Lowell Observatory on Mars Hill is where Pluto was discovered and the expanding universe first showed up. Afternoons are for the history, evenings for the telescopes, and one ticket covers tours, shows, exhibits and stargazing from noon to 10 pm.
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Tickets and hoursLowell Observatory · Photo: Pretzelpaws / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Credits
Pluto: Clyde Tombaugh found it here in February 1930. Long before that, Percival Lowell built the observatory in 1894 to look for life on Mars, and in 1912 V.M. Slipher measured the first evidence that the universe is expanding. In the 1960s, lunar maps made with the Clark telescope helped prepare the Apollo landings.
General admission covers the campus: guided tours, more than 150 exhibits, the historic domes and buildings, theater shows and stargazing. The planetarium show costs extra.
An afternoon and an evening. The 1 pm walking tour and the afternoon shows come first, the same-day ticket lets you go to dinner downtown, and the telescopes open after dark. Staff point them at whatever is best that night: planets, the Moon, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies.
On a cloudy night the telescopes stay shut, but the exhibits, theater and planetarium still run. Winter nights in Flagstaff can drop to around 20°F, and summer evenings cool fast.
1 pm
WhatHistoric walking tourDetailsThe founding, Mars and the Clark dome3 pm and 7 pm
WhatMeet the PlanetsDetailsA 25-minute live tour of the solar system in the theater4 pm
WhatCosmic HighwaysDetailsAn hour on Route 66 and astronomy, with rarely seen collection piecesAfter dark
WhatTelescopesDetailsThe Open Deck and the Clark, plus the planetarium show$35 for adults, $30 for seniors 55 and over and $20 for kids 6 to 17, with children under 5 free. You don't need to reserve general admission, and your ticket lets you back in the same day.
Locals and students get cheaper tickets at the desk, and the private 75-minute session on the 24-inch Dyer Telescope is $575 for a group.
Lowell is up on Mars Hill, a short drive west of downtown. Parking is first come, first served. On Tuesdays the campus is closed.
Lowell's big research telescopes work at dark-sky sites away from Mars Hill. At Anderson Mesa, the 42-inch Hall Telescope has studied comets and asteroids since 1970. The 4.3-meter Lowell Discovery Telescope, formerly the Discovery Channel Telescope, can carry five instruments at once and is one of the most versatile telescopes in the world.
These are working research telescopes, not part of a regular visit. On Mars Hill, the public telescopes are the Open Deck, the Clark and the Dyer.
Lowell Discovery Telescope
Size4.3 mWhereResearch site, not open for regular visitsHall Telescope
Size42 in (1.1 m)WhereAnderson Mesa, research siteDyer Telescope
Size24 inWhereMars Hill, private group sessions ($575)Clark refractor
Size24 inWhereMars Hill, public viewingDowntown hotels are the closest to the observatory and to dinner between the afternoon and the evening.
Photo: ExpediaBest historic stayDowntown and Southside 8.0/10 on Expedia
Parking $50 a day in a nearby lot; limited spaces at the hotelNo petsBreakfast extra
Downtown, 1.75 miles from Mars Hill, so dinner between the afternoon tour and the evening telescopes is a short walk.
Bespoke Inn FlagstaffDowntown and Southside 9.8/10 on Expedia · 426 reviewsFree parkingPets: dogs only, up to 2Check prices
Residence Inn by Marriott FlagstaffDowntown and Southside 9.6/10 on Expedia · 1,002 reviewsParking $10 a dayPets: up to 2 petsCheck pricesOn Mars Hill, at 1400 W Mars Hill Road, about 1.75 miles from downtown Flagstaff.
No. General admission is $35 for adults, $30 for seniors and $20 for kids 6 to 17. Children under 5 are free.
It's open every day except Tuesday, from noon to 10 pm, and closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Not for general admission. Tickets are sold on site until 9 pm, or online in advance.
On a clear evening, yes. One ticket covers tours, more than 150 exhibits, theater shows and stargazing on six telescopes plus the historic Clark.
Percival Lowell founded it in 1894; the Clark refractor followed in 1896.
