Adler Planetarium and
Astronomy Museum
Chicago, IL
Opened January 1999

Two innovative new galleries, Our Solar System (5000 sq. ft.) and The Milky Way Galaxy (10,000 sq. ft.), are the centerpiece of a major expansion of the hemisphere's oldest planetarium. Just opened, these unique glass-enclosed exhibit areas expand the presence of the Adler's landmark 12-sided building to the edge of Lake Michigan in Chicago.

Our Solar System
Our Solar System gallery interprets its namesake as made up of many more real worlds than just nine planets – it also introduces the multitude of moons, comets and asteroids that also orbit our Sun. Visitors can take a virtual voyage to lo, one of the moons of Jupiter, in a multisensory 'transporter;' encounter large, realistic planet models; engage in crater making to understand the way landscapes evolve on planetary surfaces; and experiment with telepresence by operating a remote-control robotic rover as it explores a Mars-like terrain.

<click on images to see them larger>

The Milky Way Galaxy
In The Milky Way Galaxy, visitors see that, from Earth, we can observe the Milky Way from many perspectives and begin to find out what's out there, how it formed and how it works. Experiences range from immersion in a 3D Fly-Through Galaxy Theater, activities that interpret the life cycle of stars and hands-on experimentation with infrared and radio wavelengths using high technology equipment. The gallery is punctuated with architectural scale sculpture and photographic imagery, and houses a Solar Observatory for live viewing of our galaxy's benchmark star, the Sun.