Adler Planetarium

The Adler Planetarium is a public museum for astronomy in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is run by the Chicago Park District and was the first planetarium ever built in the United States. It was founded in 1930 by a local businessman named Max Adler.

Located on the northeastern tip of Northerly Island on Lake Michigan, the Adler Planetarium is part of Chicago's Museum Campus, which also includes the Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum of Natural History. The planetarium's goal is to help people explore and understand the universe.

The Adler Planetarium opened to the public on May 12, 1930. Its building was designed by an architect named Ernest A. Grunsfeld Jr., who received an award for the design in 1931. In 1987, the planetarium was named a National Historic Landmark. Today, it has three theaters, space science exhibits, including the Gemini 12 space capsule, and a collection of old scientific instruments. It also has a public observatory called the Doane Observatory. Around the planetarium are several sculptures, such as Man Enters the Cosmos by Henry Moore.

History of the Adler

Establishment

In 1913, a man named Oskar von Miller asked a company to create a special machine that could show pictures of stars and planets on a rounded ceiling. This idea became known as a planetarium when it was first shown in 1923. The idea became very popular.

A man named Max Adler, who lived in Chicago, Illinois, decided he wanted to build a planetarium there after hearing about one in Munich. He worked with an architect to design the building and bought a collection of old science items to display. In 1928, he offered money to build the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere.

The planetarium was built on an island in Chicago and opened on May 12, 1930, which was Max Adler’s birthday. Later that year, it hosted an important meeting for astronomy experts.

Timeline

1923 – A scientist in Germany creates a machine that shows a night sky on a ceiling, creating the modern planetarium.

1928 – Max Adler visits Germany and decides to fund the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere.

1930 – Max Adler buys a collection of old science items in Amsterdam, and the Adler Planetarium opens to the public on May 12. Phillip Fox, a professor, becomes its first director.

1933 – A big fair called the Century of Progress Exposition is held on the area where the museum campus is now.

1941 – Philip Fox leaves to serve in the Army; Maude Bennot becomes the acting director.

1952 – Max Adler passes away.

1967 – A group of people is formed to help manage the planetarium, and the building is updated with new technology.

1973 – A new underground part of the planetarium opens.

1976 – The group of people takes full control of managing the planetarium.

1977 – A special building called the Doane Observatory opens.

1991 – The planetarium finishes a big update after spending a lot of money, and its long-time leader retires.

1999 – A large new area called the Sky Pavilion opens, with new exhibits and a special theater.

2005 – A former astronaut helps celebrate the planetarium’s 75th birthday.

2007 – The planetarium opens a new lab to show the latest space images.

2010 – The planetarium starts updating its main theater, which reopens in 2011 with new technology.

2012 – The person who had been leading the planetarium for many years retires.

2013 – A woman named Michelle B. Larson becomes the new leader of the planetarium.

2015 – The Doane Observatory gets important updates.

2025 – Elizabeth Babcock becomes the new leader of the Adler Planetarium.

Research

The Adler Planetarium's Astronomy department and Webster Institute for the History of Astronomy do research and share their findings with scientists and the public.

Astronomers at Adler study many parts of space science, including planetary geology, star formation, gamma-rays, and using telescopes to watch the skies.

The Collections department looks after and studies the planetarium's collections, which have grown to about 8,000 items such as objects, books, paintings, and photographs. The Adler keeps special archives from Derek J. de Solla Price, Michael J. Crowe, and Jim Lovell, along with the biggest group of historic science tools in the Western Hemisphere.

The Space Visualization Laboratory started in 2007 to let people explore the universe using computers.

The Adler Citizen Science Department is the U.S. home of The Zooniverse, a citizen science website where people work together to help scientists. Since early 2014, over 1.1 million people have helped find planets, map the surface of Mars, and watch for solar flares.

Far Horizons is a program where students and others design and build experiments to fly on balloons higher than 100,000 feet. This gives them real chances to work on science, math, physics, and engineering problems.

The Doane Observatory, opened in 1977, is the biggest telescope that the public can use in the Chicago area. Its 20-inch mirror collects over 5,000 times more light than human eyes can see, letting visitors view the Moon, planets, stars, and faraway galaxies. The older 16-inch telescope was replaced in 1987. In 2013, the Adler updated the Doane Observatory, finishing in 2015 with new classrooms, restrooms, ramps, and better technology.

The Adler Planetarium is part of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope project.

Theaters

The Adler Planetarium has two special domed theaters and one regular theater. The biggest one is called the Grainger Sky Theater, and its dome is 21 meters (about 69 feet) wide. In 2008, a politician named John McCain made a funny comment about the new projection system they were planning.

Programs

The Adler Planetarium offers special events for different kinds of visitors. "Adler After Dark" is an evening event for adults over 21, where guests can explore the museum, enjoy themed activities, watch sky shows, and see the Chicago skyline. "Astro Overnights" let families spend a night under the stars with museum access, a sky show, and learning about space.

The planetarium also holds "Hack Days" every few months to bring together people who love creating things—like software developers, designers, and artists—to solve problems together. In summer camps for kids ages 5 to 14, children can build rockets, launch balloons high into the sky, and discover more about space through hands-on activities. The Astronomy Department also shares news about space through talks every three months.