Adler Planetarium

From start to finish, working with Dana was an absolute pleasure! Her professionalism, knowledge and dedication ensured that every aspect of our reception at the Adler Planetarium was perfect! She and Food For Thought played a vital part in creating the wedding of our dreams!

We loved working with Annie and Food For Thought! She was friendly, responsive, and accommodating, and Food For Thought executed the eclectic menu we wanted -- a menu of all Asian food (Thai, Japanese, and Korean buffet stations). Everyone loved the food and could not stop raving about it afterwards!

The adler provided an absolutely memorable venue for our wedding. The planning and support they provided was nothing short of fantastic, and the venue itself was gorgeous. Everyone who showed up was in nothing short of awe at how special the experience was.

Gorgeous views you really can't beat, and Annie from Food For Thought was incredible to work with! Not one thing went wrong, not one thing was missing on our wedding day thanks to Annie and their team here.

Having our wedding at the Adler Planetarium was nothing short of a magical experience. Annie & Lauren made the planning fun and they assisted in bringing my partner and I's vision to life. The venue was stunning, the food was out of this world and I could not have dreamed on a better place to have my wedding!

Throughout the planning, booking, and execution of our wedding, one vendor stood out above the rest. Diana Streit and her team made sure that we felt prioritized from the second we met them. They had a wonderful catered tasting ready for us at their test kitchen. They were prompt in communications. They ensured that all of the food options met our guests' needs. They did a wonderful job managing our venue space. Their servers made the meal feel elegant, rather than catered. But above all else, Diana personally made sure that me and my wife felt taken care of, including helping us with other troublesome vendors. I would highly recommend FFT to anyone booking a wedding in Chicago. 5 star experience.

The benefit of getting married at Adler is the uniqueness, people will remember all the "Wow" factors for many years. Our guests and us (~150) loved the beautiful skyline views. We got married May 6th, 2023, and while the weather was a source of anxiety, the weather turned out perfect. We got married right around golden hour, with sunlight peaking through wavy clouds and the lake and skyline looking mesmerizing. Cocktail hour on the steps worked very well and allowed guests to continue to take in the sweeping views. The space inside looks amazing and they do a great job with the set up and uplighting. We almost didn't add the Grainger sky theatre on for the last 1.5 hours of dancing but boy am I glad we did!! People were absolutely floored by it, well worth the money and something people will be talking about for a long time. It also offers a bigger dance floor than the one in the main room. All in all, what a great experience. Getting married at Adler is a dream!

We loved working with FFT for our event! They brought unique and fun ideas to make our evening better, their flexibility and kindness was unmatched during the planning process, and they were a joy to work with the night of. Would highly recommend!

This venue was everything I was looking for! It has the best view in the city, and having an outdoor ceremony at sunset turned out beautifully! I wanted to make sure the space I picked for my wedding had a good plan A and B space in case of rain. The Adler space is all glass inside, also overlooking the city, so it was perfect. I love the venue space and was able to have a variety of seating options inside to fit my cocktail style reception including large rounds, small rounds, high tops, lounge furniture, etc.. Their new large dance floor was fully packed as we danced all night...I highly recomend this gorgeous venue!

Our wedding at the Adler was magical! Our wedding was about 70 people, which is probably the smallest you could reasonably do in such a large venue that can hold upwards of 200 people. We had perfect weather for an evening wedding. They section off the outdoor area after closing time and everything was set up with plenty of time to spare. Cocktail hour was split between the Welcome Gallery and outside with high tables. The dinner and dance floor in the main area. Each stage of the wedding felt like a new event and it all worked seamlessly. We worked with Dana from Food For Thought, who did a wonderful job making everything run smoothly. The staging area for the ceremony is a little underwhelming in a conference room, but ultimately it was clean and quiet. Pictures from the wedding night were amazing, you literally cannot beat the city view from the Adler. Stunning both during the evening and late night. We got compliments throughout the night about the venue. Wonderful experience.

As soon as we got engaged, we knew we wanted an unforgettable venue. We explored many options but once we got Adler Planetarium in our heads, there was no way we could consider any other venue. We worked alongside Food For Thought Catering throughout the entire process: wedding date inquiring & scheduling, day-of itinerary, venue site visits, menu planning, floor plans, and day-of execution. Food For Thought is AMAZING, and we can see why they are the exclusive caterer and coordinator for Adler. Adler was GORGEOUS and everything we hoped it would be. Since Adler is quite big, we were a little worried that the layout would be confusing for our 130 guests, but everything ran smoothly. There was enough signage, and we had ushers to help our guests get acquainted with the space before the 6:30 PM ceremony. Adler was not available to us until the museum closed for the day, but the timing was perfect because our ceremony happened during sunset & golden hour. We also had beautiful blue hour and nighttime photo ops, especially with the lake and skyline. Our photographer and videographer got some amazing shots both inside and outside the building - at least, based on the teasers our photographer John Foley showed us. We reserved the Grainger Sky Theater for our cocktail hour and added on the moon projection; it was definitely a showstopper with lots of "ooohs" and "aahs" from everyone! Security and staff members (coordinators, servers, bartenders) were friendly, accommodating, and extremely helpful to both us and our vendors. We highly recommend booking Adler and Food For Thought!

It's such a unique venue in Chicago with the skyline and the lake as the backdrop. Our guests were in awe! The catering (Food for Thought) is very professional and efficient, with seamless execution. The preparation process was smooth. We had a great and unforgettable special day and our guest enjoyed the food and had a great time (they could not stop talking about the deserts!)

We had our Indian wedding reception at Adler Planetarium over Memorial Day Weekend in 2022. Our experience working with the Adler/FFT team was very positive. They were responsive to all of our questions and requests throughout our planning process and even allowed us to push our date due to COVID without any difficulty. Coldplay ended up having a concert at Soldier Field the very same night so we were worried about getting our guests to Adler on time for our event. The Adler team was extremely communicative and transparent with us on how to best handle the situation and helped to ease our stress as well as ensure that our guests arrived safely and on time. The tasting experience was also great. The presentation of the food was exactly the same as the tasting which we appreciated. Our ONLY issue was that on the day of the event, the food seemed to run out quickly at each table and some of our guests did not get to try each dish that we selected as it was a family style dinner. Our recommendation would be to refill dishes or provide more of each dish if possible! On the day of, everything was exactly what we hoped for. We simply showed up and were absolutely blown away at how beautifully the venue was set up. Everything went off without a hitch thanks to Annie and her team! We appreciate everything that they did for us to make our event truly the best night of our lives!

Truly the best venue and planning team to work with! The Adler provided a stunning backdrop for our wedding. You cannot beat that view of the Chicago skyline. Even better was the Food for Thought team we worked with throughout the planning process who helped to transform the venue into a fairy tale like atmosphere. And the food that was provided was probably the best I've ever had from a wedding caterer. Our guests could not stop raving about that. I'd recommend the Adler venue and Food for Thought team in a heartbeat to any couple planning their wedding.

We recently held our wedding at Adler and it was an incredible experience!! Everyone we worked with was so helpful, friendly and professional and the space was absolutely stunning. Can't recommend this enough!

Adler was a fabulous venue for our winter wedding. The food was excellent and the service was out of this world. I'm talking about bartenders who knew preferred drinks and servers who delivered them when they saw a drink getting low. I cannot say enough positive things about the staff and those who helped us with all the planning leading up to the big day. The skyline view speaks for itself!

The Adler was a spectacular venue for our wedding. You cannot beat the city views from here. Even if you have to move indoors the abundance of windows makes this place spectacular. Annie was great to work with and helped us deal with rescheduling our covid wedding. Would highly recommend!

Adler Planetarium is a BEAUTIFUL venue for a wedding! Our guests had a fabulous time and Food For Thought was great to work with. Multiple guests commented on how their meals were delicious, served hot, and the service was excellent. Elyssa is a great Event Day Coordinator. She could not have been more prompt and helpful throughout the process. Anytime I had a question she responded very promptly and her timelines and recommendations made the planning process go as smoothly as possible. I would definitely recommend Adler and Food for Thought to friends!

Amazing venue! The rooms for dinner and cocktails, the decor, and the views of the city were better than we ever imagined. Elyssa was so easy to work with and super fun and professional. Everyone had a blast!!

We used Adler Planetarium for a September 2020 wedding. While our wedding was much smaller than we originally planned, having it at the Adler was perfect. The staff was kind and made us feel safe with COVID precautions. The views are insane no matter where you are in the space. Food For Thought was also incredible to work with and the food was delicious. 10/10 recommend!

As a venue, you can't beat it. It has such an incredible view of the city skyline, and the reception area and welcome gallery are interesting and exciting on their own, without the need for much decoration. We lucked out with the weather and were able to have our ceremony outside, and they did a nice job keeping non-wedding guests out of the way (it is a public space) and we didn't even notice if anyone else was around. We couldn't have imagined a better place for our wedding and are so happy with the way things turned out. Our Adler liaison for Food For Thought (the catering company Adler works with), Annie, was extremely helpful during the whole process. She met with us multiple times, was very honest and didn't push anything on us, made sure everything went smoothly on the day, and really made it stress-free for us. She is great to work with and we would highly recommend asking for her if you decide to have your wedding at Adler! Side-note: we also looked at Theater on the Lake, which has a view of the skyline as well. It is smaller and doesn't offer as much, and is more expensive. You definitely get more bang-for-your-buck at Adler. Totally worth it!

I truly don't think words will do this review justice. I knew I wanted to get married here long before my now husband proposed. The views are spectacular and I wanted to have as close to a beach wedding in Chicago as I could get. Elyssa at FFT coordinated everything so perfectly for us. I never had to worry about a single thing (except Chicago weather in May which turned out so beautifully, much to my surprise!). I wish I could give so many more stars because the venue and the staff deserve it. It is so worth the price tag and all of our guests were so amazed. The added telescopes and signature drinks were so fun and it felt like an evening out of this world. I truly don't think you can get any better in Chicago.

The most beautiful view of the city!! I knew I wanted this vendor in particular since the lake and skyline make it unforgettable. Guests who don't like dancing might also like looking at the open exhibits instead.

The Adler Planetarium is an amazing venue for a wedding. Our guests are still talking about it and would like to do it again! If you can, don't hesitate, it is magical

The best wedding venue that you could ever dreamed of, the view is priceless! The best wedding venue that you could ever dreamed of, the view is priceless

Everything at the Planetarium was above and beyond what we could have imagined! Could not have asked for a better place to celebrate our marriage! Everything at the Planetarium was above and beyond what we could have imagined! Could not have asked for a better place to celebrate our marriage!

My husband and I had our September wedding reception at the Adler Planetarium. It could not have been a more perfect venue to show off the beautiful city of Chicago. Our guests from both out of town and from Chicago all raved about how fabulous the view and the event space are. Anna Ditton and Food for Thought provided the best food we have had at a wedding. Working with Anna was the best - she's easy to talk to and can give honest feed back about what works and does not when trying to stick to a wedding budget. Her helpful hints made our wedding even more than we could have imagined it to be. Working with her is like working with a good friend! No question is too silly to ask! We cannot recommend the Adler and FFT Catering/Anna enough for an event to remember.

We were so pleased with our choice of Adler Planetarium/Food For Thought catering. The Planetarium provides the best view in Chicago, and Food For Thought provided great food and professional coordination of all of the many details which they handle. They were very responsive all through the process. When the wedding day came, they were most efficient. Service and food were outstanding. They made it all look easy!

My husband and I had our wedding reception at the Adler Planetarium, where Food For Thought is the exclusive vendor. We are so happy we were able to utilize them as the service of the staff, the setup of the room, and the food were all incredible. We never could have imagined that our wedding would be so perfect and FFT was the main reason for that. Working with Elyssa as our FFT sales consultant she made the entire process as easy as possible for us, providing us with help tips and suggestions in order to make sure our wedding was what we had hoped for. We can't thank FFT and Elyssa enough for making our special day even more special then we could have ever imagined. We would definitely recommend the Adler Planetarium and FFT for anyone's reception/catering needs!

The Adler Planetarium was our dream venue. It was where we wanted the wedding. Period. So the fact that they were so accommodating and easy to work with was a total added bonus. From day one, Anna Ditton was helpful, fun and always available to answer any question big and small. Food For Thought catering was delicious, just as we had heard from others. We were lucky enough to have our ceremony outside, as well as cocktails and then the reception in the Skyline Solarium which had our guests raving (they are STILL raving). Then to top everything off, we finished the night with an amazing afterparty in the Sky Theater, or Rave Dome as my friends now call it, with lights like you have never seen. I tear up thinking about how absolutely perfect and easy everything was. From start to finish, outside to inside the evening had a great flow and awesome energy. Adler and Anna made our dream come true.

Our daughters wedding was simply flawless from beginning to end. The Adler and Foor for Thought made the day beyond amazing. From the transformation of the Cafe to a stunning event space, the Adler staff and most importantly, the Food for Thought staff worked seamlessly. The room was stunning, the food incredible, and the staff hardworking professionals. Our contact, Anna Ditton, with Food for Thought, made one of the biggest events of our lives, more perfect than we could have imagined. Truly magical.

I had an amazing wedding! The food, service and space was all incredible and our guests had an unforgettable time (I may be a little biased). Having an outdoor cocktail hour with skyline view was fantastic, and the glass room facing the lake was unique. There was an event at Soldier Field so there were extra fees with parking and buses and we had to hire a lighting company; but if it's in your budget- I'd recommend it! Chris and the Food for Thought team worked hard to help me have a wonderful day.

I know I'm biased, but the Adler Planetarium is THE wedding venue in Chicago. NO WHERE ELSE has their view of the city skyline - it is truly special and unique. We will cherish our memories here forever. Book with the Adler if you are able to, no question. Food for Thought acts as both the venue coordinator and the caterer, and they are incredible. Pricey, yes... but worth it! Elyssa from FFT is amazing and worked with us to create the most beautiful day. The FFT food was incredible, and the drinks were flowing all night - their staff created a truly seamless experience. And people are still talking about our appetizers/hors d'oeuvres! I promise you will not regret hosting a wedding at the Adler Planetarium. Elayna & John 5.5.18

Our wedding day was amazing and we were thrilled with the venue itself. However, we had multiple complaints from our guests regarding the security crew at Adler the day of the event. After the first complaint, I thought perhaps my guests just wanted to complain but then I received many more in the days after the wedding. I even had my own issue with the security team a couple days before the wedding when I dropped off the decorations. I didn't mind my own incident but I was very upset when I heard my guests were treated so poorly and practically like criminals in a space meant to be enjoyed. Very disappointing!

Adler is seriously the dream wedding venue for anyone getting married in Chicago! The view is just breathtaking and seeing our ceremony pictures come back with the skyline and lake in the backdrop…it’s stunning. Our guests were simply in awe and it was so fun to see probably half of them change their own Facebook profile pictures to ones from our wedding! Café Galileo was an easy room to transform and they didn’t have a lot of the restrictions other venues in Chicago do, which was an added bonus. Plus, you get to work with Anna Ditton (event coordinator) and Food For Thought Catering, who work tirelessly to make the night perfect (reviewed them separately under Food for Thought). This was by far the best decision we made for our wedding and I promise you won’t be disappointed!

We got married April 2016. The venue itself is so so so stunning....Several of our guest loved it! We even rented the dome room to have our cocktails there and that was the big WOW factor. The room was so amazing with the moon and stars on the ceiling! The food is very good and fft does a great job on the presentation of the food. We worked with MDM to bring in up lighting in the room which gives it an added dramatic affect! Overall the venue was great. My biggest complaint was that the main girl we worked with all throughout the process and all the email exchanges and in the final walk through was not there!! She also did not notify our wedding planner or parents of the bride. We had several things that were not executed and not completed during the night because of her absence. In picking this venue Make SURE whoever you are working with will be at your event that night!!! Also make sure you emphasize that whoever is doing your event gets introduced to you in the beginning of the night... (bride and groom) and the parents of the bride and grooms so when you have questions you know who to go to and are not wondering around looking for them and missing the main event...the wedding.....Extremely important!!

My only gripe, and really ONLY is that you do have to pay to transform the space. It doesn't take much and it beats the heck out of getting married in ANOTHER banquet hall in a hotel somewhere. The views are spectacular. If you're lucky enough to have your ceremony outside (thanks to the weather) it will truly make for INCREDIBLE shots and memories that will surely last a lifetime. It is bar-none the best view in the city, and I know I am bias, but 100% the best venue in Chicago.

We were recently married here and it was absolutely beautiful! The skyline is the perfect backdrop for a Chicago wedding. The food (you must use Food for Thought) was excellent and Anna was so great to work with! We can be a tough crowd with the food and they surpassed my expectations. We had cocktail hour outside for sunset, and then moved into the cafe for dinner and dancing. It was the perfect mix of outside/inside with us being able to use the terrace as well. We could not have asked for a more perfect place, AND my champagne flute was never less than half full! :) (I wish I could remember the gentleman's name that made that happen I would like to give a "shout out" to him.)

I just had my wedding at the Adler and it seriously could not have gone better. I worked with Anna Ditton, and not only is she a sweet person, but she is super organized. The night of I was running around just trying to make sure that I was in the right place and she worried about everything else for me. Everything happened on time, and it was so beautiful. If you're considering the Adler, DO IT. Its amazing. And the food is good too - you have to use their caterer but they can do whatever type of food you want and everything (that we chose anyway) was good. We had an indian food that the guests liked a lot (it was different).

I never could have imagined a better venue! It was a chilly April day, so our guests could see the city without actually going outside. Everyone enjoyed being able to wander through the exhibits and stepping onto the terrace to use the binoculars. The view was spectacular! We could not have been happier!

We chose the location because of what it meant to us. It was stunning. That said, the Planetarium requires you to use their catering company, which is very expensive. There is no additional lighting included for Galileo cafe' which means there is a large up charge to hire an event company to come in to do any lighting in the space. The biggest downside is that set-up of anything can only begin 2.5 hours before the event begins (earliest set up is 3:00pm during winter months) which makes it difficult to do anything ambitious unless you have a large army who can move quickly. TIP: they will give a discount for a Friday evening wedding.

This was a perfect venue for a magical day. There were fireworks for the guests to watch over Navy Pier and the most gorgeous view of the city which makes pictures fabulous for everyone! The room is also enchanting!

This is a beautiful location- on the water with amazing views of the city skyline, however, the almost $10,000 rental fee is a bit outrageous. If I had another shot at it, I might think of choosing some place cheaper and using that money elsewhere. But, if you have the room in your budget, its pretty hard to beat that view.

Wonderful if you want to get married two years out..... very busy place!

This space was our only choice for our ceremony and reception. I would never chose another location. The views of Chicago are amazing! It is a memorable place for any event.

The reception area of the Planetarium has THE BEST view of the Chicago skyline. Almost everyone was able to enjoy this view during dinner and dancing and there was a terrace for guests to go outside and enjoy the view as well as take wonderful photos. We took wonderful photos both inside and out.