Gates Planetarium

There's a place from which nothing escapes, not even light, where time and space literally come to end. It's at this point, inside this fantastic riddle, that black holes exert their sway over the cosmos … and our imaginations.

In this Museum-produced show, zip through other-worldly wormholes, experience the creation of the Milky Way Galaxy, and witness the violent death of a star and subsequent birth of a black hole. Mathematical equations, cutting-edge science, and Einstein's theories fill in holes along the way, providing the most complete picture yet on this mysterious phenomenon. Can you feel the pull?

One World, One Sky is a brilliant spectacle of light and color that follows Sesame Street's Big Bird and Elmo as they explore the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, a new friend from China. Together, they take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to the moon, where they discover how different it is from Earth. This cross-cultural adventure opens children's eyes to the sky, helping them see how people all over the world are connected.

Explore space like never before in the live show Destination Solar System! 

This out-of-this-world tour, departing from Gates Planetarium, takes place on board the Space Express. Travel hundreds of millions of miles in just seconds with Jesse, an enthusiastic, knowledgeable—but inexperienced—tour guide, and Max, a highly advanced, fully integrated onboard computer. Tours of the hottest hot spots and the coldest, stormiest, and most spectacular sights in the solar system await curious space explorers of all ages.

Blast off from your planetarium seat and be transported into the solar system. Our live expert guides will help you choose your own space adventure. Become immersed in Saturn's rings, explore extreme weather on Jupiter, or see a rover's-eye view of Mars. Every show is unique! What will you discover on your space tour?

The moon has always stirred creativity, imagination, and ingenuity, inspiring us to push into the solar system and understand the mysteries of the universe. In the new planetarium show Imagine the Moon, beautiful photography and digital visualizations on the giant dome place the moon in a whole new light, as you explore humanity’s epic relationship with Earth’s only natural satellite. From Galileo’s earliest insights to the triumph of the Apollo 11 landing to the cutting-edge science of today, you’ll be newly moonstruck by our companion in our sky.

Imagine the Moon was produced by the Adler Planetarium, Chicago.

Follow the footsteps of history in CAPCOM Go! The Apollo Story, an immersive documentary showcasing what it took to put the first humans on the moon.   

On July 20, 1969, more than 600 million people watched the Apollo 11 landing and witnessed a monumental achievement, broadcasted live from Earth’s only natural satellite. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” said astronaut Neil Armstrong as he walked across the moon. The moment captivated the world, yet few people were aware of the effort it took to reach it. The Apollo 11 astronauts were just two of nearly 400,000 people who worked more than 10 years toward this goal. How did they possibly do it?

In this new show—named CAPCOM for the capsule communicator at mission control—watch the story unfold on the dome, celebrating the explorers, designers, engineers, thinkers, and dreamers of yesterday and inspiring those of tomorrow.