Atwood Sphere, Chicago's oldest planetarium, was constructed in 1913. The sphere is 15 feet in diameter with 692 holes drilled through its metal surface, allowing light to enter and show the positions of the brightest stars in the night sky. School groups may not participate in presentations made inside the Atwood Sphere due to capacity limitations. However, museum services staff provide ongoing presentations about the Atwood Sphere in the gallery.

Steer by the stars as a Polynesian navigator, plant potatoes by the Pleiades as they do in the Andes, send an Egyptian pharaoh to his celestial destiny and look at the moon and Jupiter to determine your fate as an Assyrian king. Since ancient times, people have looked at the heavens with awe and wonder, but they have also used the sky as an inspiration and resource for the entire spectrum of their lives. This exhibit features some of the cultures of the world that have, throughout time, engaged in the timeless quest to understand their place in the Universe, and found diverse ways to incorporate astronomy into their daily lives. This gallery was funded by the C. Paul Johnson Family Charitable Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

CyberSpace is the future of museum going experiences. It features computer-based interactive exhibits, VisionStations providing realistic immersive experiences of the Universe, a CyberClassroom for up to date information on current Astronomy and a Cyberstudio for interactive video conferencing. It is the central component of Adler's Center for Space Science Education, which has been supported by NASA and the U.S. Department of Education.

Located in the Pritzker Cosmology Gallery, the exhibit traces the changing views of the cosmos and highlights 1,000 years of astronomical discovery. Treasures from the Adler's world-renowned collection of historical astronomical instruments, including the 1864 Dearborn Telescope, are exhibited in this gallery.

The Milky Way Galaxy exhibition introduces visitors to the wonders of our home galaxy and acquaints them with our dynamic and evolving Milky Way Galaxy. Located in the gallery is The Dynamic Gallery Theater. Generously donated by The Field Institute of Illinois, Inc., visitors can experience a 3-D tour of the Milky Way. This gallery was funded by Ameritech and the National Science Foundation.

The Solar System is much more than a star and nine planets. Explore the many worlds — planets, moons, comets and asteroids — that orbit the Sun. Drive a rover that's examining the surface of Mars, shoot projectiles into a soft surface to size up the craters they leave behind, and finally, sit down at a computer to build your own solar system and test its stability over time.

This new permanent exhibition highlights the exciting stories of space exploration and America's bold plans to return to the Moon. The exhibition begins with A Journey with Jim Lovell, featuring the fully-restored Gemini 12 spacecraft and the Lovell Collection of personal space artifacts. In Mission: Moon, young visitors discover the thrills and dangers of being an explorer and imagine their own futures in space.

The Space Visualization Laboratory (SVL) presents the unique experience of a working visualization laboratory to museum visitors. Various projects are being developed all the time, and new devices are being tested. Visitors can interact with them at SVL, and meet Adler experts in an exciting and engaging environment while contributing their feedback. These interactions help in the creation of new experiences. SVL is open for one hour on weekdays, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm during which visitors can go behind the glass and talk to Adler space science and technology experts about on-going projects.

Learn about a time in history when people believed that the Earth was the center of the Universe. The exhibit features spectacular astrolabes, armillary spheres, and sundials to illustrate the medieval European and Middle Eastern conception of the Universe.