Palomar Observatory

This is a beautiful observatory, and, at least when we went, it didn't appear to be one that is visited often. The drive up was amazing, and I can completely understand why people with high-performance sports cars might desire to visit. However, it was extremely foggy on our way up, so we couldn't test the performance of our rental...SUV. we essentially had the place to ourselves, and we made the most of it. We spent a lot of time reading through all of the exhibits. It was rather chilly as we went in March, and it was overcast, but we enjoyed the trip nonetheless.

The biggest telescope I've ever seen. Tons of information at the visitor center, a gift shop and walk to the observatory is just 300 yards. They close at 3:30 pm.

This was such a great observatory to visit. I went here on a field trip with my school, and it was only $5 a ticket for a one hour tour. The gift shop was pretty small but had a lot of great options. I got a super cool glow-in-the-dark constellation shirt, along with some constellation deck cards, a postcard, and some stickers! The tour guide was super nice and informative, giving a great history lesson on the observatory and its contributions. I would’ve loved to be able to look through the telescope, but it is a research telescope, so I get why no one was able to. I would suggest bringing a jacket with you if you go anytime besides the summer, because the observatory itself was pretty chilly. The surrounding plants outside the observatory were also pretty cool, and overall this was a great experience! I’d definitely recommend this as a quick weekend trip.

A great place to visit during the weekend. Need to buy the tour tickets at the gift shop. The staff explained everything thoroughly. He has great passion for the observatory and the science they do there. The lens is 200 inches and transported from Boston to SD. It was a beautiful drive in the mountains.

Such a wonderful visit here! John, (the janitor), greeted us and stayed and answered numerous questions, provided tons of information and ensured our visit was absolutely perfect! Hard to imagine why John isn't working in PR or in another area. He was that good and made our visit very special!

Only negative comment concerns the challenging hike up from the parking lot and stairs needed for visitors. Wheelchair-bound visitors may find it difficult or impossible to visit inside the dome, except the museum which does have a ramp and restroom facilities for ADA visitors. They set aside two times per day for elevator use, if an employee is available. Absolutely a must visit!