All programs are subject to capacity limits and require online advance reservations. Online reservations are also required to access the Observatory grounds; no exceptions will be made.
The Frank N. Bash Visitors Center is open ONLY for visitors with reserved passes for the following:
Join us for the following programs at our West Texas observatory.
Use the tools below to buy tickets. The system defaults to one adult pass. If you don't need that pass, click the number field and select zero.
| Adults | Military Senior (65+) Locals Students (5+) |
Children under 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
General Admission Guided Tours Star Party Constellation Tour-only |
$3 $10 $25 $15 |
$3 $8 $20 $12 |
$3 $6 $15 $10 |
"Locals" are Fort Davis, Alpine, or Marfa residents with valid proof of residency
Please include all members of your party in your reservation (including passes for children of any age). Contact us for more information or to let us know if you have special needs. Bring a printout of your online receipt, a digital copy on your device (note that the Observatory does not have public WiFi and is out of cell range) or make note of the confirmation code you receive from our system. Passes will be under your last name at Check-in.
Spring Breakers: Reservation information about public programs in March (and beyond) will be posted in January.
Important: McDonald Observatory, part of the University of Texas at Austin, is located 450 miles west of Austin and is on Central Time.
Amphitheater with Milky Way (horizontal)
