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McDonald Observatory

3640 Dark Sky Dr, Fort Davis, Texas 79734 USA

81 Reviews
$$
Reasonable
Closed Now
Opens Fri 1:30p
  • Independent
  • Credit Cards
    Accepted
  • Wheelchair
    Accessible
  • Public
    Restrooms
  • Outdoor
    Seating
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“Gazing into the stars”

McDonald Observatory, a research unit of The University of Texas at Austin, is one of the world's leading centers for astronomical research, teaching, and public education and outreach. Observatory facilities are located atop Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkes in the Davis Mountains of West Texas, which offer some of the darkest night skies in the continental United States. The Observatory's administrative offices are on the UT-Austin campus. The Observatory works with the University's Department of Astronomy on both research and teaching. With its 9.2-meter (362-inch) mirror, the HET is one of the world's largest optical telescopes. It's optimized for spectroscopy, the decoding of light from stars and galaxies to study their properties. This makes it ideal for searching for planets around other stars, and studying distant galaxies, exploding stars, black holes, and more. The HET, dedicated in 1997, is a joint project of The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

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Photo of Guy H.

Reviewed by
Guy H.

A special experience awaits you at one of the McDonald Observatory Star Parties. When planning my trip out here, the observatory was a must-visit. All my life I've been reading about it and i... Read more

Photo of Mario E.

Reviewed by
Mario E.

I usually don't like to leave a bad review, but we came for the star party, and had bought our tickets weeks prior. Upon arriving and entering, before even hello or welcome, the blonde woman... Read more

Photo of Charlene P.

Reviewed by
Charlene P.

I have to admit that I'm not a big astronomy fan. It's cool but just not really into it. We scheduled the solar tour which was at 1 pm which is 45 minutes. By the time we tried to book the star... Read more

McDonald Observatory

3640 Dark Sky Dr
Fort Davis, Texas
79734 USA
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Hours

Closed Now
  • Tue - Sat: 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm

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    Pets Allowed
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    Restrooms
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    Wifi
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    Wheelchair Accessible
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    Credit Cards Accepted
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    Outdoor Seating
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