Daytime Programs: General Admission, Solar Viewings & Guided Tours

HEALTH & SAFETY AT MCDONALD OBSERVATORY ...

What We’re Doing to Help Keep You Safe
• We limit the number of visitors in programs. All areas of the Visitors Center, including exhibits, restrooms, and high-touch areas, are cleaned regularly. Hand sanitizing stations are available throughout the Visitors Center. Air purifiers are in use throughout the building. We encourage staff and visitors to follow all applicable CDC guidelines for mask wearing and social distancing.
• We offer socially distant seating in our outdoor amphitheater. While we don't enforce social distancing in our public areas, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, we encourage visitors to distance their group from others while on site. For our indoor programs (Guided Tours and cloudy Star Party evenings), it's not always possible to socially distance. Please use your best judgement and the available medical evidence.

Health and Safety Requirements for Visitors
• Do not visit if you have symptoms of COVID-19, have been diagnosed with COVID-19 within the past 14 days, or have been in close contact (within 6 feet for 10 minutes or more) with someone infected with or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 14 days. We will happily reschedule or refund your passes with no charges.
• Use hand sanitizer, which will be available at stations throughout the building.
• Follow directions from staff and signage about guidelines for use of facilities.

Access to the Observatory grounds is ONLY allowed for visitors with passes, and capacity limits are enforced.

Check the calendar for programs and start times.

General Admission:

General Admission allows you to explore the Visitors Center, including the exhibit gallery and gift shop. Self Guided Tours of our largest telescope, the 10-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope, are available from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday as part of General Admission. See the "Learn More..." drop-down text below for more information on what parts of the facility are available to the public. General Admission passes can be purchased in person when you arrive at the Visitors Center.

General Admission provides access to the Visitors Center and self guided tours only. To visit the research areas, make reservations for a Guided Tour. Both the Guided Tour and Evening Programs passes include General Admission.

Learn more about what to expect on the SELF-GUIDED TOUR ...

Some areas of the Observatory are accessible without a guide. A self-guided tour map is available at the Information Desk after your arrival. At the top of Mt. Locke, the views off to the east, south, and southwest can be stunning on a clear day. The booklet can fill you in on some of the history and contributions of the large telescopes at this peak. Restrooms are available at the 107" dome from 12 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. There are also several informative short videos available for view in the ground floor lobby of the 107" dome. Currently, no other part of the 107" dome is accessible to the public except on the guided tour. The 82" dome is not accessible to the public.

At the summit of Mt. Fowlkes, you can see the largest telescope in North America and the 2nd largest in the world, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). The George T Abell Gallery at the HET is open 12 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and features informative videos explaining the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment or HETDEX, for short. Public restrooms are also available in the HET gallery. A large panoramic window allows up-close views of this unique telescope.

Solar Viewing:

The Visitors Center operates a set of specially filtered telescopes equipped with cameras that allow us to bring live, safe views of the Sun into our theater. Knowledgeable guides present history of the Sun, its formation, and what we expect the Sun to do over the next 5-6 billion years. Your guide directs the telescope to view the Sun and various surface features. On not so clear days, video and stills are used. This is typically a 45-50 minute program.

Guided Tours:

Join a Guided Tour for an up-close look at large research telescopes at McDonald Observatory in West Texas.

A Guided Tour Pass includes access to the exhibit gallery and gift shop inside the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center and a guided tour of our large research telescopes (approximately 90-100-minutes). Check the calendar for program offerings and start times.

Learn more about what to expect on the GUIDED TOUR ...

The Guided Tours begin in the Visitors Center Theater or Classroom with a brief introduction to the program, after which the group heads up Mount Locke to the 107" Harlan J. Smith telescope dome. Visitors may drive their vehicles or ride the Observatory shuttle from the Visitor Center, although our shuttle service is currently only available for those driving large RV’s or with mobility/respiratory issues. Guides provide history of the Observatory and the large telescopes, including descriptions of the parts of the telescope, demonstrations of the telescope motions, etc. The tour continues to the summit of Mt. Fowlkes and the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). At the HET, you'll learn more about that telescope's unique design and the current cutting-edge research done here.

These are the typical daytime activities. We occasionally alter the content or order to accommodate research activities or large numbers of visitors, or severe weather at our location. Please note that there is no viewing through telescopes during the Guided Tours.

The Guided Tour typically runs approximately 1.5 hours. Please arrive on time for your Guided Tour, as refunds are not available for those who arrive after the tour group has left the Visitors Center.

The Visitors Center is accessible via wheelchair. The 107" Telescope dome floor is accessible via elevator which is available only on the guided tours. The summit of Mt. Locke has some steep grades. Inquire at the Visitor Center for a parking pass when participating in the guided tour. The HET's George T. Abell gallery at the summit of Mt. Fowlkes is accessible.

Programs may be cancelled at any time due to weather or public health concerns.

Prices

	Adults	Military Senior (65+) Locals Students (5+)	Children under 5
General Admission Solar Viewing Guided Tours Star Party	$3 $5 $10 $25	$3* $5 $8 $20	$3 $5 $5 $5

Adults

Military
Senior (65+)
Locals
Students (5+)

Children under 5

General Admission

Solar Viewing

Guided Tours

Star Party

$10

$25

$3*

$20

"Locals" are residents of our tri-county area (Jeff Davis, Brewster, and Presidio) with valid proof of residency.

*Locals receive free daytime General Admission.

The system defaults to one adult pass. If you're 65 or over and want the senior discount, choose the "Snr (65+)" pass and remove the adult pass. Be sure to click on the "Book" button as your final step in making your reservation.

McDonald Observatory is located 450 miles west of Austin and is on Central Time.

In this aerial view, the two large domes in the foreground are the 2.1-meter Str

Aerial View of McDonald Observatory

Secondary menu

Daytime Programs: General Admission, Solar Viewings & Guided Tours

General Admission:

Solar Viewing:

Guided Tours:

Prices

Know Before You Go