The Chicago Adler Planetarium is home to instruments, telescopes, books, models and more. Some of the artifacts in the collection date back hundreds of years, giving guests a look at how science has progressed over time.

Here are just a few examples of what you’ll find in this awe-inspiring collection:

Navigational Instruments

The Adler has a large collection of navigational instruments, dating from the sixteenth century to the twentieth century. The collection includes octants, sextants, quadrants and more. Be sure to check out the Museum’s unique collection of astrolabes, classical navigational instruments that were used in the past to measure the altitude of stars.

The collection also includes many surveying instruments, including compasses and theolodites. These tools are used to measure angles and elevations. “Mathematical instruments” include drawing instruments, sectors, and rules.

Armillary Spheres & Celestial Globes

Used to teach astronomy, armillary spheres show the Earth, horizons, equator, tropics and more. They can also demonstrate motion and patterns of the sun and other planets throughout the year.

Celestial globes show the positions of stars in the sky. They’re a great way to see the configurations of different constellations!

Sundials & Planetaria

Forget digital watches – the most accurate and reliable way to tell time is by reading a sundial. In addition to the 13-foot bronze sundial outside of the Museum, there are many inside the exhibits.

Also known as orreries, the fascinating models known as planetaria show how planets move around the sun, how the moon moves around the Earth, or both.

Telescopes

The Adler Planetarium boasts several authentic telescopes from the seventeenth century, but its most impressive is the Dearborn Telescope. Once the largest telescope in the world, it has recently been updated, refinished and returned to its home at the Adler.

Rare Books Collection

With over 3,000 volumes, the Rare Book Collection at the Adler is an amazing collection of astronomical and scientific literature. Here, you’ll find celestial atlases, books on comets and planets, early encyclopedias and more.

With so much to do and see at the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, you won’t want to miss it. Visit anytime with a Go Chicago Card and get ready for an out-of-this-world experience!

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