Our sky shows give you a front row seat to observe our universe, like you never have before.

Watch our famous (and award-winning) sky shows under our iconic dome theaters and learn more about all eight immersive shows currently playing at Chicago’s planetarium. 

Purchase tickets for your next space adventure and sky shows here. All tickets must be bought online, in advance of your visit. All sales are final.

How To Get Sky Show Tickets

Sky shows are included in many of our ticket options, but you can also purchase à la carte tickets to see these fulldome shows in advance when booking museum admission or while at the planetarium on the day of your visit. Heads up though, since sky shows are a popular experience at the Adler, many of our shows sell out, so it’s best to book them early in advance of your visit.

To add-on sky show tickets while at the Adler, please go to either dome theater or the box office near the Welcome Gallery or at the Accessible Entrance. At these locations, you will be able to speak to a staff member or scan a QR code to purchase sky show tickets. À la carte sky show ticket pricing is $15 per ticket (or $20 for The Dark Side Of The Moon show).

Now Playing At The Adler Planetarium

Follow Niyah, an imaginative Chicago pre-teen, on a visually stunning Afrofuturist journey through the multiverse!

If there are countless other universes out there, where does Niyah fit in? With stories from her parents and ancestors, her favorite comic books, and her science class swirling around in her imagination, Niyah comes face-to-face with her grown-up self—an astrophysicist who studies multiverse theories! In the Niyah and the Multiverse fulldome show, learn about shadow matter, bubble universes, many worlds, and the connections between science and culture.

Run time: approximately 30 minutes

Experience the wonders of the universe through interpretive dance.

In this first-of-its-kind collaboration between Action Lines Media, The Joffrey Ballet, and the Adler Planetarium, Cosmic Rhythms connects the motion of celestial bodies with the motion of human bodies—the relationships that echo throughout the universe. Featuring Adler astronomer’s expertise, breathtaking imagery, and bold choreography by Joffrey Ballet dancer, Xavier Nuñez, this fulldome show takes audiences on a mesmerizing journey through the cosmos.

Cosmic Rhythms will play on Wednesday nights, during Adler at Night, at 6:15 pm in the Grainger Sky Theater for a limited time between February 14 through April 17, 2024. 

Run Time: approximately 20 minutes

Meet Planet Nine—the theorized ninth planet lurking at the edge of our solar system.

In the Planet Nine fulldome show, follow Mike Brown and his team at CalTech as they uncover dwarf worlds like the remarkably bright Eris; Haumea, an egg-shaped object rotating incredibly fast; and Sedna, whose orbit takes it deep into the far reaches of the solar system. Could there be a new planet beyond these distant objects? Using nothing but their wits (and high-powered telescopes and a thorough understanding of orbital mechanics), these intrepid explorers are making new discoveries about how our solar system formed—and what it may be hiding.

Run Time: approximately 30 minutes

The year is 2096. Space tourism is booming, and you’ve signed up for a quick trip around the solar system with Space Express Tours!

In Destination Solar System, passengers will travel hundreds of millions of miles in just seconds on an adventure-filled tour led by Jesse, an enthusiastic, knowledgeable—but inexperienced—tour guide, and Max, a highly advanced, fully-integrated onboard computer. Tours of the hottest hot spots and the coldest, stormiest and most spectacular sights in the solar system await for curious space explorers of all ages.

Run Time: approximately 30 minutes

Explore how the Moon—our partner in space and companion in our sky—has inspired human creativity, learning, and exploration ever since looking up.

The Moon has been a source of wonder for all of human history. Each discovery has brought new opportunities to contemplate and imagine, until, driven by dreams, we left Earth and went there in the amazing journeys that culminated in astronauts walking on the Moon. People have imagined the Moon as a glowing disk in the sky, a destination in space, and a world that shares its origin with the Earth.

In the Imagine the Moon fulldome show, the power of human imagination continues to inspire our relationship with the Moon as our partner in space and companion in our sky.

Run Time: approximately 30 minutes

See Chicago’s magnificent night sky simulated without light pollution.

Our view of the real sky shifts each day as Earth makes its way around the Sun, and so does the model sky in the Skywatch Live! fulldome show.

Our live presenters will turn down the city lights and crank up the stars to show you constellations, the Moon, and more as seen above the city on the day of your visit—perfect for stargazing enthusiasts! You’ll learn how to navigate by starlight, get to know the stars behind your favorite constellations, and witness the incomprehensible vastness of the universe without ever leaving your seat.

Run Time: approximately 30 minutes

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the best selling albums of all time with an immersive space and musical experience like you’ve never seen before.

On February 27, 1973, EMI Records held a press conference for the debut of Pink Floyd’s new album, ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ at the London Planetarium. Although the planetarium dome could only show an array of stars, constellations, and images of the cosmos while the music played, it was an unprecedented success.

Fifty years later, in recognition of the iconic album (and with the help of huge strides in technology), an official Dark Side Of The Moon fulldome experience with stunning visuals of the solar system and beyond is now being shown at the Adler Planetarium.

Run Time: approximately 45 minutes

Blast off in an imaginary rocket with Big Bird and Elmo on an unforgettable journey to the Sun, Moon, and the Big Dipper!

When Elmo’s friend Hu Hu Zhu stops by Sesame Street for a visit, he notices that Sesame Street is a little bit different from his home in China. But when he looks up at the sky, he feels right at home. Elmo and Hu Hu Zhu may live in different cities, but they share the same sky!

With a little help from Big Bird, the two friends learn about the Sun, the Moon, and the Big Dipper, then blast off in an imaginary rocket to the Moon! In the One World, One Sky fulldome show, they invite the audience to sing along to songs about space and celebrate the sky that belongs to everyone.

Run Time: approximately 30 minutes