Adler Planetarium fully reopening Friday — the first time since pandemic shutdown of 2020

The Adler Planetarium is fully reopening Friday, following a nearly two-year shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The news was announced Tuesday.

“We’ve been looking up together and connecting through our digital programs since 2020, but we have missed seeing our friends and neighbors at the museum. We are quite excited to welcome guests back to connect and explore with us in person,” said Michelle B. Larson, the Adler’s president and CEO, via statement.

Other area cultural attractions, including the Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry and the Field Museum, reopened at various stages over the course of the past two years with strict COVID safety policies in place at the time.

As of Monday, the state and the city lifted mask/proof of vaccination requirements to enter most public venues. In accordance with those new measures, visitors to the Adler will not have to wear masks or show proof of vax, however its website states “the Adler is mask-friendly and we strongly support your choice to wear a mask.”

New policies require that ticket purchases for a visit to the Adler must now be made online in advance (all sales are final) at adlerplanetarium.org.

Visitors will be able to check out the planetarium’s newly installed telescope at the Doane Observatory, a new observation park area, daily sky shows inside the Grainger Sky and Space full-dome theaters, and new Wednesday hours, 4 to 10 p.m., with free admission to all Illinois residents (proof of residency required) during that time period. Regular hours (requiring paid admission) are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. all other days of the week.