With the Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium close by, The Adler is sometimes overlooked when it comes to Chicago’s museums, though not for any good reason. Personally, I’ve never had more fun at a Chicago cultural attraction than I have at the planetarium, and a big reason for that are the shows. No other place in the city offers anything like the spectacles I’ve seen here, and that includes IMAX. It’s utterly impossible to walk out of a show at the Adler in the same mind-state that you walked in with.
The Adler’s new feature show, Destination Solar System, takes viewers on a 30-minute guided tour of all of the planetary bodies that orbit our sun. Without giving anything away, you’ll be shocked to discover some of the lesser know facts about the planets and their moons.
But that’s not the coolest part.
The theaters themselves are what really suck you in. After waiting for the doors to open in anticipation, you’ll enter into a dome with a screen that covers the entire spherical portion of the auditorium. The entire show plays with surround sound, and things are constantly happening all around you. It’s pretty damn cool when you realize this and look behind you to see a planet looming in the background that you didn’t even know was there.
Most people will see the word educational and brush it off as boring or uninteresting. Take my word that these shows are different in the best way possible. Yes, they’re educational, but they’re also entertaining and mind-boggling to the max. You’ll be astonished to realize just how small of a part us humans really play in the world. It really opens your eyes to what’s going on around us, and frankly, we could use more of that in today’s world.
Don’t dismiss these shows as just another attraction that a Chicago-based website tells you to check out for the sake of promoting something. We’re not about telling you to do things just to do them. Though these shows routinely sell out hours before they run, I still feel the need to promote them because of their genuine all-around value for your money.
You can get more info on the current Adler Planetarium shows here.