Welcome
We offer various educational programs for school field trips, Scout troops, day care groups, park recreation, civic groups, and others.
Our World of Science lectures provides a monthly forum in which a local scientist discusses his or her specialties.
Enjoy weekend public Planetarium shows for residents of all ages. Explore this website for descriptions of our current shows. See our calendar for what's playing.
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The Planetarium will be closed for the Memorial Day weekend!
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE!!
Starting Tuesday, May 28, the planetarium front doors will be inaccessiable during day hours due to construction at the adjacent Parkland Theatre. There will also be no entrance to our circle drive in front. The planetarium is still open! Patrons coming to our evening programming or summer matinees should park in the M-1 lot north of the dome, walk up the walk, and enter through our back entrance. Look for the signs. Groups visiting by way of buses should also go to the M-1 lot, north of the planetarium, and pull into the marked bus lane. Pull up as far as you can to let off the kids. You may park your bus here for the duration of the show. Cars should not park in the bus lane! A map can be found here.
Violent Universe now playing Fridays/Saturdays at 8pm
The beauty of a starlit sky conceals violent forces at work within our universe. From the upheaval of a giant star that explodes to black holes, to a possible encounter between the Earth and a large asteroid that is too close for comfort, we will witness the forces that hold the universe together and occasionally try to rip it apart. Narrated by Patrick Stewart of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the X-Men films. Admission is $5 adults; $4 students, seniors and children under 12, available at the door.
"Sesame Street" now playing Saturdays at 7pm!
See "One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure"
Explore the night sky with our friends from Sesame StreetTM. Join Big Bird, Elmo, and Hu Hu Zhu as they take an imaginary trip to the Moon. See how the Moon is different from the Earth and learn how to find the Big Dipper and North Star from your backyard. This interactive show for young children was co-produced by the Adler Planetarium, Sesame Workshop, the Beijing Planetarium, and Liberty Science Center. Admission is $5 adults; $4 students, seniors and children under 12, available at the door.
Take to the air with "Flight Adventures!" See the calendar for show times!
Discover the science of flight through the eyes of a young girl and her grandfather as they explore how birds, kites, planes, and models fly. Learn about the history and future of flight and how NASA is discovering new and safer ways to travel with the help of future engineers and aviators—like you! Join us in this collaboration with the Chanute Air Museum in Rantoul! Make a foam plate glider!
Summer matinees coming this June!
Beginning the week of June 11, the planetarium will suspend Saturday programming and add Tuesday & Thursday matinees. Come see our Sesame Street show at 1pm on Tuesdays and 10am Thursdays, then see "Flight Adventures" at 2pm on Tuesdays and "Solar System Safari" at 11am on Thursdays. See our calendar for a full schedule!
