A renewed and reinvented Sky Theater
When it opened in 1930, the Adler's Sky Theater was America's first planetarium. In the 79 years since, the Sky Theater has welcomed more visitors than any other planetarium in the world.
The current projection system, after an impressive 40 years of performance, has experienced a series of technical failures. Meanwhile, breathtaking new technologies promise to dramatically enhance this iconic Chicago experience.
The new Grainger Sky Theater is the chief priority of the Lift-Off! Campaign. When complete, The Grainger Sky Theater will offer visitors a thrilling journey through space that will inspire and delight 21st century audiences.
We are deeply grateful to The Grainger Foundation for making The Grainger Sky Theater possible.
- Top-of-the-line digital projection systems;
- Digital interactive technologies, placing audiences in the center of the action;
- A refurbished, "seamless" dome ceiling enabling projections of the highest precision and clarity; and,
- Theater-quality sound and special effects
Learn about the Universe's history by living it: begin right after the big bang in a small, cramped and hot environment, and move into the expanding Universe as it fills with galaxies, stars, and other objects. Deep Space Adventure will reveal our origins as we travel into the known-and unknown-elements of space.
We have transformed the Universe Theater, once merely a lecture hall, into a multimedia venue. The highly adaptable new design will make an ideal home for extraordinary 3-D shows, live presentations, public programs, scientific conferences, and other technologies that bring science alive.