The Adler Planetarium Puts “Mars” in Mardi Gras This Weekend

“Let the good times rove.”

This weekend the Adler Planetarium will open its doors to the public in celebration of Fat Tuesday for their “Mars-di Gras” exhibit. But, the Planetarium is taking the holiday one giant leap past mankind, so expect to find a lot more than beads and paczkis here. The exhibit, which takes place on Saturday, February 25, and Sunday, February 26, will feature The Red Planet, Mars.

The family-friendly Mars-di Gras exhibit, free with museum admission, includes activities geared towards helping children understanding what life would be like on Mars.

Exhibit Activities

• Martian Masquerade: Design and decorate your own Martian mask to wear in a Mars-di Gras parade!
• The Magnificent Mars Glider Mission: Engineer and test your own Mars glider and try to land it on the surface of Mars.
• Red Planet Race: race through a Martian obstacle course in your own space suit.
• See It To Believe It: see a massive, three-dimensional view of Mars’ landscape.
• Dare to Compare Bean Bag Toss: Play a game of bean bags weighted to compare gravity on Earth and Mars.
• The Great Crater Drop Challenge: Create your own crater and try to drop it in Martian dirt.
• Mars Encounter: Meet a Mars specialist for some science experimentation in the Jet Propulsion Lab.
• Rover Robotics: Move your own rover around Mars’ surface.
• Mars Encounter in the Community Design Lab: Join Lyle Tavernier, Educational Technology Specialist from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, for 15-minute Mars talks, an up-close look at Mars stuff, and the chance to tackle a real-world space engineering challenge.
• Mars-di Gras Selfie Spot: Snap and share your experience with the tag #AdlerMarsDiGras.
• Mars Pop-up Labels Scavenger Hunt: Solve Mars-themed riddles on a 10-clue scavenger hunt around the museum.
• Mars-di Gras Parade with Jazz Band: Celebrate the holiday by enjoying a band who will parade around the museum each day at 12pm and 2pm.
  

  Details

  Check the Planetarium’s Mars-di Gras flyer for location, hours and other information.