The Arecibo Observatory is very cool, and absolutely worth the $6 ticket, but the science fair exhibits in the vistors center are utterly lame. That is, unless you like to pretend you're in old episodes of Saved by the Bell. Except you're not Zack, Slater or even Screech. You're one of the "dweebs" they routinely mock and stuff into lockers. What's in their lockers? The stuff they put up in the vistors center. Go, laugh at the sad fate of Pluto's last stand as a planet on a scientific foam board from the mid 90's, then walk outside and desperately try to squeeze the entire Observatory into your DSLR lens. read more

I went to Puerto Rico to work as part of the disaster relief efforts. On a day off I went to the Arecibo Observatory, the security officer was friendly in explaining that even though the dish was damaged and the awesome tours were no longer occurring, I was allowed inside to take pictures and buy souvenirs from the gift shop. It is a must see site whether you are a tourist, a relief worker, science lover or James Bond. read more

Wow, so not worth the drive and $10 admission Fee. I pretty much spent my time and money to get a picture of this cool piece of technology. Driving there was fun..thru the rural mountainous areas. Seeing the observatory was fun. Spending the time and money was not fun. Walking up the hill and around the boring exhibits was not fun. The gift shop was quite depressing. There are so many things to do in PR, I would recommend against going here..unless you've already done everything else.. read more

This place is great for all ages. Once the video is over its out to see the huge telescope. Too bad you cant get closer or get in the booth to see the data. They do have a small concessions outside, cheese dog was a nice treat. read more

This is such a beautiful and breathtaking sight to visit. We came here after visiting the cammuy caves and for the view alone it was worth the visit. My husband is very much into stars and astronomy so even though I enjoyed this it was more a visit for him. We saw a little film, we looked around a very informative museum and we came out onto the observatory deck. Everything was so beautiful it's worth seeing if you come to PR. read more

Mmm. Very cool place to visit but considering the infamous crappy turning and dangerous roads in retrospect I'm not sure it was totally worth it. Don't get me wrong, once you see "El Radar" or the actually satellite, it is very beautiful and breathtaking. But that's pretty much it. I paid like 10-12 bucks for admission to act like I was interested in some astral informational stands. The place is pretty clean and you will have to climb some stars to get to the actual observatory site but it's not hard work for anyone relatively in shape. Just in case your severely handicap or just lazy they offer a free of purchase golf cart to bypass stairs. Anyway, theres a small souvenir shop which is kinda meh. The guides here as with any typical touristy spot in PR are bilingual ( English/Spanish) guided presentations. There are some educational presentations and stands of space and stuff but I feel like it is geared towards kids...like preteens kids. Cool stuff but a bore for me. The actual view of El Radar is beautiful, breathtaking but lasts only a couple seconds after you realize how massive it is but yet so far away. Overall, it is a once in a lifetime visit. It is a great view but just not something I could gaze at time after time. If you want your typical tourist fare then go here but as a local its not such a big deal I am told. read more

Arecibo Observatory - It is pretty breathtaking at an initial glance. - Observatories Near Me - Arecibo, Puerto Rico

I'm not a huge science/space geek, but I thought it was pretty cool! The museum and learning center had lots of info on astronomy and the telescope itself, but I honestly didn't feel like reading all the text panels because I was lazy. We watched the 17 minute introductory film which wasn't Oscar worthy but still answered my basic questions about what the dish is all about and its basic history. My main reason for going here was because I'm a huge James Bond fan and the final scene of Goldeneye was filmed there. I didn't really investigate much in the visitors center to see if there was any behind-the-scenes stuff from that movie because the center was flooded with school children as I was wrapping up. And, I was ready to go after that. The drive is out of the way (hour and 15 minutes from where we stayed east of Old San Juan). There are signs that take you the observatory off PR-22 to Hwy 129 and then over to 635. It was a fun thing to do on our last day on Puerto Rico as my legs were tired from excessive hiking in El Yunque and Old San Juan. read more

Please don't go with high expectations. This place is really overrated. There are some exhibits in the main hall and after that you go to a platform to look at the dish. While the dish is great to look at, it would be even better if there was a walking tour. It's also can be confusing to get here. Got lost several times trying to find this place driving from San Juan. If you are heading to Camuy Caves this makes a great side trip. The informational movie is useless. It tries to present a day in the life of the observatory but comes off as irrelevant and haphazard. The entire audience left half way through the film. Summary: Drive here, pay $6, look at dish, take picture, and leave. read more

The tour is $12...DO NOT PAY FOR IT. You can go inside the visitor center for free, and head on out to the observation deck area for the giant radio telescope. It is an impressive feat, especially for something built during the 1960's, but unless you are a diehard fan of telescopes it is not worth paying $12 for the tour. The tour mainly consists of 2 theater presentations. Inside the visitor center there are meteorite samples, some info about SETI and more. Note that you will not be allowed to have your cellphone on unless it is in airplane mode. You can still take pictures, just make sure it's in the aforementioned mode. read more

First things first: I've read a lot of reviews on here about the "bad/shady/sketchy" neighborhood you have to drive through to get there. I honestly don't know what you people are talking about, maybe it's the first time you've set foot out of the suburbs? You have to drive through a rural mountain town in Latin America (because that's where you are), but at no time did I feel as if it were a bad area, ok some of the houses could use a bucket of paint but the road is well maintained and the area is just your average city. Now on to the actual observatory! You have to park at the bottom of a hill and go up a few stairs. If you're 97 or your average American tourist weighing in at 350 pounds this might be a problem, otherwise it's not even worth mentioning; seriously, forget I said it. You'll first walk into the museum area and get the chance to tour the exhibits, a few of the reviews on here said everything is outdated/broken but this was definitely not the case, maybe they've remodeled since then? All of the displays and interactive exhibits are spot on and interesting with a great outline of the history, function and accomplishments of the site and general cosmology. For all of us that stutter when trying to say "hola" don't worry, everything is in both Spanish and English. There's also a 30 minute video presentation followed by a guided walk on the observation deck. Cool. Shit. Yes I'm a nerd, no I don't care what you think. Bottom line: no, this is not on par with NASA Space Center or the Smithsonian, but if you're at all interested in science, history, astronomy or culture you will certainly find this place interesting and well worth checking out. Also, they have some plans in the near future for upgrading and adding some new exhibits. By the way, this is a radar observatory not a telescope, you won't be able to look through a big stick and see Jupiter, but I still Highly recommended it. read more

If you're looking for fun and excitement, then this may not be your cup of tea... at least, not unless your a science buff. The observatory is definitely all about education. Once you may the trek up there by car and then continue onto the next trek by foot, you can start by watching the film that basically explains what the observatory is still doing. The film is pretty interesting... pay attention. The inside of the observatory is basically filled with models and some hands-on stuff including some "experiments" you can do. The outdoor viewing deck is fairly small, but has beautiful views of the mountains and landscape past the radar. Tip: They sell hot dogs & ice cream out there. It was a peaceful place to sit, have a hot dog, and take in the scenery. read more

I can't say what it takes to appreciate how phenomenal Arecibo is. I grew up with optical telescopes, watching astrophysics videos, meeting astronomers... This is Mecca if you're interested in signal processing and radio astronomy. A truly phenomenal engineering and scientific achievement, in that it remains one of the top research facilities of any kind, anywhere in the world. If you can parse "binary pulsar systems" and "black hole lensing", the second floor of the museum will seem like one of the finest scientific museums in the world. Forget Foucault and Mendel: this museum showcases recent publications by astronomers using the telescope. I was thrilled to see the research output, and would've easily filled a USB drive with the papers if I could. The hats and tshirts in the gift shop were a hit with my family, at least with my late father, who wore his Arecibo hat proudly among evangelicals in his home town. A warning for those who are unfamiliar with it and think all telescopes are the same: you look through it & see some stars - you're thinking of optical telescopes. This is a radio telescope, which looks like a humongous satellite dish, because it's also receiving radio waves, rather than optical light. If you have little appreciation for astronomy, I don't know that this will change things for you - it's not unreasonable to spend the day enjoying Puerto Rico's natural beauty, such as the rainforest, the biobays, or the beaches. If you are an astronomy buff, I think you'll really enjoy this. read more

Just an FYI, I tried to go here in early March and it's actually closed until May. Don't make the trip without calling ahead.

Incredible find in the jungle. I'll never forget seeing it. When we were there you could walk right up to a little bitty building and look through the windows to see scientists reading all the panels with hundreds of dials. Occasionally, they would glance up at us. I learned what a radio telescope was that day. read more

A great experience for those interested in astronomy & science. The exhibits are very good, but not infinite like some museums. This is located in a remote part of Puerto Rico so leave time to drive. Leave at least 2 hours to see everything, watch the film, & take the tour - more if very interested. There is food to purchase there as well. There is an uphill walk from the parking lot. You can find coupons for admission in some of the touristy guide books. read more

It has a very interesting museum, and the view of the radar is pretty surreal.

What an incredible sightseeing excursion! The road up to the Observatory is not for the faint of heart... many twists and turns in addition to being quite narrow throughout the last six miles, but it is so worth the drive! Once there, you go through the gate up to the parking area. From there, you can either walk or take the shuttle (5 min ride) to the top. Entrance fees run from $8 for senior citizens or children to $12 for adults. The tour includes a viewing gallery where you can see an actual meteorite and a real moon rock! There is a movie that runs about 15 minutes, which is extremely informative and interesting. The tour guide then takes you outside to the observatory and provides you with additional information... again, quite entertaining! You have an awesome view of the radio satellite dish and can take as many photos of it as you want. The tour guide even was kind enough to take our group photo too! The gift shop offered a small selection of tshirts (very affordable), astronaut food and star gazing charts. From there, the shuttle took us back to the parking lot. Everyone in our group was so glad we toured the Observatory. If you have the time, don't miss it! read more

Great place to take your family! Lots of history and information about the telescope! And a Beautiful view! You will enjoy it. Tip I can give is make sure you were some sneakers as you will have to walk up a really big hill to get to the doors to get in. They sometimes have a van that will bring you up. read more

This is more like 3.5 stars. I had such high expectations of this place. I was really looking forward to spending some time here. The observatory is located in a beautiful location and just the view from the observation deck (of the telescope) is worth it, but everything else is not upto the mark - hence the 2 less stars. The introductory movie feels fake, and gives you no idea about the telescope working or the motivation of building it. I wouldnt have minded the movie (called A day in the life at Arecibo) but it just feels all made up. The exhibits are nice, but very generic space stuff. The drive to Arecibo is nice and the staff was helpful to give us a ride to and fro from the observatory because of the stroller. read more

Really sucked. In the middle of nowhere and isn't kept up well. The walk up isn't bad if you're in normal physical shape. Otherwise I think it would suck! read more

Had a fun experience with my wife. Finally seeing the largest radio telescope in the world in person was an awe inspiring experience. There are a lot of interactive exhibits within the museum. I see this place gets mixed reviews, but you do not have to be a geek to enjoy the engineering and the great size of the telescope. Bring water for the trek up the hill if it is hot the machines will eat your money at the top of the hill. Thst's about the only bad experience I had there. read more

The view and the information about the dish made this attraction worth the drive and the price of admission. The little museum is pretty badly out of date and a lot of the displays are out of order. Overall, it's definitely something to see once! read more

I went many years ago...I am just not into space science....never have been, but it is informative and interesting for those who are fans of such :) read more

Amazing thing to behold. The observatory is awesome - I could have stared at it for hours. The museum is ok; some basic interactive exhibits, some didn't work, but I wasn't there for those. The observation deck is where it's at. :) read more

Beautiful place--hard to find--but worth the trip. We got there in the rain, they were able to give us a ride up the hill. Sure was helpful! The size is just amazing.... read more

Very disappointed that we drove an hour and a half- and at least 30 min of it through very slummy areas- only to hear they were closed. They seem to close haphazardly- which is a drag when it is a long drive. Nothing else to do there and rather creepy area. read more

The radio telescope itself is pretty neat, and they show a nice video before taking you outside to see it. Other than that, the museum is disappointing. Most of the exhibits are broken and there isn't even much there. It leaves much to be desired coming from Houston, where NASA's campus is pretty amazing to tour. read more

The radio observatory itself was amazing regarding the capacity of what it can do. The tour was disappointing. The reflector looked beat up. In the narrated movie shown at the observatory, it explains that scientists are studying global warming effects, yet on the way to the observatory, the residents litter their own streets, yards, beaches, and jungles. The drive was far too. read more

It was closed without notice near Christmas time for renivation. Will open according to the security guard probably in February 2016.