Adler Planetarium in Chicago, IL

This place was a bit of a disappointment to me. Some of the negative reviews (here on Trip Advisor) argue that this museum is only interesting for children but, in my opinion, it doesn’t even come to that: I think the only public for this are space-nerd kids. To a regular visitor, this isn’t very attractive. It is not dynamic enough, the explanations are either over-complicated or over-simplified, and it doesn’t explore its more interesting topics (there are way too many rooms dedicated to instruments and technical data). Maybe it’s just me, but I would’ve made one room for each planet —even having different temperatures and colored light— instead of showing so many telescopes. Or imagine one room dedicated to black holes, for example: cold and with a constant 'empty' noise, where we could learn about their formation and their dangers in a way that doesn’t feel made for toddlers or for physicists. And don’t get me wrong; the museum mentions all of this, but in a rather simple format. The history exhibition is not any better. They briefly mention relevant people or civilizations that discovered something but, again, with no museographic efforts. Also, they don’t mention the Mayans in that part. I will say though that I liked the room where they talked about light pollution. Now THAT is well made! (And clear… and important) Really glad an environmental issue is being discussed in this museum, and showed to the younger audience as it is. I would also like to point out that for those whose first language is not English, I just don’t see this visit working out. Some parts have signs in Spanish, but then they suddenly disappear, like they forgot to translate the rest haha. And I don’t know if the movies/shows are presented in different languages throughout the day, but at least in the ones we saw (in English), they had no subtitles. Our City Pass ticket included two movies/shows, so we chose one about the Chicago Sky (and the stars that can be seen at night) and another one about the Solar System. The first one was in a big auditorium and it was more of a presentation, so a host would use a light to point at the screen and explain it. It was interesting, though I would’ve personally preferred it if it had been a 3D IMAX movie. I think that place is ideal for a more cinematic and immersive experience. The second one was in a smaller theater and, luckily, it was a movie this time, but it was —surprise, surprise!— childish. Which is a shame because the subject was really interesting. Lastly, I’d also like to mention that they don’t have any storage for wardrobe (coats or backpacks) —or at least they didn’t on the day of our visit— and during winter that is really uncomfortable/inconvenient, as you have to carry things around during your whole visit. Anyway. Despite everything, I didn’t entirely hate the Adler Planetarium, but I was expecting way more —and I also find it particularly disappointing because I know this place has the potential to be a bit better.

Boring would not waste money on this. We live in a small town in ky and our planetarium blows this place out of the water. HUGE waste of time.

I visited the Adler Planetarium in Chicago on December 28, 2024, and let me tell you—it was a broken hot mess! Here’s why I was not a fan: Broken and Outdated Exhibits Everywhere: Honestly, it felt like walking into a museum from the 1980s that hadn’t seen a maintenance crew in decades. So many exhibits were broken, out of order, or just plain closed. It was like paying to stare at dusty placeholders. Staff with Zero Enthusiasm: The staff? Oh boy. They were completely unhelpful. No smiles, no assistance, just a bunch of people who clearly didn’t want to be there—and neither did I after interacting with them. Main Entrance Stupidity: Picture this: one tiny door unlocked, a grumpy guy guarding it, demanding online reservations without offering any further instructions. Turns out, the accessible entrance was the real main entrance, where we could’ve gotten crucial information about shows and exhibits. How were we supposed to know this? Psychic powers? Online Reservation Deception: Their online reservation system claimed only one show was available that day. ONE! We planned around this, only to later discover there were more shows available at the accessible entrance. By the time we found out, it was too late. Why was this hidden information? No Basic Planetarium Show Included? Seriously?! Imagine going to a planetarium and not even getting a basic planetarium show included with your ticket. Everything extra cost more money. At that point, just call it a cash grab. Tiny Fonts and Bad Lighting Galore: Reading the exhibit plaques was like trying to decipher ancient hieroglyphs in a cave. The font was small, and the lighting was low. Compared to the phenomenal Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Adler Planetarium was a joke. It’s baffling how outdated and poorly run this place is. If you’re considering going, do yourself a favor: skip it. Visit literally any other museum in the city. This place was such a letdown, it might just be the worst museum I’ve visited in a decade. Avoid at all costs!

We spend a morning at the Adler Planetarium and, while we had fun, we did leave slightly unsatisfied. The museum is nicely organized, with exhibits grouped by themes like planets, moon missions, and scientific instruments. However, the balance felt a bit off. While there was an overwhelming number of scientific instruments on display, we were hoping for a deeper dive into the solar system and its planets. Perhaps our expectations didn’t fully align with the museum’s focus. That said, the exhibits, both interactive and static, were thoughtfully presented and still managed to teach us a few new things. The two Sky Shows we attended (Skywatch Live and Planet Nine) were interesting and immersive. Definitely recommend to catch at least one of these on your visit, but be sure to reserve your seat early, as they sell out quickly. Overall, the Adler Planetarium offers an enjoyable experience that left us curious and wanting to learn more. Isn’t that exactly what a museum should strive for?

We were blown away with how good this place is. From teh information, exhibits to the setting, this is a must visit. It is great for families of all ages. You have to see it to believe it. There were the odd mistake in displays. I was taught about some of the people that made discoveries. Initially, I thought I had forgotten since school. A quick web search, and yep, I was taught correctly. The mistakes were mainyl on european discoveries, hey ho.