(Adler Planetarium / Facebook)
It will soon cost more to visit the Adler Planetarium, with the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners approving an admission fee increase that will take effect April 1.
Basic adult admission (excluding any sky shows) will go up $3 for Chicago residents, from the current price of $17 to a new fee of $20. For non-residents, the jump is more significant, going from $19 to $25.
Admission for children (ages 3 to 11) will increase from $6 to $8 for residents, and go from $8 to $13 for non-residents.
The Adler, which was the first planetarium to open in the Western Hemisphere, struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, remaining closed longer than many of its counterparts. Attendance is at 85% of its pre-pandemic level, Michelle Larson, the planetarium’s CEO and president, told commissioners during Wednesday’s monthly board meeting.
Despite having trimmed staff by one-third, higher costs and lower admission revenues (admission fees contribute 43% of operating revenues) led to the request for the fee hike. The planetarium last raised the price of adult admission in 2019, and the children’s admission fee had remained the same since 2011.
Commissioners quizzed Larson on the planetarium’s community outreach, free days and even the impact of last year’s inaugural NASCAR Chicago Street Race on attendance.
Wednesday nights — when the Adler is open for free from 4-10 p.m. — are often the best attended, Larson said, with visitors coming from across the city.
The planetarium opted to remain open during the NASCAR race and ended up with attendance equal to the prior year, a “loss” considering the Adler’s overall admissions in 2023 tracked higher than in 2022.
“We were happy to have at least broken even,” Larson said.
Board members unanimously approved the fee increase, which places the Adler on par with the Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry.
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
