Chicago from A to Z...A is for Adler Planetarium

Hooray!! It is the Big Kickoff for this year's A To Z Blogging Challenge and I'm giving you all a tour of my hometown, Chicago, complete with favorite places, mysterious places, colorful characters and historic sites. I'm kicking off this tour with a quick trip to one of my favorite places on the Lakefront, the Adler Planetarium. This place will take you to the stars as well as provide a trip back through the very history of astronomy.


Founded in 1930 by Chicago businessman and philanthropist, Max Adler, The Adler Planetarium is the first of its kind to be built in the United States. It is in fact, the first planetarium built in the Western Hemisphere and is the oldest still in operation. Located on Northerly island, just off the Museum Campus area, the Adler contains one of the largest collections of astrolabes, sextons as well as other ancient astronomical equipment. On the basement level, you can learn to make your own astronomical tools as you sit in a makeshift classroom from Renaissance Italy. They even provide the scholarly robes, how cool is that?


Amongst the other amazing exhibits housed at the Adler, there is the Atwood Sphere, which projects a view of the Chicago night sky from 1913 with a 180 degree view of enhanced photos from the time. There is also the  prototype for the current Mars rover on display along with the Gemini 12 capsule once commanded by Jim Lovell of Apollo 13 fame, who happens to be a local resident. The rare books collection houses 3000 texts on the history of astronomy as well as star charts.


Care to come for a visit? I'll gladly show you around as I never get tired of the place. Now let's get to visiting some of my awesome fellow challengers...