Mount Wilson Observatory

Located on the summit of Mount Wilson above Pasadena at an altitude of 5715 feet, Mount Wilson Observatory is visible from much of the Los Angeles area. Free of charge, visitors can view the historic Hooker 100-inch telescope from the Visitors’ Gallery inside the dome. Those purchasing tickets for the 11:30 a.m & 1:00 p.m. Weekend Guided Tours, are admitted to the telescope floor directly beneath the 100-inch Telescope,  the 60-inch Telescope dome, and the 150-solar Telescope Tower (unless our solar astronomer is unavailable). These tours are about two hours. (On rare occasions, one of the telescopes may be closed due to special events or maintenance.) Free of charge, there is also a small Astronomical Museum on the observatory grounds (currently on view through September 2022: NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Exhibit), the CHARA Interferometry Exhibit, and great hiking.