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    Leander McCormick Observatory

    5.0 (1 review)
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    4 years ago

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    National Radio Astronomy Observatory

    National Radio Astronomy Observatory

    4.5
    (17 reviews)
    76.2 mi

    Sadly the visitors center, and thus the tour to the base of the giant radio telescope was closed at…read morethe time of my visit. But I did the tour 2 years ago and highly recommend it. Be sure to take a disposable style camera with you, as normal cameras and cell phones are not allowed at the base of the telescope. You can take all the photos you want from a distance though. And for the Fallout 76 fans, this is a special treat of a real life visit.

    This is a must do stop if you're within even a partial day's drive of Green Bank. But don't expect…read moreto do a Yelp checkin here, since there's no cell service within many miles of the "quiet zone". Green Bank Observatory, as it's now known since it's no longer part of the National Radio Observatory network, is home to the Robert C Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) - the worlds largest completely steerable radio telescope, as well as as many other functional and decommissioned radio telescopes. Tickets are cheap - a few dollar per person over 10 years old. The tour to the GBT lasts less than an hour and is very impressive. There are no up close photo opportunities unless you have a film or disposable camera. An observation deck does give an opportunity for photos of the GBT in the distance. The hands on portion of the indoor exploration area offers a lot of educational fun and packs a lot of information into a small area. The food at the little cafe is delicious, so be sure to stay after the tour for a sandwich or salad. Overall, this place is an amazing hidden gem that's a must see!

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    National Radio Astronomy Observatory
    National Radio Astronomy Observatory
    National Radio Astronomy Observatory

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    Green Bank Observatory

    Green Bank Observatory

    4.3
    (10 reviews)
    75.9 mi

    Greenbank. The main reason we can't get cell phone service at the cabin or anywhere in the area…read morethanks to the NROA dead zone. It's important research, Sagittarius A* the massive black hole at the center of our galaxy that holds everything in place was discovered here. Personally I like the conspiracy theory that the big dish is used to communicate with aliens downloading decades old messages and replying with the same time frame. I mean, have you ever seen how small the power is used by the Voyager probes to communicate with NASA? Alien signals are going to be way smaller. If you didn't know you can walk past the gate arm and walk back to the big dish. Do not walk past the chain link fence unless you want to be greeted by a team of armed commandos who will roll up on you with a diesel powered UTV. There is an amazing science center with tons of interactive exhibits inside and it's free. They also have a wired internet connection for your phone. Seriously. You plug in this ethernet adapter to your lightning or USB-C port and magically your phone works again...you can even make a call! I have heard you can jump on newly permitted wifi down at the elementary school as well. Surprisingly they have two J1772 electric vehicle chargers at the building across from the visitors center. You need to by an EV charging pass for $3 at the gift shop. It's good for the entire day so if you drive down to Cass or up to Durbin and want to stop and charge again you are welcome to. We did the bus tour which was $10 per person. They take all of your electronics...phones, watches, AirPods..anything that generates a signal. This is because the bus takes you to all of the telescopes. You can't even use your digital camera there...only film. So I have no close up photos of the radio dishes, just from far away at the observation deck which is great for a family pic. If you walk past the gate they ask you to leave all electronics in your car. Science is happening people and it is important! You don't want us to miss the last text from Alf or ET do you??? There is also a food court but the food is just okay. I'd recommend the new Rustic Roots Bar and Grill in Durbin a few miles away...it was fantastic.

    They have a great free interactive museum that really explains what goes on here. You can pay $10…read morefor the bus tour which we would've liked to have done but are only offered certain times and we would've had to wait. Very informative!

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    Photos spot
    Photos spot
    Photo op in the science hall
    Photo op in the science hall
    Panoramic view of the area

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    Panoramic view of the area

    Leander McCormick Observatory - observatories - Updated August 2026

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