Arts & Entertainment
Adler Planetarium’s New President Shares Vision for Historic Museum: ‘It’s Key to Be Welcoming to All’
After months without permanent leadership, the country’s oldest planetarium welcomes a new captain to steer its ship into the future.
Elizabeth Babcock now serves as CEO and president of Adler Planetarium, succeeding longtime President Michelle Larson.
Being on Museum Campus is a homecoming for Babcock, who previously worked at the Field Museum as the vice president of education and library collections and applied anthropologist. Just before joining the Adler, Babcock was in Washington, D.C., working as the founding director of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
The Chicago-area native came to the planetarium with a clear vision on how to bring new life to the nearly 100-year-old institution. The Adler, much like other museums, took a hit during the pandemic, laying off 120 employees in 2020 and closing its doors for two years.
“We are in the middle of rethinking everything from how we can be more present around space discovery and exploration,” said Babcock, emphasizing the astronomy-focused institution’s global role in astrophysics research. “How can we revitalize and renew our visitor experience efforts? And how can we continue to focus on science discovery?”
The museum is celebrating its own history as the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere by preparing for its centennial celebration in 2030.
Babcock assumed her new role not long after President Donald Trump began to publicly scrutinize museums, directing most of his ire at what he calls “the last remaining segment of WOKE” such as the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
In a letter sent Aug. 12 to Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Branch III, the White House said it will perform a comprehensive review of the museums to “assess tone, historical framing, and alignment with American ideals.”
Babcock said Adler’s mission remains the same under the Trump administration.
“It’s key to be welcoming to all,” Babcock said. “We’re a science organization, so we’re standing steadfast with science inquiry at our core.”
A new exhibit is now running with that mind. Called “Stars Aligned: Tracing the Story of Astronomy and Astrology,” it connects the histories between the two fields.
