I saw an ad for this and that they had night time events, so i knew we had to go visit! We arrived right as a "show" was starting in the theater. It was called Heavy Astronomy. It was pretty bad. We snuck out early so we could beat the lines for the telescopes! We got to see saturn through the big telescope! The guide that assisted us in viewing the planet was really cool and informational!! Seeing Saturn was amazing. It didn't have the same colors we are used to seeing nad it looked like a little fake picture, even though you knew it was real! After we got our turn to see Saturn - we headed down to the smaller portable one to see the moon! Before we looked through the eyepiece, the helper showed us a map of hte moon, so we could look for certain features of the planet - really cool! Next to the smaller telescope was a museum with tons of info on Lowell, how things began, first telescopes and tools, very neat! Definitely a cool place to visit! $6 a person. read more

If you're visiting, make sure you go for the tour. I'm sure you can walk around yourself but its useless without a knowledgable tour guide. We weren't able to see the sky b/c it snowed the night before but we learned all about Lowell and the others who founded the observatory. Don't expect Griffith Observatory looks or Hayden Planetarium graphics, but do expect to learn about Pluto and Mars. Everyone was very smart and helpful! read more

Excellent guided tours. The 1895 telescope created by Lowell is still a marvel to behold. The history and accomplisments of the Lowell Observatory blow me away. The tour guides are phenomenal and really enjoy every question they were asked. You get up close view of multiple telescopes. Go at night to get night viewing through the telescopes. read more

We attended Lowell's nighttime event that consisted of special showings of various sites through their telescopes. We got to view through three different telescopes, and we saw Mars, two pulsating stars, Owl clusters, among others. The people working there were extremely nice, and the lines to view through the telescope were not very long. The museums had some interesting facts and artifacts. Definitely a must-see for their special night events! There is also so much history there! read more

Very cool and interactive. Being an amateur astronomer, it's a no-brainer for me. They have a few telescopes to view celestial bodies from and the staff there is very knowledgeable. Also, Percival Lowell is buried there, so it feel like he's there with you... literally. read more

We went in the evening. They have bands playing on Thursday evenings in the summer, it was nice. The exhibit hall is small, but the outdoor walkways were nice. Unfortunately, because of the storm & cloud cover, we were unable to view anything. They did, however open up the telescope room so you could see the 24" telescope - it's huge. The docent gave a nice talk about it and explained a number of interesting things. The talk on Gene Shoemaker (sp?) was really fascinating. It was given by his son-in-law, who spoke from the heart and had some great insight. If you ever have a chance to listen, do. We had a nice time, I'd defiinitely go again. Hours vary during the year, so check out their website. I almost missed out becuse Yelp said they were closed and they weren't. read more

Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are...come and explore the universe at Lowell Observatory, one of the oldest observatories in the country where Tomblaugh discovered Pluto in 1930. The guided tours occur every three hours and each tour lasts around an hour. Our guide was knowledgeable and explained the discovery of the major planets. My favorite element of the tour was his detailed story about the Alvan Clark refractor telescope. If you come on a day with clear sky, you should definitely sign up for star viewing at night. Note that students only have a dollar off for the entrance fee. While the gift shop was small, it surprisingly has T-shirts with great designs. If you are on your way to Grand Canyon National Park or Devil's Bridge, you should definitely stop by Lowell Observatory! read more

I loved the substance and knowledge delivered throughout the entire observatory. Moreover, Pluto was discovered here; how cool is that!!! read more

Lowell Observatory - Observatories Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

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I have been here twice. I enjoy the visitor center. There's a movie-exhibit theater, lots of exhibits and displays. The gift shop has all the basics. Being at over 7,000 feet evelavation gives spectacular views of Flagstaff. I enjoy the tours of the different telescopes and the grounds. I enjoy the history and science that you learn on the tours. One day I will be there at twilight and night time to attend a night tour and other events. read more

Lowell Observatory - Lowell Observatory grounds. There are benches to sit. Overlooking Flagstaff. - Observatories Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

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Could be a nice attraction, but they keep Most of the building locked and you can only see the facade and ready the story behind it. What is the point in paying admission if you can't be admitted to any of the buildings? Watching videos on YouTube is more interactive and informative than this place. read more

This is a beautiful drive about half a mile from downtown. It's a very neat place to experience if you have some time. I was fortunate enough to be there the day the new image of Pluto was released. There's a lot to see. It's worth the $12 entrance fee. read more

Another bucket list item - where Pluto was discovered. Did a tour with a very knowledgeable docent and got the history on the observatory, discovery of Pluto, and got to see the sun through a telescope (although the glasses are way cooler and can be had at the gift shop for $2 - a must have for the upcoming eclipse!). They have great signage for self-guided tours. Wish we would have had time to go back for the night programs ... There were a couple of school kid groups that were well taken care of and all the kids appeared to be well engaged with the docents / tour leaders. read more

We visited the Lowell observatory in August and had a pretty good time. They have a couple guided tours, as well as some demonstrations and presentations which you can walk in on. Overall we had a good time, but I don't think we'd hurry back any time soon. If you're in Flagstaff I wouldn't consider this a must do kind of thing, but if you have some extra time and enjoy learning about new stuff, you should consider stopping by the observatory. read more

This is one of our favorite places to go in Flagstaff. Nice staff, gorgeous views & giant telescopes open for your viewing pleasure! You cannot get better then that! We went for daytime lectures & returned for nighttime viewing, it was really informative & fun! Next time were bringing a picnic lunch & stay the whole day read more

Lowell Observatory - Lowell Observatory, where they discovered Pluto!!! - Observatories Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

Being from Southern California, our night sky sucks! Unfortunately on our visit, the moon was out shining bright. Still, we got to see plenty through the various telescopes. It was great that it wasn't crowded. Nothing felt rushed. We each took our turns looking through the telescopes. I would imagine it would be epic to come here on a clear, moonless night. The grounds are beautiful as well. Plenty of parking too. read more

Wish we had more time to visit but it was awesome place to visit. We were not able to go into the place to actually do the tour do to our our flight time but we had a nice walk through the gift shop and a great conversation with the gift shop attendant who gave us a little history of the place. We will be back in a couple of years as we love Flagstaff and Sedona. read more

A must see for anyone staying in Flagstaff. My son and I visited on a busier than usual Sunday. There are wonderful views of Flagstaff and Mount Eldon from Mars Hill Road on the drive into the observatory. The grounds are so lush and well maintained. Took the Pluto tour and had an awesome guide named Todd Gonzalez whose day job is an eighth grade science teacher. The story behind Clyde Tombaugh and how this farm boy discovered Planet X in 1930 is pretty amazing - a testament to his passion and dedication to astronomy. His contribution so significant that a small amount of his ashes were included with the New Horizons space probe! read more

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So neat! There's an interactive exhibit when you first walk in. Our kids were a little young for this but I thought it was neat! The observatory offers talk throughout the day that are very informative. We have a 1 and 5 year old so the best parts for us were the planet walk and outer galaxy walk. Very cool and nice place to walk around. Bring a picnic and stay the day! Beautiful views from up there too. read more

It was terribly cold and icy but we made it up the steep climb around 8 pm. Full price even though only 2 telescopes were operational. The best part of the experience is the very enthusiastic staff members who stood in the frigid cold to describe what we were seeing. read more

Well worth the admission fee! It was so informative and fun. My girlfriend and I spent about 3 hours there and learned so much about the sun and our solar system. Just wish we had more time to spend there. Would love to return again. read more

We had a great time here on a starry fall night. It's definitely worth a visit if you are in the Flagstaff / Sedona area. We attended a lecture on the galaxies in the Rotunda presented by a super animated young lecturer who was both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about her topic. After that, we checked out the two large telescopes. I have to confess the actual viewing was a little disappointing - just fuzzy clumps of stars far, far away. But just getting to view out of these amazing telescopes was exciting. Also, there was someone entertaining the line crowd at the largest telescope - pointing out constellations and answering questions about the telescopes. We also got to meet an Astronomer who was there as part of a special event and heard part of a different presentation on constellations while looking up at the sky with a large laser pointer. I thought our visit was well worth the price of admission. The only negatives were parking and long lines at the telescopes. I would also suggest that the Observatory is not very handicapped friendly (hills, stairs to the telescopes and very dark at night) and it might not be terribly interesting for small children. read more

Science is my passion, astronomy is even more so. For anyone interested in the stars (science wise) you should visit the Lowell observatory. We took a guided tour during the day and it was very educational and I enjoyed learning about the observatory. We came back that night to get a look at some things in the sky, lines were long and it was a bit cold, but overall for me it was totally worth it. read more

No visit to Flagstaff would be complete without a stop at the Lowell Observatory at night! We came in for a Sky at Night presentation and then viewed the stars/planets from the super powerful telescopes they have on property. The highlight of the night was seeing Saturn and her rings in the historic telescope...it was a long wait, but well worth it! This is a must visit location while visiting Flagstaff, so definitely don't miss it! read more

My only regret is that we didn't have enough time to return a second day. I loved this place. We got here just as the sun was setting and the docents had telescopes out to view Jupiter and Mars. While my astrophysics son was talking shop with the docents I was exploring the rest of the observatory. I also got to view Saturn with the larger telescope in the observatory and it was amazing! There are exhibits in several buildings and several of them are hands on for people of all ages. They also have a gift shop where I found a couple of nice Lowell Observatory logo items to purchase. They have apparel, dvd's, books, toys, etc. I enjoyed this observatory so much I became a member. Good job, Lowell! read more

Interactive, educational and kids will love it. We got there in time to view the sun through a sun safe telescope. This is on a timed basis. We wished we could have gone back for the night time sky telescope viewing. Next time. read more

I couldn't be more disappointed. We were in Flagstaff for one day, and after a wonderful dinner, we thought it would be fun to go to the Lowell Observatory. We arrived at 7 pm and paid the admission for 2 adults and a child ($38) A presentation about the Solar System was just starting in the Rotunda Museum, but shortly after it started, all 3 of us looked at each other because we couldn't understand what the speaker was saying. The room was small, only seating about 30-40 people, but the speaker wasnt talking very loudly, and the rotunda accoustics were so bad (so much echoing). We got up and left after only 10 minutes. We then went and stood in line for 15 minutes in 40 degree weather to get a 15 seconds view of a globular cluster of stars in the Clark telescope. Then we went around the corner to the McAllister telescope to get a 15 second view of Mars, which only looked slightly bigger than it would look in the night sky with the naked eye. 30 minutes cost $38. Unfortunately, it just wasn't worth it. read more

The Lowell observatory is so incredibly close to the city of Flagstaff. I was amazed. They seem to have lots of programs, and as an observatory it is open late into the evening with programs (till ten when we were there). We heard a lecture about Pluto, learned to make a comet, saw Saturn, got to see the telescope / camera that was used to first prove Pluto's existence and more. We found it a wonderful evening and hope to make other visits when in Flagstaff read more

Fact: this is the observatory which discovered/found planet Pluto! The observatory is nestled atop Flagstaff city and is open till 10 pm. We found a deal for buy one get one free offer and paid $12 for the two of us. Student/AAA offer is $11/person. We drove around 845 pm (which is pretty late and I feel you need at least 2 hours to visit and learn). The drive up was bit scary as if we were the only ones wandering. Upon arriving at the parking lot the place was packed with kids, adults and seniors. The lights around the observatory is dimmed with red low glow lights so as to lesson the light pollution. So watch where you are walking. We watched Jupiter and it's 4 moons. It was so tiny and cute with its bands :P Fact: Jupiter has 67 moons! It's a great place to take the kids and highly recommend checking this place if you are planning a trip to visit grand Canyon. It is about 76 miles east of the Grand Canyon national park. read more

The staff was very friend and very educated in the information they provided! Definitely recommend visiting this place!

I really LOVED visiting Lowell. My boyfriend and I came here on the last night of our one week Flagstaff camping trip, and we came around 7:45 PM (around the time in the summer where the sun has barely set). We walked into the Visitor's Center and were greeted by a somewhat awkward host, and were directed to the gift shop to pay admission as he was helping other visitors. If you have a Student ID, AARP card or AAA card, you get a cheaper admission price ($11 instead of $12) which was quite nice. They have quite a few lectures and demonstrations that go on at night at specific times, so we were a little sad to find out that we had to choose which exhibits we wanted to see the most because they close at 10 and some of the lectures last up to 45min-1 hour. We decided to go to all of the telescope viewings, see the exhibit center located in the visitor's hall, and attend one lecture. The first telescope we viewed was in the Pluto Dome- the telescope used to discover Pluto. The bottom floor of the dome is somewhat of a small museum of the Pluto discovery, and the top floor is where the telescope is housed. There was a kind gentleman who explained how it was used, and other fun facts about the telescope and the dome. We each got a chance to look through to the lens (it does not have an eyepiece) and see a small bit of history! We then walked to the front of the Rotunda building, were there were two telescopes set up. By this time it was dark outside. We got the chance (after waiting in some long lines) to view Saturn and Mars through these two telescopes. The hosts that were operating and recalibrating the telescopes were very insightful and knew so much about each of the planets. We then walked to another telescope on the other side of the property, where we could view Saturn as well. This telescope was much larger than the first, but the image of Saturn looked the same. From there, we went to attend the Cosmic Zoom lecture in the Rotunda Museum, which was primarily about constellations. You could tell that the young girl who was running it knew a TON about astronomy, however, she seemed a bit scatter-brained and it made the presentation quite dry and lackluster. After about 35 minutes into the presentation, all but 4 people (two groups, ours included) had left the lecture. I think she cut it short because of this. However, after the lecture the two telescopes that we previously viewed Saturn and Mars with were centered on two galaxies and a globular cluster, and we viewed those as well. Our trip concluded with a visit to the Starry Skies Gift Shop where, like nearly every museum/exhibit's gift shop is ridiculously overpriced. They did, however have a great selection of astronomy-related toys and gifts (mostly for children), shirts, astronomical globes, jewelry and DVDs. I didn't purchase anything (although I wanted to but couldn't imagine spending $50 on an inflatable solar system), but my boyfriend did. He got the inflatable space shuttle and a geode for his niece and nephew. Overall, we had a really great time and if I had the chance, I would make another stop to see all of the night exhibits and all of the day exhibits. read more

amazing low-key place! they found pluto here too! staff was friendly and our tour guide was very informative. we went during the day and still spent 2-3 hour here. this is a must stop if you are on you way to meteor crater for sure. my kids and I be back for a night view soon. read more

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Great for a Day tour too! We added Flagstaff to our AZ itinerary this February specifically to visit the observatory. To our chagrin, it was a cloudy day with snowfall predicted that night, so our chances of seeing much through the telescopes were slim. We went for an early-afternoon visit instead, and ended up joining an already-in-progress "Pluto tour." It was excellent!! The tour took us through several buildings on the grounds with a fantastic docent named Marie. She was knowledgeable and passionate about her subject. We got a great sense of the observatory's history and significance, and insights into the lives of the astronomers who had worked there. Among other cool things, we saw the telescope that was built to find Pluto (a planet they suspected existed before it was found). We had failed to anticipate the amount of time we'd spend in the observatory buildings (which were unheated because the instrumentation has to be kept at the same temperature as the outside air) so we froze our butts off--but it was worth it. I spent little time looking at the exhibits in the visitor center; it was the tour that made the visit. If you're concerned that you're missing out on something because you can't visit at night, or it's overcast, I strongly encourage you catch a daytime tour (they also offer a "Mars tour" which was kicking off as our Pluto tour ended). I'd call in advance of your visit to learn when tours start, so you can get in on one. The docents have way more information than you'd get on your own, and they get you access to the telescopes and other buildings you wouldn't see otherwise. One of the highlights of our Arizona trip! I think this place would be great for kids, although weirdly, my son was the only child on the tour. Maybe that's because it was a weekday visit. read more

We went to the Lowell observatory and got to see the sun though a telescope which was really cool and then went to a presentation about the planets. Hailey did a wonderful job with and I learned so much about the solar system. read more

Amazing experience going to visit during their evening hours....viewing the moon, nebulas, star clusters, the Andromeda Galaxy....so much to see, which depends on when you go & how clear it is. After we visited all the open telescopes on the night we were there, we skipped the lectures, but stayed around for the guided constellation walk, led by a Navajo guide that used a laser to point out constellations, telling us a little about the Greek Mythology behind it, as well as some Navajo folklore to them as well. It was such an amazing experience & honestly did not expect that they shared so much of their time, equipment & facilities with the public every night - all for less than $20. I also have to say I photograph the moon a lot & what a difference in my pictures taking them from Lowell! read more

This complex is home of the Clark Telescope, was responsible for building the the Discovery Channel Telescope located 40 miles from Flagstaff, and it is the place where dwarf planet Pluto was discovered by astronomer Clyde W. Tombaugh in 1930. Read more about it on my blog: http://lagamio.com/2014/02/27/lowell-observatory/ read more

The people who worked there don't acknowledge the guests. Very weird. The telescopes were inoperable due to the weather and the place had no flair. California's Science Centers are exciting and educational. This place was not. They have great views of the city but that was my only highlight of this place. I also am a college student and I thought I would get a discount...nope...all I got was a lousy $1. Waste of 25 bucks..... read more

Easy parking and very interesting place to see the stars. They had several telescopes set up outside with guides to help you understand what you were looking at as well as to answer your questions. read more

What a wonderful way to spend the evening with the whole family. They have several interactive displays as well as a slide presentation on the universe. Currently they let you look through 3-5 telescopes of varying sizes. We were able to look at Mars & Jupiter (got to see 3 of its moons as well ) & the M-51 (whirlpool) nebula... Awesome..!! read more

My wife and I just love going to Lowell. We got a one year membership from Groupon last June and have been to the observatory about 8 or 9 times over the past year. There are regular tours of some of the telescopes during the day and the opportunity to look through them on some nights. There is a little give shop, a museum, and an exhibit area. We generally go, however, just to walk around and enjoy the area. Sometimes we bring lunch and eat in in a gazebo on the grounds. We walk along the galaxy and universe walks and love the smell of the mountain pines. Our only negative is that the museum is rarely open. I suppose we could use our iPhones and call and find out when it will be open but we just seem to go last minute and only found the museum open once for a few minutes. If you have any interest in astronomy or science we highly recommend it. read more

First & foremost, make sure you go at night! You'll get the best view through the telescopes if the sky is clear. The views from outside the domed telescope are beautiful. Lots of fascinating information if astrology interests you at all. Admission was cheap & if you're a student, make sure you bring your ID for a discount! read more