Adler Planetarium
America's first planetarium opened here on May 12, 1930 — the building where the U.S. relationship with the cosmos officially began.
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Founded by retired Sears executive Max Adler after a trip to a Munich planetarium, this 1930 building earned its architect the gold medal of the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects the following year and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987. Three theaters run alongside space science exhibitions, a real Gemini 12 space capsule, and a collection of antique scientific instruments that often gets overlooked. The Doane Observatory on site is still research-active and open to the public.
What to look for
- The Gemini 12 space capsule — an actual crewed NASA spacecraft you can get close to
- Henry Moore's 1980 sculpture 'Man Enters the Cosmos' on the grounds outside
- The collection of antique scientific instruments, a quieter and underrated corner of the museum
Sits at the northeastern tip of Northerly Island on Lake Michigan; the Shedd Aquarium and Field Museum are a short walk away on the same Museum Campus.
Adler Planetarium is one of 37 sights worth the detour in Chicago, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Chicago pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Chicago
- Willis TowerIt held the world's tallest title for nearly 25 years after opening in 1973 — and the Skydeck is still the highest observation deck in the United States.
- Art Institute of ChicagoFour paintings you've seen your whole life — Nighthawks, La Grande Jatte, The Old Guitarist, American Gothic — hang in the same building.
- John Hancock Center (875 N Michigan Ave)A moving platform pivots you 30 degrees outward over the Magnificent Mile — 1,128 feet of nothing beneath your feet.
- Aon CenterWhen it opened in 1973 as "Big Stan," this 83-floor tower was the fourth-tallest building on Earth — and clad entirely in marble.
- United CenterThe Bulls hardwood floor is literally assembled over the Blackhawks ice and taken apart game by game — two teams, one frozen surface, shared by puzzle.
- Soldier FieldThe NFL's oldest stadium lost its National Historic Landmark status because of the renovation meant to save it.