MARS

The Exhibition

October 7, 2022 - Spring 2023

Experience Gallery

Take a trip to the Red Planet!  Explore our custom made 10-foot illuminated Mars & see full-scale NASA rover models!

Humans have dreamt about visiting Mars since the 1700s, long before the technology existed to take us there. Now you can examine the red planet lit up, closeup and in fine detail with this beautiful, glowing artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram.

The interactive exhibition "MARS" is centered around Jerram's 10-foot (3-meter) illuminated spherical sculpture, custom made for the Peoria Riverfront Museum by the artist. Lit from within, the artwork features detailed 120-dpi NASA imagery of the Martian surface, compiled from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) data - Visible Earth series, NASA.

• Explore our 10-foot (3-meter) lit up replica of Mars to see every valley, crater, volcano and mountain, and imagine what it’s like to step foot on the Red Planet!
• See full-sized models of the first rovers that explored the red planet, on loan from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
• Marvel at Mars’ tallest mountain and deepest canyon, and experience the elevation changes yourself with an augmented reality (AR) sandbox.
• Kids of all ages will enjoy trying their hand at controlling robots and exploring pop culture items related to Mars’ exploration in fact and fiction.

Meet you at MARS!

Luke Jerram’s Mars sponsored by Mary Ann and Sheldon Schafer Family

Mars: the Exhibition sponsored by Precision Planting and the Corporate Visionary Society Council

"Mars," by U. K. artist Luke Jerram. Lit from within, the 10-ft. (3-m.) diameter artwork features detailed 120-dpi NASA imagery of the Martian surface, compiled from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) data - Visible Earth series, NASA.