The breathtaking view of the city of Chicago from the Adler Planetarium and the Astronomy Museum was the first planetarium in the western hemisphere.What appeared in the image is not just a beautiful background of the city, the wonderful sculpture that can be seen at the entrance of the observatory is titled The MAN ENTERS THE COSMOS is a bronze sculpture made by Henry Moore.It is definitely an incredible space to spend the day admiring the view and all that the planetarium has to offer from shows, wonderful exhibits loaded with quite interesting and fascinating information.

Great place to visit on a cold day! It is recommended to get tickets to at least couple of the shows if you are planing to spend the day there. They do have some exhibits, but you get through it pretty quick. We saw Imagine the Moon and Destination Solar System, absolutely love the experience, especially Destination Solar System, the host of the show was very enthusiastic and fun to follow from the beginning to the end, strongly recommended if you are having a day out with the kids. Also the waterfront view is amazing from the cafe. Overall a great experience!

Adler Planetarium is a great day visit for a snowy, cold day in Chicago. You can easily spend a whole day inside because there is a variety of shows and exhibits. The best deal is to purchase tickets, 2 shows, and a trip in the historic Atwood Sphere (originally built in 1913). The shows and the guides were great. The exhibits are very interesting and full of fascinating information. If youre looking for a family outing thats interactive, informative, and interesting for all ages, this is a definite must-do!

Highly recommend the shows. Good views of the skyline.

Breathtaking lake view of the city skyline! Lovely staff. The exhibitions are fun and informative, but some of the panels are a bit dated: we are two months into 2020 but several panels still talk about some spatial programs that already happened 2 or 3 years ago in the future tense. In any case, its great for a half day trip, especially on the free days!

The Adler Planetarium is a beautiful public museum dedicated to the study of astronomy and astrophysics. It is located on the northeast tip of Northerly Island, and offers one of the best possible views of the entire Chicago skyline. Adler offers a wide variety of events throughout the year. My personal favorite is “Adler After Dark”, a monthly event with a different theme each month (for example, Across the Universe was a great event with a Beatles theme).

This is a fun planetarium, but it was more focused on children and space exploration that I expected. I anticipated more information about stars. It was very planet and space travel focused...not a bad thing at all. Just not what I expected. The solar system movie was cute, but definitely aimed at small children. Seats are comfortable, so parents take this chance to get some sleep. The woman doing the show did a great job. If you have children interested in space at all, you should take them here! The staff were very friendly and helpful as well.

The view of Chicago from their cafe is amazing. They have lots of informative movies on space. There are a lot of activities for little kids. It’s a good place for school field trips.

Really fun planetarium and I am glad it doesnt talk much about the Big Bang Theory. Great history lessons and fun to explore.

Very fun and general admission tickets offer a nice museum for pretty cheap. Highly recommend. My rocket went further than my sisters which made my girlfriend and I pretty happy. There was a great view of the skyline too. The skyline is pretty cool. I wish Detroit had a planetarium. I think Im going to visit the Detroit Science Center pretty soon I think thatd be fun. What more could you ask for?

Adler astronomers possess rich and diverse expertise in many areas of astronomy as well as other closely related science fields. Their studies include planetary geology, star formation, gamma-rays, and telescope observing.

Very easy place to get lost in wunderlust. These shows really get you thinking about how vast our universe really is! The hosts/speakers were great as well. Coolest thing to see for me was that they host a 21+ night once a month. Love seeing kids learn, but sometimes its nice to get away from the little ones.

Very interesting Place! I have been on July and I spent about three hours inside. Maybe more.Shows are good. Live experiences are fun. Perfect way to visual things we can Imagine only.A very good position to take a look at the city from the lake.I recommend it .Alessandra from Rome

Being retired military, entrance to the Planetarium was inexpensive as the museum entrance fee is waived for up to five guests for Active Military and Veteran’s. We only paid for the show we saw “Destination Solar System”. It was in the domed Grainger Theater and better suited for children. The close-up video of the planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were pretty neat though. We expected to visit all the planets during the show, but only did the middle four plus the asteroid belt. Doesn’t the Solar System contain eight or nine? Oh well…The museum itself was very good. There were displays of old telescopes, a moon rock, a Gemini Capsule and a section on the moon landing. We were able to stand on the moon in front of the Lunar Lander and by the flag to get a picture. One of the favorite displays was a 360 degree wrap around the wall mural of the Milky Way Galaxy. Less than twenty-five percent is in the photo below. Now that is impressive as it is full of stars with some of the dots actually being other galaxies in the distance.The grounds of the Adler Planetarium are set out into Lake Michigan. It is quite a remarkable view out onto the lake and more so back towards Chicago itself. We walked here via Lake Shore Trail. Take a stroll here before or after your visit.

I loved everything about the Alder Planetarium. There was so much to learn. It wasnt the biggest place, but the amount of information is astronomical (haha)! My favorite part was writing the letters to Mr. Lovell and the actual ship that went to space! My mind was blown! There were also a bunch of hands on, interactive activities to do. Its a good place for kids and adults, I love it!! It was an experience out of this world ;)

We were able to see a couple movies with our city pass (had a list to choose from), pilot a lander in the simulator, and the rest was pretty much reading screens or plaques. The gift shop was pricey, as expected- tshirts ranging from $20-$30, sweatshirts from about $45-$50. They did have really cool solar globes of planets that spin! ($200!)

Weve worked at Adler Planetarium many times throughout the years and its become one of our favorite spaces. Not only is the venue staff friendly and a pleasure to work with, they are dedicated to success in events and weddings. Matt Kelley and Kyle Sater are a pleasure to work with and always put professionalism first. We hope to continue working with Adler for many years to come!

My children recently took an interest to the solar system, and this was the perfect place to expand the entire familys knowledge on the subject while spending quality time together. They had a good mix of interesting pieces to look at, interactive displays for all ages to enjoy, as well as some educational and playful areas for younger children. We watched the destination solar system show and would highly recommend it for all ages. It was educational and fun for our whole family. The host was great and stuck around to answer questions after the show.

The museum is tidy and well-kept, and there is not much wrong with it. I just find myself bored after one hour whenever a take a visit. Maybe its because I am not terribly interested in planets, or maybe its because Ive already seen everything and the exhibits arent that timeless. Nonetheless, it is a quality museum, whether I fully enjoy myself or not every time I go.

The Adler Planetarium was not exactly what i was expecting, but i have never been to one before. It was a pretty cool place and the view of lake michigan as you are coming up on it is pretty amazing. My girlfriend and i saw two of the shows there which were really really cool. I would recommend going here if your looking for something to do.

I have been going here since I was a kid, and I appreciate it more and more every visit. The staff is engaging and friendly, and eager to help understand the exhibits. The accessible entrance is just off to the right of the main entrance. I will continue to patronize this find establishment for as long as I continue to live in the area! Thanks for another great family trip, Adler Planetarium!

Great place to bring the family unit. Great educational value as well. We love it.

Amazing museum with incredible staff. Hector pulled my girls into an electricity demonstration and was so fascinating my oldest has decided to be a scientist. This is a must see in Chicago. Also the food is reasonable and delicious in the cafeteria.

A good place to visit with kids although a little expensive. The shows are good and informative.The Adler Planetarium is a public museum dedicated to the study of astronomy and astrophysics. It was founded in 1930 by Chicago business leader Max Adler. It is located on the northeast tip of Northerly Island at the shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois. The Adler was the first planetarium in the United States and is part of Chicagos Museum Campus, which includes the John G. Shedd Aquarium and The Field Museum. The Adlers mission is to inspire exploration and understanding of the universe.

The shows here are a must see! Great information and fun for kids! Lots of labs and hands on experiences, but the highlight was the shows Skywatch Love with Terry and Destination Solar System with Jesse! They both did a great job of explaining everything and being super helpful.

It gets a little hectic on the free days, but if you get there early you can see a few things before it gets crowded. Of course this is great for kids. Staff is very helpful with kids as well. No outside food or drink so prepare for that.Look for spot here and take the 146 bus instead of parking in the museum complex. You can save $20 or more.

A wonderful experience in this outstanding planetarium. A must see if you travel to Chicago

Must seeThe Adler Planetarium is a public museum dedicated to the study of astronomy and astrophysics. It was founded in 1930 by Chicago business leader Max Adler. It is located on the northeast tip of Northerly Island at the shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois. - Wikipedia

A great place for the young and the old. I visited with my parents and siblings. My dad is handicapped, so thankfully there is a handicapped entrance. Entrance fee is decent, but adding a planetarium show makes it pricier. However, the shows are good and leave you wanting to learn more. We saw a show about the space exploration and the use of the Hubble telescope. Great info and pictures. Left us in awe of the universe.Loads of information about stars and planets, history of studies of the universe, and hands on activities. Perspective is from a Big Bang point of view. We were there for 3 hours and could have easily been there longer.

It has been a great experience at the Alder planetarium. The exhibits are very interesting and shows are must watch. Café at the planetarium has yummy and good food. Believe it or even at reasonable prices. Compared to Navy pier, the pricing for parking is reasonable as well and makes it affordable for the family visits.

Great place to go with the kiddos and family when in Chicago. Load to learn. Always a good time.

Really beautiful planetarium but please note this place has an extremely small exhibit. You could probably finish a whole walk about in an hour, so dont select a showing thats so far out! The shows are pretty cool, but not mind blowing. I watched the Chicago Night Lights one and it was okay. Good place for families to kill some time maybe before going to Soldier Field since you avoid the crazy traffic.

First time in a planetarium. Loved it. Space is scary, but fascinating

Great experience visiting the planetarium! You even get to touch a moon rock! There are exhibits that cost an addition from your entrance ticket but are well worth the price if you are interested in astronomy. Check out their website for current exhibits, events, and schedules before planning your visit.Tip: Wear comfortable shoes. Theres a restaurant with a beautiful view of Lake Michigan thats worth eating at for the experience. If you plan to see a solar eclipse in the near future, buy your eclipse glasses DIRECTLY from the planetarium, available at the gift shop. You risk buying fakes online as many people did with the solar eclipse last year.

Love about astronomy, so was able to learn a lot here about signs and stars.

I love the Adler planetarium. Its definitely a must go. Buy the Chicago city pass and go to the planetarium. Its awesome! They have a kind of 3d projection with and awesome audio system.

Its one of the coolest museum in Chicago city, you can learn different things about our universe and history, physics, and so and so far. Thus, you have a great view for the Chicagos lake and its 3D dimensions and interaction.

Plenty to do here for the kids. This is also where everyone comes to for that perfect skyline shot of the entire city in the background for homecoming, prom, and wedding photos.

Inspiring to think about the Universe and our understanding of it so far. There are many interactive areas that will entertain the kids. We saw two shows. The first was about traveling through our solar system in 2096 which was an entertaining story. The second was about searching for planet nine which had a documentary style, soothing narration, and interstellar darkness that put some of the audience to sleep!

This is a great place to visit, great exhibits, shows and history.

Cafeteria menu options needs to be improved. Cosmic nights and planet nice were good shows. Beautiful city view from outside

Interesting experience, a must visit place, especially if youre interested in the topic of space.

Space enthusiasts will get a big bang (pun!) out of the Adler. There are public telescopes to view the stars, 3-D lectures to learn about supernovas, and the Planet Explorers exhibit where kids can launch a rocket.

My son, infant daughter and I went for a Resident Free Day. I hadn’t been in years. We had a fantastic time. The facility, although crowded, was clean and well kept. Tons for my kiddo to enjoy. We even met and had the chance to interact with a real cosmologist!The best part was the fantastic nursing moms room where we had the opportunity to recharge and feed in a beautiful, clean and safe space.

The absolute best location for weddings with outstanding views of Chicago. Cocktail hour is held outside and overlooks the lake and the Chicago skyline. Magnificent picture view, especially in the fall when the sun is setting. Management/catering keeps everything moving. The only problem with the location is that the enormous windows on the inside steam up and the Chicago view is gone. I wish there was a way they could fix that. Still, fun location!!Ray – The Connexion Band

My son liked it enormously. He has very science oriented mind. In front there is a statue of Copernicus, which is a copy of Warsaw Copernicus but bigger. America must have everything bigger.

We only go here maybe once a year, I feel like they dont change or add much like the other Museums. Still a must see if you have never been!

This is an incredibly cool place. In the planetarium it was interesting to me and my nephew. We looked at the stars, studied the planets and the solar system. They have a very interesting show that will be interesting for adults too. In the hall, clean, clean, the staff is friendly and always tell you where to go.

It was very nice to look around. I wish there were more exhibits with constellations though. Had the city pass so we were able to go to two shows. Both shows were absolutely awesome and the best part of the museum in my opinion. The moon section was a close second favorite.

Really amazing museum. Walking distance to the field museum and the shedd aquarium. Amazing view of the Chicago skyline.

Adler planetarium is a great place to visit while in Chicago. It is more of a tourist stop and not as traversed by locals, there is unbelievable downtown view as well, if you rent a bike on the lake you can enjoy the beautiful ride after the visited museum

Great place to visit with children! Friendly and helpful staff, fantastic and unique programs, many interesting and interactive exhibits.

My baby loves this place he had too much fun

Great place to spend a day with the family. Not sure I would go with no kids. Highly recommend that if your thinking about coming back that your upgrade to the family membership. Your kids can bring in friends with them for free plus two adults. You also get access to unlimited videos (2 shows at a time). Food is reasonable priced (see photo of menu) and if you buy a membership be sure to ask for the free cookie coupon along with your 10% discount on the restaurant food.

Its a planetarium!! So many great things to see and do. Space nuts rejoice!! Shows are not to shabby and its never too crowded. Amazing views of the lake!

Once you get done with the Field Museum you have to stop by The Adler Planetarium. Amazing collection of historic space and astronomy objects.

Lot of activities for kids. My 6 year old and one year old had a good time there. It can be too crowded sometimes because schools bring kids for field trips. Nice view of downtown across Lake Michigan.

This place is amazing! Love learning about planet 9!

The Adler planetarium is informative, but lacks new exhibits and is small in size. I visited when I was 8 years old and not much change has happened over the course of the years. While I love the Adler I hope they remodel soon and add newer exhibits or family friendly features for the curious young minds. The play area was great but some of the items were worn down.My 3 and 2 year olds are moon obsessed and loved the view of the planets hanging above. Then later found themselves making a hover craft in the activity room.Please bring back the solar eclipse glasses as well. I very much enjoyed mine and did not find any in the gift shop.Last but not least I enjoy the sights of the sky via telescope. My littles are small but we could use a family friendly night at the Adler to view the sky through their large telescope.

Ive been to the Planetarium with my family during the day but LOVE coming here once the sun sets. Its a gorgeous spot for star gazing & getting a nice night time view of the city. A perfect date note spot at well... all you need are some snacks & wine!

MAKE SURE YOU SCHEDULE A TIME AT THE FRONT FOR THE SPHERE!!!Over all the planetarium was a great experience and I learned a lot! I was really excited about seeing the sphere. We purchased the two shows plus the sphere, making sure to repeat I wanted to see the sphere. Once we got there we were told you have to schedule a time and they were booked for the day. No one mentioned this to us at the front. I told the lady that and she basically told me I didn’t actually pay for the sphere it was just a free add on so they didn’t need to mention the booking a time. It was really disappointing that because I bought the deal package instead of paying for the sphere in addition we were screwed out of seeing it. But the welcome to the universe show was definitely cool!

Great movie to see & place to visit!

Really loved this planetarium, the others I have been to have been connected to science museums; kind of like an addition, not as a stand alone experience like this one is. You could easily spend hours here watching the presentations and going through the exhibits themselves.

Good flow of exhibits, great views of the city, informative AND interactive, friendly staff. Could probably get through the whole thing in a full day, good thing they have some rotating exhibits.

If you are in Chicago and trying to see and do really cool things. Make sure you put this place on your list. Great shows and exhibits. Educate yourself!!!

My husband and I visited the planetarium this past weekend and it was our favorite museum in Chicago! We got to touch meteoroids, touch a piece of Mars and experience so much more! They had so many things to see and time flew by for us, we wanted to see everything!

Loved it. One of our favorite planetariums now! Favorite was the Jim Lovell collection and the Gemini capsule. Something for all ages. Awesome little kids area and lots of cool hands-on displays for all ages. We will definitely be back. If you have four or more I recommend the annual family pass even if you dont live in Chicago. Turned out one show was not enough. Cheaper to get the pass!Cafe was great food. A little spendy but excellent quality.

Great On rainy day

It’s one of the most beautiful and oldest planetarium I have ever visited. Don’t get fooled by the name, it looks brand new, super clean and can easily spend around 3hrs-4hrs there. Their shows are amazing. Definitely plan on attending “Destination solar system show” the host takes your on a time machine and ... I will leave the rest for you to experience. MUST go place. Many tourists with city pass end up choosing 360 Chicago over planetarium as 360 Chicago is a great tourist attraction too, try on attending both if possible. It’s totally worth it!!

It is a run-of-the-mill planetarium that does not stand out from other ones I have been to. You get to see 2 shows with your ticket, but I was pretty bored by them, and promptly fell asleep. The exhibits are also pretty much the same as other places, so I was unimpressed by it. If one is stressed for time, I would prioritize Shedd and Field over Adler. The other two are richer experiences.

We were there last weekend and used our City Passes. The experience was great. I highly recommend their theaters. Their cafeteria was packed, and thats because the food was good. I really enjoyed the pizza they had. We would love to go back.

Definitely in need of a revamp. The show’s graphics look old and the exhibitions are not engaging. It’s in a great location and the cafeteria (expensive) has great views of the lake.

Nice place to visit, try to do both things (the aquarium and the planetarium in the same day) it’s small but still, interesting to visit!

My husband and I had expiring city passes so we made it to the planetarium right before they closed and only were able to see the last showing they had to offer there. So I can’t really rate the whole museum but just the theater. We watched “imagine the moon”. That was an awesome show. Super fun and informative and creative but there were a few aspects that I really didn’t like. The room is like a dome and the screen is all around you and above you. But the chairs don’t recline or even just don’t lean back, so you’re straining your neck for thirty minutes just looking up. Also you’re missing the whole back part of the screen cuz you’re just facing the one side. I was honestly a little disappointed with the logistics of the show because of how uncomfortable the seating arrangement is for watching it. The idea of a dome screen is very cool and gives you a fun experience of everything seeming 3D without wearing the glasses but the seating threw me off.As for the rest of the museum I didn’t get to see so can’t say anything. Really excited to come back and explore it fully!

Very cool place to learn about space! We learned and had fun all day. Telescope area is a must see. Definitely recommend to anyone who is interested in space.

Probably one of the best places to see the skyline of downtown Chicago.

Great view of the city, lots of interesting information in the planetarium

For the (one time) price, not worth it. They did a pretty good job at historical bits and pieces but once you enter its very lackluster. It would work better off if the first area was impressive, then the less impressive stuff and then impressive stuff again as in order of walking. Right now it is like less impressive stuff, more impressive stuff but finally you have to return to less impressive area because its near entry. I hope that makes sense.

Interesting enough for someone who is not fully into space exploration. 2 floors host multiple exhibitions sorted by theme, and several sections filled with kids activities, making this an interactive outing for them. Check the Doane observatory outside during midday weekends, its free to visit. Expect to pay more for their shows. Or just take a walk outside the planetarium to enjoy the Chicago skyline. You can revisit the place within the same day.

It was good, but mostly for kids. Honestly, I expected more. The museum is good, but nothing new if you have already visited NASA/smithsonian museum. We attended two shows, 9th planet and the cosmic wonder. ( if I’m not mistaken ). The first one was little unimpressive but the second was was good. However, must visit for kids and young adults.

Really good location with amazing views. When i go there to visit my friends I go there to run or just to chill out and enjoy the view. It is great place for taking pictures. It is very clean so you can take your kids or you can just walk you pet. Early in the morning in really nice.

They are impossible to get a hold of. Whenever you call you are met with a message that says the lines are busy. On top of that guest services dont answer emails. I would like to reschedule the date for when I make the trip out there but they are completely non responsive so it seems as if its impossible to get a refund or even reschedule. I am very disappointed, I would really like to visit but nothing is being done about this.

The place may not be as great as new age planetarium, but definitely a great Piece of wonder considering its time of commission almost 9 decades ago.Unlike 360° seating it had one side facing seating.The shows are highly informative and quality screening.Thanks to the great people who donated a great sum, for the science sharing center.

Great place to have some fun and get some knowledge at same time.

Pretty nice to visit.Take a walk from the loop to the planetarium in a cool and sunny day is super relaxing

A good museum. It just always feels like its missing something.

Great activity :) veryone enjoyed the shows.

Really informative and enjoyable experience - I have never been to anything like it before and I would recommend it to anyone visiting Museum campus.When we visited, there was an interactive show narrated by Neil DeGrasse Tyson which was really interesting

Apart from the theater, boring.Great views of Chicago skyline!

Awesome. Try the sky night Live. They dont let to take pictures so cant show it but its nice

Wonderful, beautiful even in the snow. Be ready to learn alot. And See some awesome things!

For $12 it’s a pretty cool experience and great place to take kids or anyone else interested in space. They have quite a few interactive activities, helpful staff, and stunning views of the skyline! There were various exhibits on the planets, the moon landing, the creation of the universe, etc. However, many of the shows and additional activities do require the purchase of separate tickets once inside the planetarium.

It has great views in the cafeteria area for pictures of the Chicago skyline. Shows are amazing.

I have a short stay in Chicago, so, I dont have time to see the exhibits. But, this location offers a great view of Chicago City skyline. I can imagine the view is even better if you come here at evening.

Awesome. Very sad we couldnt spend more time here, but we were on a time limit and we sped through everything. We did two sky shows and definitely recommend the Planet Nine. Im not sure if I agree that theres another planet out there (considering its proposed orbit compared to the orbits of the other eight planets), but it was very interesting to learn about these new discoveries and the hunt for planet nine. I would also recommend a jacket for the theater. Very cold, but the chairs were very comfortable. We also did the Atwood Sphere, and our guide was awesome. The entire experience is 10 minutes and fits 8 people at a time. The sphere is mainly the constellations, but the guide was very interesting and informative. We covered a lot of questions and information during our 10 minutes. This is a great place to bring kids and I highly recommend it.

We went there in June we made a purchase of the tixs through Chicago Go Card which allows entry to two shows and wrist band for the self guided tour of the entire facility. The planeterium shows itself are pretty interactive with lots of information and cool graphics, the different exhibits which were a lot (took about 2.5hrs)was very interactive as well for both children and adults. There were ancient artifacts all the way up to the future of living on Mars. I felt like the money we paid was a great value!

I have been in many museums in Chicago, this is not my favorite but I have to accept they have nice areas for kids to play. The view of the city outside is astonishing.

Just awesome

I hadnt been there in...30 years when I took the kids (8, 11) last week. Its remarkable how much theyve updated, added, and modernized the place. Its a great hands-on experience for kids with tons of fun AND informative exhibits.Its probably the least famous of the museum campus but I think its probably the best.

Best place to capture breathtaking and memorable moments of sunset. Or to have a romantic sunset moment or anything. Even during night. Friday nights you can enjoy the night over the Chicago skyline by drinks. I believe this is one of the best places in the city.