Where you can mark Apollo 11's 50th anniversary in Chicago and the suburbs
Whether you remember watching the Apollo 11 moon landing on TV or were born long after the historic event, you can mark the milestone at events this week and next in the city and suburbs.
Here's where you can celebrate and learn more:
Local libraries
• Rolling Meadows resident Bob Davidson has a unique take on the mission: He was one of the design and mission support engineers for the Apollo program spacesuits. He speaks about the suits at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 18, at the Rolling Meadows Library, 3110 Martin Lane, Rolling Meadows. www.rmlib.org.
• The Arlington Heights Memorial Library, 500 N. Dunton Ave., hosts the traveling exhibit “Earth from Space.” The exhibit, which runs through Aug. 11, features 20 satellite images from the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Service. Visitors can also listen to NASA-produced video and audio. ahml.info.
Adler Planetarium
A three-day celebration at the planetarium includes a mix of special events. Ticket prices are at www.adlerplanetarium.org.
• Adler After Dark: Moonshot takes those 21 and older back to the 1960s from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Thursday, July 18. Attendees can dress for the decade, sip period-themed cocktails, listen to music and learn more about the space mission. They also can catch the new “Moonrise” podcast from The Washington Post while viewing visuals on the Adler dome. After the show, host Lillian Cunningham and a panel of experts will talk about the history and future of space travel.
• Families can check out the two-day Moonbash, included with museum entry, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 19-20. It features special shows, hands-on programs and more.
• Space historian Roger Launius and historian of colonialism Margaret Huettl discuss why astronauts set out for the moon and whether they should return. 7 p.m. Friday, July 19.
• Fly Me to the Moon Yoga features a slow Vinyasa Flow class under space-themed images in the Grainger Sky Theater at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, July 20.
• NASA engineer Bob Davidson of Rolling Meadows explains his role in designing Apollo 11 spacesuits at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 20.
• To the Moon and Beyond: A Conversation with Jim Lovell & Beth Moses offers a moderated conversation. Lovell was an Apollo 8 and 11 astronaut and Moses is chief astronaut instructor and a commercial astronaut with Virgin Galactic. The ticketed event features a 45-minute discussion on why the moon still matters and a 15-minute question-and-answer session. It's at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, July 20.
The planetarium is at 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago.
Museum of Science and Industry
• The documentary “Apollo 11” — which features newly discovered moon landing footage and audio recordings — wowed audiences this spring. Now a version with added material is playing at the Museum of Science and Industry's Giant Dome Theater. “Apollo 11: First Steps Edition” screens four or five times a day, and advance tickets are needed. You can pair the viewing with a visit to the museum's Henry Crown Space Center, home to the Lunar Module Trainer as well as other artifacts and activities.
The museum is at 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. For ticket prices, see www.msichicago.org.
Glen Ellyn Historical Society
• Actor Terry Lynch will portray Neil Armstrong for a 50th anniversary moon walk program at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 30, at the Glen Ellyn Police Station, Community Room, 63 S. Park Blvd. The Glen Ellyn Historical Society sponsors this free program, which includes refreshments. glenellynhistory.org.