Daytime Tours and Solar Viewings

All programs are subject to capacity limits. Solar Viewings and Guided Tours frequently sell out during busy periods such as holidays and Spring Break. To ensure program participation, make advance reservations using the online system below.

Our Spring Break 2019 schedule is now posted! If you're visiting from March 9th thru the 23rd, please see this expanded schedule of programs

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

Your purchase of a Daytime Pass is the ticket to many great activities. Inside the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center, explore the Decoding Starlight exhibit and enjoy a Solar Viewing Program (typically 45-50 minutes) in our theater featuring live (weather dependent) telescope images of our nearest star, the Sun, including views of such solar features as sunspots, prominences, and flares, every day of the week at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. For insight into the workings of a professional scientific research facility, take an approximately 90-100-minute tour with a knowledgeable guide to one of our large research telescopes immediately following the Solar Viewings. Tours often sell out, especially on holiday weekends and during summer months, so we strongly recommend you reserve discounted tickets online in advance (see below). Daytime passes may be purchased online (assuming availability) until midnight before the program. Check the calendar for program offerings and start times.

Learn more about what to expect on the Daytime Programs ...

The Visitors Center operates a set of specially filtered telescopes equipped with HD video cameras that allow us to bring live, safe views of the Sun into our multimedia theater. Knowledgeable guides will discuss some interesting highlights about the history of the Sun, its formation, and what we expect the Sun to do over its expected 5-6 billion year remaining "lifetime". Assuming relatively clear skies, your guide will use the telescopes' remote controls to steer around a live view of the Sun showing and discussing various surface features typically visible. On not so clear days, video and stills from clear days as well as from the web are used. This is typically a 45-50 minute program.

Following the Solar Viewing, your guide will instruct you on how to continue on to the Guided Tour. If space is available, we recommend that you take a ride on our small shuttle bus to the top of Mt. Locke. The shuttle is limited to 14 people (max) so shuttle passes are given on a first-come-first-served basis (we also try to reserve space for those with mobility issues and those in large RVs, etc.) If there isn't adequate space on the shuttle or if you'd just prefer to drive your own vehicle the 1.5 miles to the summit from the Visitors Center, your guide will also provide instructions for driving to the top, parking, and making the short walk to the 107" dome for the start of the program. Your guide for the Solar Viewing is also your guide for the Tour immediately following the Solar program.

The Tour typically begins at the overlook to the south of the 107" dome. From there, peaks over 80 miles way can be seen. At this location, your guide will typically discuss some of the history of the Observatory and why this location was chosen for an astronomical research facility. After pointing out some of the peaks in the area, the tour typically then proceeds to the ground floor lobby of the 107" dome where some of the history of that telescope is discussed. After a climb up four flights of steps (an elevator is available for those who shouldn't or can't take the steps .. your guide with discuss access to the elevator) the tour continues with descriptions of the parts of the telescope seen at the 5th floor level, demonstrations of the telescope motions, etc.

After visiting the 107" telescope, your guide will provide instructions for continuing with the tour at the summit of Mt. Fowlkes and the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. At the HET, you'll learn more about that telescope's unique, low-cost (for a world class telescope, at least) design and about new cutting-edge research projects for which the HET is currently being re-engineered.

The programs described here are our typical daytime activities. However, research constraints will sometimes force us to alter the content somewhat. Additionally, visitation during certain times of the year (specifically, Spring Break) forces us to reorganize the tour content. While the Solar Viewing will take place much as described above, the content of the 107" tour will take place in somewhat altered order and the Hobby-Eberly Telescope will be self-guided only.

Don't have time for the Guided Tour but still would like to see an up-close, live view of the Sun? Passes for the Solar Viewing-only may also be purchased for those who may be on a tight time-schedule.

Self Guided Tours of our largest telescope, the 362-inch Hobby-Eberly Telescope, are available at no charge from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. (See the drop-down text below for more information on what parts of the facility are available to the public.)

Learn more about what to expect on the Self-guided Tour ...

While we strongly recommend joining our public guided tours held twice daily starting from the Visitors Center, we realize that some folks may not have time or can't make the schedule for those offerings. Some areas of the Observatory are accessible without a guide. An accordion-folded color brochure is also available upon request at the Information Desk ($1 donation suggested or download the PDF here before you head out.) 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 10:00a - 5:00p everyday. 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.

Over at the summit of Mt. Fowlkes, you can see the largest telescope in North America and the 5th largest in the world .. the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). Available from 10:00a - 5:00p at the George T Abell Gallery (GTAG), informative videos run continuously as part of an exhibit explaining a major new project being conducted at the HET ... the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment or HETDEX, for short. Public restrooms are also available at the GTAG. A large panoramic window gives you up-close views of this unique telescope.

UT & Military discount / Refund policy / Pet policy / SBcglobal/AOL/Yahoo/etc. ...

UT & Military Discount: The Visitors Center does not receive direct funding from the University but we do offer a small discount to our UT colleagues with a current valid UT ID. To receive this discount, simply enter any passes for current UT students, staff, or faculty under the "Snr (65+)" category. Active duty military should also select the "Snr (65+)" category to recieve that discount.

Refund Policy: Daytime Programs (Solar Viewings & Guided Tours) are refundable up to 3 days prior to the program ($3 administrative fee) after which rescheduling will be offered (free). Please email or call us (432-426-3640, then zero at the message) with your cancellation or reschedule request. Missed programs will not be refunded or rescheduled. Contact us for more information or to let us know if you have special needs. Our Daytime Programs are primarily indoor programs so are not weather dependent (except when road conditions may present a safety issue.)

Pet Policy: As much as most of us would love to welcome our four-legged furry friends, UT policy, in accordance with the State Attorney's General Office, does not allow pets (including emotional, comfort, etc., therapy/support animals) in Observatory buildings or in indoor/at outdoor public program venues. In accordance with federal regulations, trained service animals accompanying their handlers/owners are welcome.

SBCGlobal, AOL, Yahoo, HotMail, etc.: SCBGlobal customers ... SBCGlobal appears to be completely blocking email from our reservation system. Either use a different email address or send an email to our staff who can send you a PDF copy of the confirmation. We've had a number of visitors with AOL, Yahoo, HotMail sorts of email accounts tell us that they've not received their purchase confirmation emails. Apparently, these services aggressively filter for spam and our confirmations are getting caught in these filters. Please be sure to check your spam/junk folder and/or add "reservations@webreserv.com" to your address book as an approved email contact before making your reservations to avoid missing your confirmation email.

The system defaults to one adult pass. If you don't need that pass, click the number field and select zero.

If you're 65 or over and want the senior discount, choose the "Snr (65+)" pass only. There is no need to purchase both an adult and a senior pass.

Be sure to click on the "Book" button as your final step in making your reservation.

Information Desk

Know Before You Go

Dress warmly (especially for evening programs) and bring your reservation confirmation with you. The Visitors Center is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Central Time (and additional hours on Star Party nights) every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. The phone number is 432-426-3640.

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