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Adler Planetarium

Explore space at America's first planetarium! Experience hands-on activities and discover amazing facts about the universe. With two domed theaters, 60,000 square feet of exhibitions, and the largest publicly accessible telescope in Chicagoland in our Doane Observatory, your day will truly be out-of-this-world!

Chicago CityPASS includes:

Museum Entry Plus Two Sky Shows – Admission includes all exhibitions, Community Design Labs, Space Visualization Lab, and Doane Observatory experiences, plus choice of two sky shows.

Chicago C3 includes:

Museum Entry – Admission includes all exhibitions, Community Design Labs, Space Visualization Lab, and Doane Observatory experiences. (Sky shows are not included.)

The planetarium is built on what once was an artificial island on Lake Michigan. Northerly Island, as it is called, was the first of what was to be a series of artificial islands stretching south. The permanent land link was constructed soon after the planetarium was built.

Explore regions farther than our Solar System, billions of light-years from Earth to the edge of the cosmos.

Highlights

  1. 01.

    Catch an immersive out-of-this-world sky show in one of two dome theaters.

  2. 02.

    Learn about diverse worlds — gas giants, ice giants, super Earths, and mini-Neptunes — across the galaxy in our newest exhibition, Other Worlds.

  3. 03.

    Follow the career of Captain James A. Lovell, Jr., commander of the Apollo 13 mission, learn the story of America's first steps to the Moon, and get up close to the Gemini 12 spacecraft in Mission Moon.

Visit Adler Planetarium with CityPASS®

CityPASS® tickets offer multiple great ways to see Adler Planetarium. No matter which you choose, you'll save.

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Advice for Visitors

Tips

Please note Sky Shows may sell out, especially later in the day. Visit earlier in the day for more availability. Book your shows upon entry (based on availability), then scan the QR code outside either box office to book additional shows.”

Stop by the Space Visualization Laboratory and try your hand at some of the interactive experiences that await.

To get the full experience, allow about three hours for your visit. If you're short on time, don't miss one of the Adler's award-winning sky shows.

Learn more on the CityPASS Blog about what you'll see at Adler Planetarium.

Attraction Features

Amenities

Dining: Cosmic Cafe

Gift Shop: Adler Space Shop

Accessibility

Get information about accessibility.

Parking/Transportation

Get information on parking, transportation and directions.

Contact Information & Hours

  • Adler Planetarium
  • Museum Campus Chicago
  • 1300 South DuSable Lake Shore Drive
  • Chicago, IL 60605
  • Tue & Thu: 11am-4pm
  • Wed: 4-10pm (timed entry tickets)
  • Fri-Mon: 9am-4pm

Hours vary seasonally; check the schedule when planning your visit.

Last entry: One hour before closing

Wednesdays evenings are free for Illinois residents and may be busier than usual. CityPASS guests can walk up for a limited number of timed entry tickets at 4pm and 7pm. Advance reservations are not available for the evening hours.

Closed: Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday of November) and Christmas Day (Dec. 25)

Built in 1977, the observatory houses one of the nation’s few science-quality telescopes located in a major city, and at an institution dedicated to engaging the public in science.

Read reviews from CityPASS® travelers.

Chicago CityPASS
Vacationing with a family of 5
We have purchased CityPASS now for three cities: Southern California, New York and now Chicago. We have a family of 5 and this makes planning so easy and affordable!! Not to mention not standing in line for tickets!!!
Chicago CityPASS
The CityPASS was the perfect way to plan our stay in Chicago. I was able to show my daughter my favorite places in Chicago, and a few others as well. The CityPASS provided a better price, and skipping to the front of the line was like icing on the cake!.
Wonderful week in Chicago!
After doing much research about CityPASS and other group admission passes of the like, I knew I had to get the CityPASS. Chicago CityPASS gets you into 5 of the top sightseeing places - with an upgraded admission!
Great Price
My family came to visit us from Colombia. It was their first time in the states and I wanted to make sure their first vacation was more than what they expected it to be. When I came across the Chicago CityPASS online I knew it was just what I needed to make their trip memorable.
CityPASS Saved My Vacation and Marriage
We used Chicago CityPASS recently and it was a not only a vacation saver but a marriage saver. My husband and I would typically argue about which way to go and what to do next. The CityPASS was easy to use and offered detailed information as well as discounts.
Chicago CityPASS is rated 4.7 out of 5 by 14460.
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Get it The city pass works perfectly for Chicago. These are the very best things to see and do in Chicago and you save money. No question about it, I would do it again.
Date published: 2026-02-16
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Girl's w/e CityPASS worked well, even with other things we had scheduled we were still able to use 4 of the 5 passes. Reservations online link was great!
Date published: 2026-02-16
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Best Trip by far We were able to do 5 attractions, some included shows, such as Shedds Aquarium Adler Planetarium, Fields Museum Only down fall was schools having field trips but having an itinerary helped us plan this whole trip, we saved around 300$ using CityPass, will be using again 1000%, will be recommending to family and friends
Date published: 2026-02-16
Rated 3 out of 5 by from technical problems My wife and I bought the pass for three attractions. Had to call customer service to get timed tickets to the Shedd. The tickets would not link to my email. (customer service was prompt, nice and helpful). At the Fields and Art institute we had to go to the ticket office to have them manually print tickets. Everyone was nice and helpful but using the tickets was not very convenient.
Date published: 2026-02-12
Rated 5 out of 5 by from ME ENCANTÓ!! Me encantó usar CityPASS fue muy fácil de comprar, y sobretodo de usarla solo tenían que escanear los que en cada atracción y eso lo hacía muy práctico, volveré a comprar el CityPASS en cada ciudad que visite!
Date published: 2026-02-11
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All images courtesy of Adler Planetarium