Beautiful dark skies and the tours were very informative. Would visit again if I was in the area. Just wish I had more time to spend there.
We went to the early evening lecture and stayed for the Star Party where we were able to view stars through a variety of telescopes. Suitable for familes and dress warmly if you are going at night.
We were able to join the scheduled tour which made the visit more meaningful. Our guide explained everything and took the time to answer our questions. The drive to the observatory was beautiful and enjoyable. The facilities were great!
If you're in the Texas outback, don't overlook this little gem, nestled in the hills. The facility is a nice, approachable size, and they have a little bit of everything for stargazers, young and old. We thought the exhibits were too pricey for a quick visit, such as the one we were on. If we lived closer, we'd show for some of their special events. The drive to/from the observatory is a treat for any who might live on some very flat terrain.
We were there during the day when there was a fog and snow, so we didn't see much. There is a tour, but we missed it. The display area was small.
Visited the Observatory in June. Rode motorcycles up before dark, almost froze on way back down after dark. Beautiful view of the night sky and constellations. Due to a light ordinance I the county (no lights pointed up) the view of the night sky is unparalleled. The telescopes were awesome but for me the best part was the star party outside. There is a guide with a laser pointer outside pointing out the constellations as they move across the night sky. Will definitely go again.
My husband is an amateur astronomer, so we visited the Observatory. Although I have not had a lot of interest in astronomy, I learned a lot from the tours but most from all the lectures. The employees who conducted these tours were very informative and gained my interest. The Star Party was awesome, although there were lines to view the stars through telescopes. All in all, I found this observatory to be well worth the money and would encourage anyone to visit.
4 classes in 7 hours and loved every minute of it. Tom and Kevin were great facilitators. Cafe had a great selection. Would suggest bringing blanket for star party and dress in layers.
Its almost a 20 mile drive out of town and up te mountain side to get to the observatory, but its well worth the drive, we made it to the march 6th 730pm star party, we got to see jupiter and venus and another star cluster in some high power telescopes, there is also a boring tour of the night sky lecture that u can stay for or leave, you will not get to look thru the huge telescopes unless u book a private viewing at about $125 per ticket is what i was told by a staff member.
Don't pass this up if you are within a couple of hundred miles and are even vaguely interested in space. The center is kid oriented, but we were absorbed by it as well. The evening star watch programs are very well done with lots of telescopes for viewing various heavenly bodies, and very informative presenters using lasers to point out the various stars and constellations.We also did the tour of the large telescopes and were awed by the complexity and precision of the engineering that went into the construction of these marvelous machines.All in all, highly recommended, especially if you have budding scientists in your brood!