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    Lowell Observatory

    4.2 (307 reviews)
    Open 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Lowell Observatory Photos

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    Greeshma R.

    We've been to Flagstaff so many times now, but never got a chance to visit the Observatory. My son host a huge fan of physics and space wanted to visit this place. We went just before two hours of the closing time and wish we came in a little earlier. This three floor observatory is so beautiful and informative from the gigantic telescope to play area for the kids it is a must visit for everyone. Our favorite part was looking at the galaxies from the large telescope in the night. We got to see the nebula and it was so cool. It just made us feel how tiny we are in this massive space. I loved how once you buy the tickets you could step out and come back so that's a great advantage to take specially when you want to do both during the day and the night.

    Rob C.

    If Yelp allowed it, I'd give Lowell Observatory a billion stars... mostly because that's about how many we actually saw. The dark skies over Flagstaff reveal more stars than Hollywood on Oscar night. Seriously, you look up and suddenly realize the universe has been showing off this whole time and you've just been missing the show. The telescopes were the real headliners. One was locked onto Jupiter, and we could see it in crystal clarity along with three of its moons just casually hanging out like cosmic roadies. Another telescope pointed us toward the Pleiades--also known as the Seven Sisters--which looked like the universe spilled a little glitter across the sky. The staff deserve their own constellation. Knowledgeable, friendly, and incredibly helpful, they explained everything without making the rest of us feel like we'd failed Astronomy 101. The outdoor show was informative, fun, and moved so quickly we almost forgot we were sitting in the cold... almost. Let's just say the temperature was sub-planetary, but the experience was stellar. Bottom line: if you're anywhere near Flagstaff, orbit on over to Lowell Observatory. It's an out-of-this-world experience that will leave you starry-eyed and over the moon.

    Play area
    Joshua F.

    This is honestly the first observatory I've ever been to in my life, and it was very nice. They had a kids play area where you could hang out and spend probably all day with your kids playing different things. I'm going down the slide to shooting up rocket ships and learning about different things in science and how they work. We also got to go to the area right next to it, which is more of an adult style learning, but also interactive for kids where there are more and more interactive questions that it ask and things that you're able to get hands-on with in this additional learning area, where a really teaches you about space and the stars of many other things I really enjoyed taking my family too experiences. We also got to take time to go outside around 9 o'clock and look through the telescope to see the moon very awesome and they had another telescope pointing at Saturn and my wife got to look through that one and she said it was just amazing because you could see the rings of Saturn. Overall, we really love this experience. It's a little more expensive than I anticipated, but it was a great experience and they had so much more than I talked about right here. Great things to learn videos that they play as you walk through and sit down and learn about space and so much more. It is a terrific place very friendly staff when you walk in and we honestly met people from all over the world coming to this very location so that was very amazing to have forever in this area. Don't hesitate to stop on in and do a little stargazing.

    Don't visit during holidays! You won't have time to do everything. Purchase tix online in advance.
    A. Z.

    I put together a "maximum-value visitor itinerary" designed around a typical summer operating day (1:00 PM-11:00 PM) at Lowell Observatory. My goal was to experience every major exhibit, historic telescope, open house, science gallery, solar activity, planetarium experience, and nighttime observing opportunity while still enjoying a relaxed single meal break on site. The schedule follows Lowell's published daytime and nighttime offerings, placing solar activities in daylight and telescope observing after dark. Recreate at your own risk. Confirm events & showtimes before arriving. Purchase tickets online well in advance. Lowell is popular! Stay hydrated. Wear supportive shoes. Bring jackets or blankets for the nighttime rooftop planetarium show. Lowell Observatory Ultimate Visitor Day Itinerary (1:00 PM - 11:00 PM) 12:15 PM | Flagstaff Vista *Park at the roadside pullout, adjacent to Mars Hill Road & just feet from the campus entrance *Enjoy bird's eye views of Flagstaff area & pine forests 12:45 PM | Arrival & Mission Planning Check in, obtain the daily schedule, reserve any timed experiences if required, pick up a campus map, and visit restrooms before beginning. Goal: no backtracking later. 1:10 PM - 1:55 PM | Astronomy Discovery Center Explore the Stardust Lab Gallery, interactive exhibits, cosmology displays, exoplanet exhibits, and hands-on science stations. 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM | Lowell Universe Theater - We Are Stars Immersive film explaining the origin of stars and the elements that make up planets, life, and ourselves. 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Solar Viewing - Giovale Open Deck Observatory Use daylight for solar telescopes, sunspot viewing, solar prominence discussions, and telescope demonstrations. 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM | Lowell Universe Theater - Cosmic Highways: A Centennial Tour Focus on Solar System exploration and major astronomical discoveries. 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM | Historic District Exploration Walk through Percival Lowell's observing grounds, historic architecture, outdoor exhibits, and Mars Hill viewpoints. 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM | Lowell Universe Theater - Origins of Lowell Learn about Percival Lowell, the observatory's founding, the search for Planet X, and the discovery of Pluto. 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM | Pluto Discovery Experience Visit the Pluto Astrograph, Clyde Tombaugh exhibits, and Planet X interpretation areas. 5:00 PM - 5:30 PM | Lowell Universe Theater - Meet the Planets An overview of the Solar System before nighttime observing begins. 5:30 PM - 6:15 PM | Dinner Break - Planet X Café Enjoy a 45-minute meal, hydrate, review the evening schedule, and recharge devices if needed. 6:15 PM - 7:00 PM | Rotunda Museum Explore historic astronomical artifacts, observatory history, early instruments, Pluto exhibits, and scientific heritage collections. 7:00 PM - 7:30 PM | Clark Dome Open House Learn about the Clark Telescope, Percival Lowell, V. M. Slipher, and early astronomical discoveries. 7:30 PM - 8:00 PM | Twilight Campus Walk Take photographs and make-up for lost time. Buy CAFFEINE & treat at Planet X Cafe. 8:00 PM - 8:30 PM | Lowell Universe Theater - Passport to the Universe An immersive journey through the observable universe. 8:30 PM - 9:00 PM | Constellation Orientation Attend any available sky-tour presentation and learn seasonal constellations, planets, and deep-sky targets. 9:00 PM - 9:45 PM | Giovale Open Deck Observatory - Night Observing Observe planets, nebulae, galaxies, star clusters, and double stars through multiple telescopes. 9:45 PM - 10:10 PM | Historic Clark Telescope Viewing Observe through the famous refractor and experience one of Lowell's signature attractions. 10:15 PM - 10:45 PM | Planetary Show Enjoy the immersive planetary experience as the grand finale after exploring Lowell's history, telescopes, exhibits, and the night sky. 10:45 PM - 11:30 PM | Stary Skies Gift Shop This concludes the observatory experience. 11:30 PM | Flagstaff Skyline *Depart Lowell Campus *Park at the roadside pullout, adjacent to Mars Hill Road & just feet from campus entrance *Enjoy bird's eye nighttime views of Flagstaff's skyline

    Joyce T.

    Visited at 7pm on Black Friday, it's pretty crowded. Driving up to the hilltop, you can see the pretty city's night lights. We went for the live constellation show at the Dark Sky Planetarium, it was the highlight of our visit. Even the moonlight (half moon) was bright, we were able to see lot of stars on the rooftop observation (cold but the heated seats helped a lot). It's so amazing to see the guide's laser pointer on the sky to help us identify the stars. We found North Star, Summer Triangle, and others zodiac stars. What a wonderful stars grazing activity. We headed to the telescope viewing area on the 2nd floor, it's cool to checkout moon and Saturn on the telescope. I hope to visit again in summer.

    24" Clark Refractor
    Emily S.

    The staff at the Lowell observatory are so incredibly knowledgeable! It's amazing how much information they have and how well-versed in astronomy they are! I've been here twice and saw different features in the sky through their telescopes both times. My first visit was on a weekday and it was not very crowded at all; we were able to see the entire exterior of the property in under an hour. My second visit was on a Saturday and the same night as a special member event they were holding and it was incredibly crowded and took forever to get through the lines. I need to go earlier next time so I can explore the inside and watch the shows too!

    Famous people wall who contributed
    Natasha A.

    We enjoyed this observatory. We saw Saturn and Jupiter on a January night. On a holiday weekend there were long lines for the telescopes outside, so bundle up! Explore the campus using the complimentary map. There is a free show in the theatre, than an additional one if you pay extra, which is on the roof. There is a kids area, museum, and it's a nice facility to explore overall.

    PERCIVAL LOWELL
    James M.

    We had a great visit and would have stayed a lot longer if it wasn't for the extremely cold weather. If you're planning to visit in late Dec, dress accordingly or be prepared to freeze. There's tons of things to explore (exhibits, telescopes, etc.) inside and outside. If you visit in the evening, be sure to have the map handy bc it gets really dark out, like pitch dark, making it hard to navigate outside unless you know your way around. The shows were fantastic. Extremely professional / informative with great visuals. We got a small ($4) discount per ticket by showing a pamphlet we picked up from our hotel lobby.

    Viewing patio.
    Howard H.

    A unique and class experience. The outdoor planetarium was chilly but heated seats and a good presentation made it tolerable. I liked that the staff sticks up for Pluto every chance they get. The viewing patio had a cool vibe with the quiet of the night and the high tech telescopes. The entry price is very reasonable, lots of parking and a chill staff.

    Jason C.

    Simply fantastic! My friend and I were feeling low energy but felt much more invigorated once we started to wander around. The exhibits are cool, and the campus is comfortably sprawling. Be sure to stay at night for the star watching experiences. Their cafe is also super good as the food is from Jitters which is amazing. Lowell Observatory is definitely worth a visit. Note, they also have lots of discounts available, and there are coupons around town as well.

    Luna H.

    This was a fun place to stop & explore with my family. The first activity room is perfect for families with younger children, there are so many easy hands on activities for kids to do. Even adults might find a few of the activities fun to do such as building a small rocket to shoot through hoops. The second room has some hands on activities for older participants as well, that are fun to explore as well. If you get tired and want to take in a show, they have a theatre that shows a number of short presentations that last anywhere from half an hour to an hour. Outside you can find a number of staff members who have telescopes set up to show you a number of different cool things to look at, answer questions and more. I also like the easy walking paths they have from building to building that allow you to enjoy the lovely weather. This is a cool spot that is worth checking out at least once.

    Mark C.

    Even if you don't have a major interest in astronomy, there is a lot to learn here about how vast our universe truly is. Having now visited the place, I now feel that I wish I could go back in time and strategize my visit here. First off, the tickets cost $35 and the plus tickets cost $40. From what I've seen, the extra $5 gives you access to two of the lectures. Second off, my suggestion for you tourists out there is to come during the day and explore the outdoor exhibits. Unfortunately, it was night time by the time I got to the outdoor exhibits and I couldn't see anything. So do the outdoor exhibits, then do the indoor exhibits. Once it's night time, go outside again to use the outdoor telescopes to see some of the stars out there. What I didn't know is that there are shows/lectures happening throughout the entire day. For you tourists out there, you can maximize your money by coming early to see the shows and then get lunch in the nearby downtown Flagstaff and come back to see the other shows and exhibits. I got there around 5:00pm and stayed until 9:00pm. I saw 3 of the lectures and then spent the rest of the time going through the exhibits. What I love about the first floor exhibits is that some of them are hands on: you can smell other planets, listen to light waves, and even spin around on a chair. There's also a small section where it's essentially an astronomy themed children's playground. Finally, this is the place that discovered Pluto. You can see the telescope that found it and they'll explain to you how they were able to see discover Pluto in the first place. If you are in Flagstaff, this is a must see place.

    Winchelle R.

    Came here on a school field trip and could not have been more impressed by the staff, the cleanliness of the entire observatory and how cool it is! Definitely impressed.

    Walkway that glows at night

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    Ask the Community - Lowell Observatory

    Should I make a reservation or will I be okay to drop in?

    Drop in!

    Are you allowed to bring drinks in or do they sell coffee or anything In the evening?

    You cannot bring food or drinks around the telescopes, but they sell snacks and refrigerated coffee in the gift shop!

    Are there many steps or do they have elevators?

    There's is a ramp to the entrance and a single story facility :)

    View All 4 Questions

    Review Highlights - Lowell Observatory

    Gerard Van Bell, Lowell Astronomer first for his fascinating presentation as to why Pluto is or isn't a planet.

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