McDonald Observatory, Texas, United States
4.5 (1.310 reviews) Wednesday: Spent 2-3 hours Ranking #4 in Fort Davis Observatories & Planetariums
It's worth the long drive and an overnight stay nearby.
The McDonald Observatory Visitors Center staff appreciate all of the positive reviews (and even some of the negative ones, too!) that well-meaning and well-intentioned visitors have left over the years. However, we feel that TripAdvisor does not provide anywhere close to the level of management tools needed to combat the misinformation that routinely is provided by, again, well-intentioned visitors to others visiting its pages. With no way other than the "management response" feature to cull and corral the sometimes wildly misleading information posted on these pages, we feel that using TripAdvisor for anything beyond getting the general feel of the establishment is pointless.
Address
3640 Dark Sky Dr, Fort Davis, TX 79734-3010
Mobile
Website
http://mcdonaldobservatory.org
Working hours
Monday :
Tuesday : 7:15 PM - 10:15 PM
Wednesday :
Thursday :
Friday : 7:15 PM - 10:15 PM
Saturday : 7:15 PM - 10:15 PM
Sunday :
Current local date and time now
Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 17:13
User Ratings
4.5 based on (1.310 reviews)
Reviews
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4Weary Travellery 5:00 PM Nov 4, 2022
The night sky like you've never seen it
We attended one of the Star Parties with family, and it was well worth the trip. We were fortunate to have a totally clear night and no moon, which really made the star gazing excellent. You MUST book early - tickets are limited and can sell out. We went in October and it was fairly cold and breezy - remember you are up in the Davis Mountains, not down in the Chihuahua Desert of Big Bend, so dress accordingly or you'll be miserable. If you have binoculars, bring them so you can put your newfound knowledge to use in the clearest sky you've likely ever seen. The introductory star talk was entertaining, and the laser pointer the narrator used made it easy to see the "shapes" of the different constellations. The talk would have been better if it was balanced with some information about the many telescopes at the observatory and their different research programs. Us science geeks like to hear about that kind of stuff. We didn't think the lines for the large telescopes were bad, and the lines for the smaller outdoor telescopes made up for it by being generally shorter. There was never any pressure to take a quick peek and move on, you could gaze as long as you liked. The gift shop is well stocked, with a balance of adult and kid themed items. A concession stand outside with hot drinks would have been appreciated.
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4Tate E 5:00 PM Jul 20, 2022
Fun learning experience
I miss the days when the star parties were free. We would go every April. Amazing views of galaxies, planets, or the moon. You will pay 100-150 per person depending on the telescope you use. One year the hubble telescope flew over and changed position in the sky and brightly lit up the area. It was amazing. You could see it from the naked eye!
