Past Shows

Journey to Infinity

Explore the realms of outer space in this captivating interactive computer graphics experience. You will fly through the solar system and using the theater’s unique interactive control system, the audience will actually navigate through the underwater world of Jupiter’s moon, Io, and traverse the surface of Mars in a hovercraft. Then the show will take you out to the farthest reaches of the known Universe before returning to Earth.

Race to the Edge of the Universe

In celebration of Adler Planetarium’s 75^th year we present Race to the Edge of the Universe. In 1930 when Adler opened its doors to the public for the first time surprisingly little was actually known about our environment in space. Since that time our knowledge has expanded so quickly and so far that space concepts we accept as commonplace would be thought of as impossible by those earlier pioneers. This show traces this tremendous story and gives us a peek at the amazing discoveries that are already on the future’s horizon.

Egyptian Nights – Secrets of the Sky Gods

Egyptians created the 24-hour day and the 365-day year, their pyramids and monuments were aligned with celestial objects to within a fraction of a degree. This fascinating show will allow you to look at the sky through the eyes of a people who lived 5000 years ago. Find out how Egyptians used astronomy to explain the mysteries of nature and the secret of immortality hidden in the stars in Egyptian Nights - Secrets of the Sky Gods.

Spirits of the Sky: Thunder on the Land

This sky show, produced in cooperation with Tribal Elders, provides a never-before-seen journey into the culture of the Skidi, a band of the Pawnee Native American Nation. You will explore the rich cultural heritage of the Skidi and see how they came to pattern their lives from observations they made of the Earth and celestial phenomena. This show is funded in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Solar Storms

Through the billions of years of our planet’s existence our Sun has had a dramatic impact on all aspects of life on Earth. In this exciting and interactive StarRider Theater show you will travel to our nearest star and plunge deep into a sunspot. Explore how the Sun influences every facet of life on Earth, from satellite transmissions and cellular phone reception to the beautiful spectacle of the Northern Lights.

Images of the Infinite

Since its deployment from the space shuttle Discovery on April 25, 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has provided us with spectacular awe-inspiring images and has greatly enriched our understanding of the Universe. This sky show highlights the history and most significant scientific observations that have been made with the Hubble Telescope, as well as taking you on an unforgettable tour through the solar system, Milky Way Galaxy, and to the limits of the visible universe!

Star of Wonder (1969 – 2008) 

This perennial holiday favorite presented the biblical story of the Star of Bethlehem and possible explanations of astronomical phenomena that may account for the it. Prior to 1969 the story was presented as a live astronomy lecture. Adler Planetarium was most likely the first planetarium to present a Star of Bethlehem program, possibly as early as 1932. Since that time the show has returned, in many variations, to hundreds of planetarium theaters around the world.

Additional Past Shows

• Seeing the Invisible Universe
• Comets Are Coming!
  
• Is There Life on Mars?
• In Search of New Worlds
• Bringing the Universe Down to Earth
• Winter Star
  
• Sky-Eye
• Stargazing with MM (Welte)
• Secrets of the Ancient Skywatchers
•  Monsters in the Sky
  
• Roundtrip to Pluto
  
• Fast Forward to the Future
  
• Milky Way: Island of Mystery
  
• Fragile Earth
  
• Solar System Spectacular
  
• Planetary Puzzle
  
• Discovering New Worlds
  
• New Worlds
  
• Search for Planet X
  
• Update '92
  
• Focus at Infinity