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

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

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

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

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

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

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

okay, i was in my early teens when i went here... but i still want to share that through that gigantic telescope, i get to see HALE-BOPP comet much better than you guys did =P an unforgettable experience. i also had the chance to look at mars too read more

The observatory is located a mile above and west of downtown Flagstaff. awesome! There is a night time there is a lookout right outside the gate. Overlooks Flagstaff. read more

awesome place for a date. the bright stars. romantic moon light. and plenty of places to stroll while holding hands. this stop in flag will help break up the monotony of bar hopping and train whistles. usually we skip the documentary videos and gift shop and head straight outside to see the stars. read more

I'm writing this from the view of a parent of 7 & 8 year olds. Not kid friendly. Not many interactive exhibits for the kids. They were bored. 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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This place is pretty cool or the simple fact that this is where the discovered pluto. Other than that nothing really stands out. The exhibits while nice are a little old and outdated. And there no maps and no signs to guide you on where to go. It does have a nice view though. 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 is a great place to bring out of town guests for a very different tourist experience. For the most part the staff is engaging and friendly. There is the occasional smarty pants attitude, but on the whole they all just want people to learn and have a good time. I love looking through any telescope I can. The observatory is especially great in the winter evenings. read more

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

I would really like to love this place, but it's a zoo in there. We waited two hours in an ill-defined queue for a 10 second viewing of a nebulous cluster through the large telescope. While the telescope is indeed awesome, it's just not worth the time to me. It didn't help that I had also visited the Evening Sky Tours in Sedona which, although is more expensive, provides much more viewing time of many more objects. Your mileage may vary depending on the waits. If I only had to wait 20 minutes, Lowell would be getting a 4-star. read more

Night sky was amazing! Sat through a great lecture on constellations, and they brought the telescopes out. Tours were fine, but come for the sky. read more

Fantastic!! We loved our visit so much we went two days in a row and even bought an annual membership. Lots of interesting information. Our tour guide was awesome. Wish I could recall his name (Jim?). He had white hair and an Indiana Jones style hat. I recommend taking his tour. He was super enthusiastic and a great story teller. We enjoyed his tour and wish we had time to stay for a second tour. The grounds are just magnificent. Our daughter learned a lot about Pluto as we all did. We will be back again. It was incredible to see all of the telescopes up close. A must see when in Flagstaff. 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

Very cool place! We were able participate in both the day and evening events and they were equally enjoyable. Staff are thoughtful and very knowledgeable. Wear comfy shoes, there is some walking required if you want to see everything. Consider buying the year membership, you are able to go to this site as well as appx 100 other facilities for free throughout the country. read more

Was out in Flaggstaff recently and we decided to check out this place. I knew my brother would enjoy it because he is into astronomy. They have some really cool interactive displays for education and a small theater. They have ongoing guided tours all day. Lots of trees and just quiet up there, its nice to get away from the city noise sometimes. This place is a must if youre in town and want to check out the scope that discoverd pluto. 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

Informative lecture about craters, asteroids, comets and moon, the telescopes were pretty cool. However, the lines for the telescopes in 10 degree weather was unpleasant. Overall worth a visit for astronomy lovers in the area. read more

Nice tour and lecture. People here are very professional. Very clear sky gives perfect view for planets, moon, clusters, even certain nebulae. But clark antique telescope is under renovation. Definitely good choice for field trip or road trip pass by Grand Canyon. read more

The observatory is a pretty neat place, and it was where Pluto was discovered. We really enjoyed our informative and active tour guide as he shared the history of the observatory and the discovery of Pluto. He helped us get the most out of our quick visit to the observatory. read more

Big enough to have really cool stuff to see but small enough to not be overwhelming. And close to town. The demonstration of how Pluto was discovered here was fascinating. Definitely recommend. read more

Absolutely amazing. Go right before dusk for some of the lectures and stay for the planets. Wow - they really do a great job!

Very awesome experience! I went by myself in March, so it was def chilly out, and pretty cloudy. So I didn't get to view out of any telescopes, during the day, or night. Sad enough, but the rest was very cool. Lots of great info, historical pieces & explanations & facts. 4 stars only because gift shop is overly priced, in my opinion. It cost me almost $100 for 4 tshirts. But we have a year membership, and will continue to come here! read more

This place is wonderful! I wish we had a resource like this near where we live. The tours were excellent, and the items exhibited were very interesting as well. What I liked the most is that they treated you like intelligent people - they didn't dumb it down to the lowest common denominator. We learned so much! Also in the evening, their staff and scientists were all out sharing their telescopes with the public, answering questions, giving presentations. They truly believe in educating and sharing their knowledge and facilities with the public, and of that, I am truly grateful and appreciative. read more

Not the biggest observatory but at $5 with student discount it was pretty cool. There are two main telescopes and although the lines seemed long they went by relatively fast... read more

I saw Jupiter in a telescope for the first time here, and it was a transformative experience, almost spiritual. The place is a small but tidy operation, with organized short films, exhibits (one on space suits through the ages was quite fascinating) and an impromptu show-and-tell using a night-sky projector that was as inspiring and fascinating as a TED talk. Staring into the heavens grants a feeling of serenity rarely found elsewhere, and this place is a wonderful complement to Grand Canyon, both kindles the awe of nature. Oh, and Pluto was discovered here, and if an asteroid were to come toward us, it is likely the Lowell that will see it first... think about that. read more

Fascinating place! So glad my husband and I made time to check it out on our way to the Grand Canyon from Phoenix. Lots of exhibits to see, a fantastic gift shop with a very unique items, and a full day schedule of events happening throughout the campus. read more

It wasn't written in the stars for us to have a clear night but over all a great experience. I come from a place where you can barely make out a star in the cloudy polluted sky so the fact that I was able to see the constellations and Jupiter was remarkable. The staff is very well knowledged and friendly! read more

Great place to visit. Used a coupon from Museum of Northern Arizona that provided a greater discount than AAA. This place is located in a woodsy area with a great landscape. They provide tours that provided a great insight to their famous telescope and research. There are indoor activities that keep kids busy and engaged. Downtown is just down the hill for great food. Didn't get to explore the entire area because it was actively snowing....! read more

It bored me, to be honest. We went at night, saw a few stars and the moon and it's craters, and jupiter and its moon. there was a long line on each telescopes and you can't even enjoy it because when you have your chance, you'll be pressured because you know how annoyed you were while you're waiting. All I'm saying is, probably this one isn't for me. I had more fun camping and laying down and watching the stars rather than this. Good service though. read more

This place is simply awesome. I went here on a date & we really enjoyed our experience. I would highly recommend it if you are visiting or if you live in the area! read more