Adler Planetarium - Chicago, IL - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

Southeast of the Aquarium over a causeway is Northerly Island, officially a separate park of 91 "made" acres; on its northeast corner stands the ADLER PLANETARIUM AND ASTRONOMICAl MUSEUM. The approach to the building is along a broad esplanade, which has a series of twelve cascading pools in the center. On the bottom of each pool is the zodiacal symbol of one of the twelve months. The building, designed by Ernest Grunsfeld, Jr., follows no historical style but achieves a monumental effect by its mass and its plain surfaces of rich rainbow granite. It is in the form of a regular dodecagon, topped with a circular dome of green copper. Bronze plaques of the twelve signs of the zodiac by Alfonso Iannelli are inset at the exterior corners. The gift of Max Adler, Chicago merchant-executive, the Planetarium was dedicated in 1930, the first in the western hemisphere. It is operated by the commissioners of the Park District.

In the planetarium chamber are reproduced the intricate phenomena of the heavens. Chairs arranged in concentric circles provide a comfortable view. The projection instrument, a fantastic and highly complex machine weighing more than two tons, was manufactured by the Carl Zeiss Company of Germany. More than 100 lenses stud its exterior and cast images of all visible heavenly bodies on a linen screen shaped in the form of a dome. The motor-driven projector, moving on its various axes, enables the lecturer to show four types of apparent celestial motion: the change of latitude; the diurnal motion; the interlocked motion of the sun, moon, and planets; and the precessional cycle. Thus the heavens can be viewed as they appear from any spot on earth, any time. The day, year, and even the precessional cycle can be shortened to seconds by means of controls on the lecturer's desk.

For sheer drama and realism the demonstrations are superb. As the lecture begins, the chamber lights are slowly dimmed until the dome assumes the lambency of twilight. On the apparent horizon - the base of the dome - the silhouette of Chicago's skyline enables spectators to orient themselves. The light fades lower, the hum of the great stilted projector is heard, and gradually the first and brightest stars appear. When the room is black as night, the illusion is complete. At the end of the lecture, when the lights come on slowly to reveal the prosaic domed screen, spectators invariably blink for a moment in astonishment. The demonstrations are changed monthly, and include the Calendar, the Seasons, the Annual Journey of the Sun, the Winter and Summer Constellations.

Seventy-two large transparencies from negatives made by the world's largest telescopes are mounted in niches along the walls of the corridors. Here, also, is displayed the fine collection of old instruments gathered by the Strozzi family of Florence, Italy; nocturnals, armillae, globes, sundials, and telescopes dating from 1479 to 1800. On the lower floor are modern astronomical instruments and exhibits to illustrate their use.

The Adler Planetarium's collections of astronomical tools are still one of the most important collections in the world. Adults will find the historical aspects of the Adler fascinating, while the interactive exhibits will keep the kids excited. It's a great place for a family to spend the day.

One interesting thing at the Adler is that the theaters there show the progression of technology in planetariums. You can still enter and watch a short show in the Atwood sphere, constructed in 1913. The sphere consists of a 15 foot diameter orb with 692 holes drilled through its metal surface, allowing light to enter and show the positions of the brightest stars in the night sky.

The next theater is the Sky Theater, which is Adler's historic Zeiss planetarium theater. Although the equipment is new, the dome is the original space used for the star show offered when the planetarium opened.

The newest theater is the StarRider Theater, a virtual reality theater that shows films that make the viewer feel as if they are interacting with the scene they see above them. Folks who are susceptible to motion sickness might want to avoid the shows in this theater.

Although the long fountain leading up to the Adler is no longer there, the building is still monumental and grand looking as it perches on its island, surrounded by Lake Michigan. From its spot on the island, the views of the city over the lake are magnificent. Make sure to take the time to wander around outside as well as within.