Chicago's Adler Planetarium won't fully reopen until 2022

CHICAGO (AP) - While most of Chicago's cultural institutions have reopened their doors, the Adler Planetarium won't do so fully until next year.

The planetarium along Lake Michigan closed in March 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Planetarium officials said in a letter posted on the website earlier this month that they'll start offering some events in July including weekend screenings of sky shows, but due to financial difficulties the full reopening will be in March 2022. For instance, employees let go earlier in the pandemic have not been rehired.

'œOpening the museum at full capacity now would further strain our limited resources and reduced staff,'ť the letter read. 'œWe have developed a timeline that will allow us to fully reopen from a position of strength.'ť

Upgrades and renovations at the planetarium include a new telescope installed a month before the closure that has not officially opened to the public.