What Adler Planetarium does

Adler Planetarium is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public museum incorporated in Illinois, founded on May 12, 1930, as the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere. It operates from a single Chicago Museum Campus location on the lakefront and serves general visitors, K–12 school groups, teenagers in STEM programs, and enterprise clients (film and corporate event rentals). Its core physical product is immersive astronomy experiences delivered through the Grainger Sky Theater and Samuel C. Johnson Family Star Theater (fulldome presentations), the Doane Observatory (24-inch PlaneWave CDK24 telescope installed January 2020), and a set of interactive exhibits covering light pollution, the Apollo program, and telescope history. Supporting offerings include the Far Horizons high-altitude balloon and ThinSat satellite research programs that engage youth, and an extensive History of Astronomy collection including the best sundial collection in North America.

Revenue is generated across five streams: admissions and dome show tickets; annual memberships, legacy society gifts, and donations; venue and filming rentals of historic spaces ($5,000–$20,000+ per engagement); licensing of award-winning fulldome productions to planetariums worldwide (Niyah and the Multiverse, Cosmic Rhythms, Destination Solar System, Planet Nine); and on-site retail (Space Shop, Cosmic Cafe). Distribution is primarily direct physical visitation supplemented by virtual programming (YouTube Skywatch Wednesday, Sky Observers Hangout), community outreach ('Scopes In The City in Chicagoland neighborhoods), the CityPASS bundled ticketing partnership, and global B2B fulldome content licensing. Commercial filming clients have included Universal Pictures (First Man), Apple TV+, NBC, Disney, and Starz, with press junkets and VIP events also generating earned media value.

The institution is privately governed as an independent non-profit with no parent company, drawing capital from corporate sponsors (Bank of America, CDW, Comcast), foundation and federal grants (IMLS, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation), and individual donors. Strategic emphasis in recent years has centered on expanding the research and content-creation footprint beyond the museum walls—including becoming the first planetarium in space via the 2019 ThinSat launch on Antares 110, producing Afrofuturist and cross-disciplinary fulldome collaborations (Joffrey Ballet), and curating new exhibitions such as the 2026 "Stars Aligned" show.

Name

Adler Planetarium

Legal name

Adler Planetarium

Website

https://adlerplanetarium.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Adler Planetarium, founded in 1930 in Chicago, is the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere and a 501(c)(3) non-profit museum delivering astronomy education through immersive dome shows, telescope observation, exhibits, youth STEM programs, and globally licensed fulldome productions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Planetarium and Science Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE)

Keywords

• Planetarium dome shows
• Astronomy education
• Science museum exhibits
• STEM youth programs
• Fulldome film production

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales and Admissions: Revenue from museum entry tickets, dome show tickets, and special event admissions for visitors to the Chicago lakeshore location.
2. Venue and Event Space Rentals: Rental of historic event spaces including the Grainger Sky Theater, Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Solarium, Skyline Terrace, and Doane Observatory for private events, filming, and corporate functions. Filming fees range from $5,000 to $20,000+ depending on scope.
3. Memberships and Donations: Annual memberships, The Alan B. Shepard Society, The James A. Lovell Legacy Fund, and general donations as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
4. Fulldome Show Licensing: Licensing of award-winning fulldome planetarium productions to other planetariums, theaters, and museums worldwide. Shows include Niyah and the Multiverse, Cosmic Rhythms, Destination Solar System, and Planet Nine.
5. Retail (Space Shop and Cosmic Cafe): On-site retail gift shop (Space Shop) and food service (Cosmic Cafe) for visitors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Adler Planetarium operates as a 501(c)(3) public museum and planetarium on Chicago's Museum Campus, offering immersive fulldome theater presentations, interactive astronomy exhibits, public telescope viewing at the Doane Observatory, and STEM-focused youth programming. The organization also produces and licenses award-winning fulldome shows to planetariums worldwide and rents its historic Art Deco venue for private events and commercial filming.

Product overview

Adler Planetarium operates as a science museum and public planetarium offering a unified experience combining immersive dome theater shows, interactive exhibits, and educational programming. The core product portfolio centers on the Grainger Sky Theater and Samuel C. Johnson Family Star Theater for fulldome presentations, supplemented by the Doane Observatory with its 24-inch PlaneWave CDK24 telescope for hands-on astronomical viewing. Supporting offerings include the Far Horizons high-altitude ballooning program, fulldome show licensing of award-winning productions like Niyah and the Multiverse and Cosmic Rhythms, youth and teen STEM programs including the Aquarius Project meteorite hunt and ThinSat satellite development, virtual programming through YouTube series, and venue rental services. The museum also maintains extensive historical astronomy collections and serves as the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere since 1930.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dome Theater Sky Shows

Quantifiable outcome

• Adler Planetarium Productions has screened shows on all seven continents and aboard the International Space Station.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and flagship.

• Museums in the ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago consortium of museums located on Chicago Park District land, including the Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium. Adler opened in 1930 as part of this triumvirate of museums on what is now called Chicago Museum Campus.
• Bank of AmericasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor of the Chicago's Night Sky exhibit, supporting light pollution awareness and community education programs.
• A. Montgomery Ward FoundationsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation supporter of the Chicago's Night Sky exhibit at Adler Planetarium.
• CDWsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting the Chicago's Night Sky exhibit and Adler's educational mission.
• American Association of MuseumscoreOthersProfessional membership organization for museums. Adler is a member organization.
• Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC)coreOthersProfessional association for science centers and museums worldwide. Adler is a member.
• Chicago CityPASSsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBundled attraction pass offering visitors savings of up to 50% when combining Adler Planetarium with other Chicago attractions.
• Food for Thought CateringsupportingOthersHolds the exclusive contract for all food and beverage service at Adler Planetarium.
• The Joffrey BalletflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Cosmic Rhythms fulldome show, combining Adler astronomy expertise with Joffrey Ballet choreography by Xavier Nuenez for a first-of-its-kind planetarium experience.
• Action Lines MediaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner with Adler and The Joffrey Ballet on the Cosmic Rhythms fulldome show.
• Caltech / Mike Brown TeamsupportingTechnology or IntegrationMike Brown's research team at CalTech contributed to Planet Nine fulldome show, featuring their discoveries of dwarf worlds like Eris, Haumea, and Sedna.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Field Museum: Fellow member of Chicago's Museums in the Park consortium with shared CityPASS bundling, comparable education and exhibition programming, and overlapping general-public/family visitor base. Directly comparable as a science-focused cultural attraction on the same lakefront campus.
• Hayden Planetarium (American Museum of Natural History): Major urban planetarium within a larger natural history museum, producing high-budget fulldome content and serving as a flagship astronomy attraction. Directly comparable on dome show production, museum/planetarium integration, and global brand recognition.
• Pacific Science Center: Seattle-based science center with planetarium dome, IMAX theater, and STEM education programs for schools. Comparable scale, non-profit operating model, and reliance on mixed admissions + membership + donor revenue.
• Griffith Observatory: Iconic public observatory and planetarium in Los Angeles offering telescope viewing, dome shows, and astronomy education. The closest functional comparison to Adler as a public-facing observatory + planetarium with free/low-cost general access and major donor-supported operations.
• Shedd Aquarium: Third member of the Museums in the Park consortium on Chicago Museum Campus, with comparable ticketing, membership programs, school-group operations, and event-rental revenue models. Directly comparable on visitor demographics and operating economics.
• California Academy of Sciences: San Francisco-based science institution combining natural history museum, aquarium, and planetarium (Morrison Planetarium) under one roof. Comparable on multi-format science programming, dome theater operations, and educational programming for schools and families.
• Cosmosphere: Hutchinson, Kansas space science museum and planetarium operating the largest single-site collection of U.S. and Soviet spacecraft artifacts. Comparable on space-education mission, dome show licensing, and STEAM programming for K-12 audiences.
• Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: NASA-themed visitor complex offering space-focused exhibits, immersive dome shows, and educational programs. Comparable on astronomy/space mission, ticketed general admission, and event-hosting capabilities.
• Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago: Sister Chicago Museum Campus institution focused on applied science with hands-on exhibits, school field trips, and ticketed general admission. Closely comparable audience, pricing model, and mission, operating side-by-side with Adler and bundled in the same CityPASS.
• Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Premier U.S. space and aviation museum with significant federal funding, comparable scale, and overlapping mission around astronomy, space exploration, and STEM engagement. Closest peer on space-research programming and dome/IMAX theater operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@adlerplanetarium
• Facebookfacebook.com/adlerplanetarium
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adler-planetarium
• Instagraminstagram.com/adlerplanet
• TikToktiktok.com/@adlerplanet
• Xx.com/adlerplanet

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Adler Planetarium