!

Eyes to the skies, stargazers! Head to our blog for more info on this month’s sky observing opportunities: bit.ly/skywatch-march25

02/26/2025

News from beyond the atmosphere! Catch up on some of this month’s space news. Head to our stories for links to the full articles. ➡️

Need some more space? Sign up for our emails to get the latest breaking space news directly to your inbox. bit.ly/adler-subscribe 📧

02/16/2025

What’s that bright light in the sky, you ask? Is it a UFO? Have aliens finally arrived? Fear not, stargazers—it’s just Venus! Tonight, 2/16, Venus reaches its peak brightness for the year.

Despite the planet being at its brightest, Venus is neither at its closest point to Earth, nor at its fullest phase as seen from Earth. When Venus is at its closest point to Earth, it’s in between us and the Sun, making its shadow face Earth. Additionally, when Venus is full, it’s on the other side of the Sun from us—making it really tough to see.

Really, what makes Venus shine oh-so-bright tonight is that it’s right in the sweet spot of how big it is in our sky combined with how much of the illuminated part we see. ✨

02/14/2025

Whoever said “space isn’t romantic” had no idea what they were talking about. Space is for lovers. 😍

02/12/2025

They don’t call it the snow Moon for nothing! ❄️

February’s full Moon—AKA the snow Moon—rises tonight, 2/12, and is living up to its name by bringing snow with it here in Chicago. Stay warm and try to catch a glimpse of the Moon tonight! 🌕

02/11/2025

Just like so many other girls and , Niyah is inspired by all the women in STEAM who came before her. After all, without women in scientific spaces, our understanding of things like dark matter, pulsars, and the expanding universe (to name a few!), could be completely different! 😱

Our sky show, Niyah And The Multiverse, tells the story of how one girl’s curiosity in science leads her to one day make scientific discoveries of her own!

Niyah exemplifies all the young girls who are inherently curious about science. Her story shows us that with dedication and scientific inquiry, the bounds of discovery are as endless as the multiverse! 💫

02/09/2025

I spy with my little eye…a ! Can you spot Noctua, the most superb owl in the sky, in this 1835 depiction of the summer sky? 🦉

[ 🎨 : Elijah Burritt, Hiram Mattison, 1835 ]

02/06/2025

Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter, but luckily we have plenty of stargazing sights to keep us busy this cold February, 2025! 😉

⭐️ Venus shines brilliantly this month in the west-southwest sky and reaches its peak brightness for the year on 2/16
🐂 The constellation Ta**us the Bull shines with Jupiter hanging out between its horns
👯The constellation Gemini moves from east to west throughout the month, with Mars sitting between the twin stars, Pollux and Castor
❄️ The full Moon, nicknamed the snow Moon, rises on 2/12

Learn more about what you can see in the sky this month on our blog: bit.ly/adler-skywatch-feb25

01/29/2025

Sssslithering into the new year with Ophiuchus! 🐍

The constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer is depicted as a man holding a large snake. Ophiuchus is sometimes considered the 13th zodiac constellation because it crosses the ecliptic—the imaginary line that follows the Sun’s path across our sky.

Despite its location on the ecliptic, Ophiuchus is NOT a zodiac constellation. Why? When Baylonians created the zodiac signs 3,000 years ago, they divided the system into 12 parts so it fit neatly with their 12-month calendar. So Ophiuchus was omitted from the zodiac—simple as that!

As we enter the Lunar New Year and the year of the snake, join us in admiring Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer! 💫

[ 🎨 : Image 1: Urania’s mirror, Jehoshaphat Aspin, 1825 | Image 2. The beauty of the heavens, Charles Blunt, 1845 | Image 3. Planisphaerium stellatum, Jacob Bartsch and Andreas Goldmayer, 1661 | Image 4. Prodromus astronomiae, Johannes Hevelius, 1690 ]

01/28/2025

The Adler Planetarium has been nominated for the Best Planetarium of 2025 by USA Today and we need your vote to secure the win! 💛

As the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, we know how to inspire awe and wonder. Our award-winning sky shows, cutting-edge exhibits, and diverse in-person and digital programs makes space science both accessible AND totally awesome.

🗳️ Cast your vote now! bit.ly/vote-adler

P.S. you can vote once a day, every day now through 2/10 at 11 am CST.

01/24/2025

Now’s your chance to cross at least FOUR planets off of your 2025 planet spotting bucket list because the planet parade is here! 🪐

Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will all be naked-eye visible after sunset, now through the end of January. Plus, for all the extra ambitious planet-spotters out there, Neptune and Uranus will be visible with a little help from a telescope or binoculars.

Will you be watching this year’s planet parade? Let us know your questions in the comments! ⬇️

12/27/2024

Say it isn't so! 😭 There are only a handful of opportunities left to see legendary rock band Pink Floyd’s planetarium show, The Dark Side Of The Moon! 🌈

This fulldome show celebrates the 50th anniversary of one of the best-selling albums of all time with an immersive space and musical experience like you’ve never seen or heard before. 🎶

🗓️ REMAINING SHOWTIMES

December 27 @ 3:15 pm
December 28 @ 3:15 pm
December 29 @ 3:15 pm
December 30 @ 3:15 pm
December 31 @ 3:15 pm

🎟️ Get tickets here: bit.ly/pinkfloydadlertickets

12/21/2024

Happy Captain James A. Lovell Day, stargazers! 👨‍🚀🚀

The Illinois State Senate has declared today—December 21, 2024—as Captain James A. Lovell Day! On the same day in December 1968, Captain Lovell and Apollo 8 crew members Frank Borman and William A. Anders became the first people ever to orbit the Moon. 🌕 Less than two years later, in the spring of 1970, Captain Lovell would become a household name around the world for his outstanding leadership during the Apollo 13 crisis.

At the Adler, we celebrate Captain Lovell every day, but we’re so happy to see one of our heroes honored on behalf of the whole state! 💛

[ 📷: Adler Planetarium & NASA ]

12/13/2024

Heads up, stargazers! 🪐

We'll be closed to the public on December 14 and December 15 for a private event. Please enjoy these ❄️ cool ❄️ snapshots of your favorite planetarium in the meantime, and we can't wait to look up with you again soon! 🔭

[ 📷: Gian Lorenzo Photography]
[ 📷: Adler Staff ]
[ 📷: Danielle Braun Photography ]
[ 📷: Erik Marthaler ]

12/03/2024

"There's just something amazing about all science, but especially space science and understanding this complex universe we live in, and what a small part of it we really are." - Tom Skilling

💛 Help us reach our $15,000 goal this so we can continue to share the awe and wonder of space with everyone, anywhere: https://bit.ly/giving-tuesday-adler

11/15/2024

⛄ Frost(y) the supermoon, was a jolly happy space rock!

Tonight, the frost Moon—also known as the beaver Moon—rises in the night sky after sunset. Since this full Moon will be just under 225,000 miles away from Earth, it is a supermoon! 🌕

🤩 Fun fact: with this supermoon also comes an occultation! An occultation is when one celestial object appears to cover another. Early in the morning on November 16, the Pleiades star cluster will appear partially covered by the Moon—moonlight will first affect how well you can see the star cluster and then the Moon will appear to pass in front of some of the cluster's stars. It will fully reappear again just before sunrise!

11/13/2024

Attention, stargazers!

We'll be closed this evening due to an earlier power outage. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Address

1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL
60605

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 4pm
Tuesday	9am - 4pm
Wednesday	4pm - 10pm
Thursday	9am - 4pm
Friday	9am - 4pm
Saturday	9am - 4pm
Sunday	9am - 4pm

Telephone

+13129227827

Website

http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/

Alerts

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Videos

The heartbreaking but true story of how the Moon will become a worm tonight, 3/13, during the worm Moon. Look up, watch its eclipse, and love it while you still can… 💔

Looking for spring break plans? How about the multiverse? 💫 🚀 Reserve your ticket to the multiverse today: bit.ly/Niyah-Multiverse

We’ve all been there, right? 🤔 This eclipseometer from the 1680s was used to effectively predict eclipses for 200 years! But this isn’t a tool of magic or divination, rather, it’s a mathematical tool made by understanding how the Moon, Earth, and Sun move in space. 🌕 🌎 ☀️ Even though its predictive tools ended in the 1800s and it couldn’t predict this week’s total lunar eclipse, we’re still obsessed with this beautiful—and useful—piece! 🥰

3 things you need to know to see the March Total Lunar Eclipse! ⬇️ 1️⃣ This eclipse is visible across all of North and South America, so check your time zone! Depending on your location, the eclipse may begin late on 3/13, or just after midnight on 3/14. In Chicago, the partial eclipse begins at 12:09 am CDT on 3/14. 2️⃣ Find a spot away from trees or tall buildings. Lunar eclipses can take several hours from start to finish, so you’ll want to find a spot where the Moon is clear from any visual obstructions. 3️⃣ Totality will be just over 1 hour. In Chicago, we’ll see totality from 1:26 am–2:31 am CDT and the partial eclipse will conclude by 3:47 am CDT. Save this post so you don’t miss this month’s blood Moon! ✅

We’ve got a Moon-velous month of sky observing ahead of us! Don’t miss out on the March total lunar eclipse. 🌝

Celebrate the beginning of spring—come stargaze with us this month.💫 Get tickets now: bit.ly/adler-at-night

What can we say…astronomy ain’t fair. 😫

Meet Lisa Beasley, the voice behind Adult Niyah! 👋 Niyah And The Multiverse follows Niyah, a curious pre-teen, as she explores the multiverse. Her adult self (voiced by Beasley) travels through the multiverse to guide young Niyah through three of astronomy’s leading multiverse theories! ⭐️ See Beasley’s performance and Niyah’s adventures through space and time: bit.ly/Niyah-Multiverse

There’s a total lunar eclipse on the horizon! Get ready to stay up late on 3/13 to see the Moon covered by the Earth’s shadow. The Moon will become partially eclipsed just after midnight on 3/14 and reach maximum eclipse 1:58 am CDT. You’re not going to want to miss this Moon-umental event! 🌝

Wonder woman Katherine Johnson played a fundamental role in some of NASA’s most important missions. From calculating Alan Shepard’s safe trajectory home, to allowing John Glenn to feel confident orbiting the Earth, Johnson’s mathematical skills left an amazing mark on American space exploration! 🚀

We hate to be the ones to break it to you…but stars don’t live forever. 😫 From time to time, stars go supernova, which is a nice scientific term for “the violent fiery end of a star.” But when stars go supernova, it takes quite a while for their light to fade from our view here on Earth. So, if we can still see stars that have already crossed the rainbow bridge, how many stars in our night sky are already gone? 💀

Shortcuts

Our Story

The Adler Planetarium connects people to the universe and each other. Whether it is introducing a guest to the Ring Nebula, a neighborhood school to a community partner, a research team to a network of citizen scientists, or one staff member to another, the Adler’s focus on meaningful connections dates back nearly a century. The museum typically hosts more than half a million visitors each year and reaches millions more through youth STEAM programs, neighborhood skywatching events, people-powered research, and other outreach efforts. Today, the Adler is bringing our unique approach—scientific exploration rooted in community and connection—to guests from around the world who can enjoy the digital Adler from their own homes, libraries, schools or offices. With the Adler’s support, people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities gain the confidence to explore their universe together and return to their communities ready to think critically and creatively about any challenge that comes their way. Keep looking up. We’re looking up with you.