02/13/06

Besides Oak Street Beach, this is the best place in town for viewing heavenly bodies, day or night.

by Contributor

Overview
The Adler Planetarium is on the easternmost portion of the scenic Museum Campus, which also includes the Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium. The planetarium includes dozens of hands-on exhibits that explain the workings of the universe, from faraway galaxies to our own sun and neighboring planets, plus historical walk-through exhibits chronicling the birth of modern astronomy. If you're a sky nut, this is the place for you.

The Experience
The Sky Pavilion provides one of the best views of the city from its walls of windows while the SkyRider Theater uses computer projection technologies originally developed for flight simulators to create a 3-D interactive viewing experience. Controls on the armrests of each seat allow real-time audience participation--viewers actually help determine the outcome of the 25-minute sky show.