Embedded Files
Plan your visit to
Whipple Observatory's Science Center will open for the season on Friday, September 25, 2026 at 10:00am
Questions? Call: 520-879-4407
HIGHLIGHTED TOUR OPTIONS
OTHER EXPERIENCES
Have a group of 30-60 people that wish to visit the Science Center
and take the VERITAS tour together? A large group visit on a
non-public day may suit your needs.
Whipple Observatory now offers Astrophotography experiences for small groups up to 5 people. If you have a group of between 1-5, our guides will lead you onto private observatory property under cover of darkness to capture the night sky away from light pollution in our unique setting.
Welcome to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Amado, Arizona-based Whipple Observatory, where curiosity has no limits and every experience is designed to ignite wonder in learning about space science, astronomy, and the science in our daily lives.
Whipple Observatory, the largest field site of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, offers a wide array of experiences to help you explore the universe, from more than two dozen exhibits in our free Science Center to multiple options for public and private tours that visit and interpret the Lower Observatory near the base of Mt. Hopkins and the Upper Observatory at the top of Mt. Hopkins.
The Science Center, currently open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10am-3pm BEGINNING September 25/26,
is *FREE* to the public and no tickets are required for entry. Tours of the facility and our telescopes
are ticketed with pricing dependent upon the tour.
As of Fall 2026, small group private tours (max 7 people) are the *only* way to visit the Upper Observatory, where the Ridge telescopes and MMT reside. All other tours occur at the Lower Observatory near the base of Mt. Hopkins. There is no public access to the Upper Observatory without a booked, escorted tour.
Our public tour and programming options include: Up Close with VERITAS walking tour, children's birthday parties, and large group access to the Science Center and VERITAS.
Private tour options include: Daytime observatory tours, sunset at the MMT tours, sunrise from the MMT tours, and astrophotography group tours.
Page updated
Report abuse