Kitt Peak National Observatory

We took our 3 kids today, ages 8 – 4. I wasn’t expecting to have such a great time for free! You actually get to see several of the telescopes up close and we even had the chance to look through the solar telescope for free and see the solar flares (prominences) and spots– incredible to see for all of us! We enjoyed the friendly and helpful docents today and though we chose not to pay for the guided tour (we were afraid they would be too long for our young kids) we learned so much from the self guided tours exhibits and such. It was so beautiful up there and the weather was amazingly so much cooler than the valley below. Besides the nature being so peaceful and impressive with its views, we had no idea how massive these telescopes are in person– they really are a MUST see if you are in Tucson. I know its a drive, but so so worth it! The picnic area was nice too and it was awesome to actually sit right by the radio telescope while its enormous disc moves around in the sky! I’m just so pleased that such amazing research still goes on today and to see it shared with the public!

I recently attended the «Introduction to Astrophotography» workshop. Wow! What a fantastic experience. This 3-​day workshop was beyond my expectations. I am a hobbyist photographer, and signed on to the workshop to expand my knowledge in a very unique area of photography. The organization of the workshop, the participation and presence of engaging and knowledgable astronomers, the topics covered, the tours of a number of the telescopes and education of what is being done at Kitt Peak by the 26 telescopes, the history of how KPNO was situated at this particular location in the West and in collaboration with the Tohono O’odham Nation was spectacular. Again, because this was a 3 day workshop, we stayed on the mountain, ate in the dining room and socialized with the hosting experts. This in and of itself was a fantastic «bonus» to the overall scope of the workshop. If you are interested in photography, I highly recommend this workshop-​these workshops are held only a couple of times a year-​and you need to make reservations well in advance of the date. Should the particular workshop you are interested is full, keep checking back, as cancellations can provide you with an opportunity to attend. I loved this experience so much, I have signed up for the follow up workshop in the Fall!
But if you aren’t interested in the astrophotography workshops, there a number of other opportunities to fit a variety of interests-​tours, stargazing, programs for groups, schools and other special interest events-​or just a stop over on your family vacation through the southern Arizona area. The visitor center is phenomenal and full multi-​media exhibits, the docents who lead the various programs are knowledgeable, amiable and extremely passionate about the work that is being done at Kitt Peak, and actually around the world as it relates to this fascinating aspect of approachable science. Check this page on their website:
I highly recommend a visit to Kitt Peak National Observatory!

The Observatory stepped up and made good on fixing the issue. We are back on board. and hope they make changes so no other family has to deal with that little issue.

Astronomy Date Night Part Deux:
Okay, I started the idea of a themed date night with my wife. So, how do I sustain momentum?
Tucson has another Astronomy related destination that we have haven’t been to before, and that is the Kitt Peak National Observatory.
It is located approximately 58 miles west of Tucson, at a mountaintop elevation of approximately 6700 feet. You can literally see for miles, and seemingly touch the clouds.
It is located in the Tohono O’odham Reservation, and the landscape is undisturbed by progress.
Just a perfect place for a date!
The twisting roads made me yearn to have brought our more nimble vehicles, but my wife’s trepidation for speed maneuvers would’ve ruined the moments that I was trying to capture. So, I drove just a little bit above the speed limit of 25 mph.
One noteworthy point, there were a few cyclist who were doing slaloms, and definitely were going faster than the posted speed limits. Be watchful for them. They seemed to know what they were doing, but they pop out of corners and are gone in a flash, much to my wife’s chagrin.
We get to the top, and the view is simply spectacular. Our initial inquiry into the weather was definitely validated. It is certainly at least 10 degrees cooler here and breezy than it is down in Tucson. It was about 62 degrees at the top, while it was 74 degrees in Tucson.
One thing your will notice besides the views and the large telescopes will be the quiet serenity of the area. Except for the few conversations by various tourists, the peacefulness of the area is something truly to be experienced and taken in.
We just sat at one of the mountaintop benches and looked outward and upward for what seemed like hours. The environment was simply magnificent!
After having taken in the surroundings, we went ahead and perused the visitor center and the various displays. There isn’t really much here as far as exhibits are concerned, but that isn’t the draw.
The big draw, according to the docent that provided us the guided tour, were the large working telescopes that are in operation and provide peeks into the immense vastness of the galaxy.
Since, we didn’t want to be here at night, nor did we make reservations for the night tour, we skipped this part. It will definitely be a must on the return trip.
If you are an astronomy buff, or just enjoy looking at the stars and galaxies in all their glory, this is a must as far as destinations are concerned.
It is worth the drive, the effort, and the low entrance fee! The surrounding landscape provides a wonderful backdrop to the marvelous astronomical experience.
This was another hit for both of us as far as Date Night themes were concerned!
(And yes, my Beloved did buy the space food dessert again, and yes, I had to sample it as well)

Not much to say here that hasn’t been said by others. I’ve made two visit, the first for the nighttime viewing, the second for the day tours. Contrary to what other reviewers have said, if you’re interested in the cosmos and/​or science in general and/​or telescopes themselves, it is absolutely worth the drive during the day. The docent-​lead tours (there are three, total) are inexpensive ($ 9 for all three, IIRC) and very interesting. Sure, you can tour those three telescopes by yourself, but having the docent there to give information and answer questions was great. The day we went we had three different docents which was nice — all gave the same background information, but each had their own voice and area of focus and way of presenting so it wasn’t painfully repetitive.
The night sky observation is great, especially if you go on a darker night. If you want to get some good moon views, go closer to the full, but if you’re more interested in stars, nebula, etc. then you want a darker night for viewing.
As others have said, it’s colder than you think up there, so come prepared. There is no food for sale save for chips and candy bars sold in the gift shop. (This is per agreement with the tribe who actually owns the mountain.) I also agree that it’s not great for young kids. There is a lot of talking and a lot of walking, and not very much hands-​on type stuff.
Even if you’re not into space, the drive up (at least to the picnic area) is beautiful in the day and the views are incredible.

Compared to other observatories this place is ultra BORING. The domes are not even open for public viewing, the guide was an old crotchety dude that hates children and we constantly had to wait for people to get up the hill that couldn’t keep up. What you see from the ground is what you see on the peak — don’t waste the drive.

We did the night tour. It was pretty neat.
Started out with a light dinner; turkey sandwich on a cross ain’t, chips, granola bar, cookie, and bottled water.
Next we watched the sunset from the top of the peak.
After the sunset, we did a little star gazing with the naked eye and binoculars.
Then they split us into two groups and we went to one of the telescopes and got to look through them at the moon, stars, and Neptune. What a view!
Overall it was a real interesting experience.
Two recommendations:
1) go at a time when there is no moon or very little moon. The moon was ¾ full tonight and all of the moonlight really hurt the viewing of a lot of things the docent wanted to show us.
2) Dress warm! It was 79 in Tucson today and was in the low 40s up top of the peak. Not too bad, depending on where you’re from.

We enjoyed the evening program at the Kitt Peak National Observatory. The ride up the mountain to the observatory from the highway was scenic and enjoyable. Luckily we had a fairly clear evening and were able to see quite a bit. The 37 participants the night we were there were divided into two groups so we could take turns in the observatory with the telescope and outside star gazing. Lots of stars to see when you are away from the city lights. Both of the groups leaders were very knowledgeable and answered questions willingly.

My mom, aunt, and I are visiting Tucson and wanted to see the stars! We made a reservation for Kitt Peak on a Sunday for that next Wednesday. Lucas and Roy were our guides and they were very knowledge and able to answer any questions anyone threw at them. We saw 7 objects through the 20″ telescope with a group of 38 total participants. We also leaned about star charts, looked at the stars with Roy and then used binoculars to view them. Lucas also took us on a sunset tour which was gorgeous! We paid $ 49 each and really felt we got our money’s worth. The tour started around 4:45 and ended at 9:00. 4.25 hours well spent! Highly recommend.

We have been on a whirlwind adventure to do all the Tucson staples when it comes to the unique opportunities that the area has to offer before we move away. The drive up was stunning and it was surprising to see all the smaller telescopes that are owned/​operated by other entities, not just the 3 they advertise. Since its monsoon season, they really only have day tours, which was fine as we never have been. When we arrived 15 min before the 10am tour, the folks behind the visitor center desk said they didn’t know if there was a docent to give tours that day… I was kind of floored that it would be an issue, with ~10−15 people already there waiting, advertisements for only 3 tours a day, and it was the weekend. When the docent did show up right at 10, it seemed like the people behind the desk didn’t care to check about the coverage till visitors came to ask about being on the tour.
Pretty much all attractions in the Tucson area are ran by amazing volunteers (with such a large retirement community). While our docent was nice, he was very distracted with other trains of thought, the tour felt rushed and he didn’t seem all that knowledgable … several times he said comments along the lines that he was winging it. I wasn’t impressed at all with the tour, and came to realize that they take you to places that you can go on your own. Each of the three telescopes has a visitor entrance that you don’t need a guide to get you in, and there are waysides that explain the telescopes. While I don’t mind spending money at Kitt Peak, either for a tour or donation, I feel like training for their docents was a little lacking. If you are trying to get people to care about the science you are doing, and be advocates for science in society, a visitors experience with learning about science needs to a memorable one. Being able to walk around without our guide was a more pleasurable experience. If we ever go back, hopefully we get a better guide.
We had one young kid (5 – 7 years old) on the tour, and I would say that this was not at all entertaining for him. Too much talking and not enough hands on interesting stuff for kids.

This is a fantastic place to visit! Nerd Paradise, as my friend called it. So interesting!
Come early and take all three tours on one day.
Bring your picnic lunch and eat at the very nice picnic grounds. They have running water, toilets, covered tables and tables in the open.
Fantastic views and lots to learn! Great information center.

I enjoyed the tour of the night sky and mostly agree with all the other reviews posted here.
— The tour was glorious, both the stargazing segment and the telescope segment. Probably best to be at least a little interested in the heavens, though, as it is both long ~4hrs and expensive ~$ 50.
— One docent seemed better informed than the other, but neither was by any means bad.
— It’s cold. The night I went in May got down to 44 degrees. I just saw in a review that they have loaner jackets. Good idea.
— No refunds if it’s cloudy.
— Evidently this place gets no funding from the government, so know that the observatory needs and is making good use of your purchases.
— Except for the scenic drive, I also don’t see the point of making the drive during daylight hours.

It was a fairly long drive from Phoenix. Though we were initially amused by the unique red rock formations on either sides of the freeway and the vast and seemingly never-​ending landscapes, it got a bit monotonous. At some point of time, when we were about an hour away from Kitt’s, we saw the observatory perched up high above the mountains. The bright white color of the observatory stood out amongst the crisp brown mountains, large green cacti growing on the mountain slopes and the clear blue sky.
The road up to Kitt’s observatory was just like the road to any other observatory — narrow and serpentine. Though the weather was scorching in Phoenix, it was a bit nippy and brisk in Kitt’s.
Right outside the Visitor Center, we saw signs to «Solar Viewing» and followed the directions. Right about the time when we thought we had lost our way, a docent came out of a small enclosure said that we were indeed at the right place. He led us inside a small room, where two telescopes were arranged, pointing to the sun.
One of the telescopes revealed the sunspots and the other one, the prominence around the sun. Like little kids, we got up on the small ladder to see through the eyepiece. There it was, the big orange ball, the sun! The docent started talking about the health of the sun and it sounded like Greek and Latin to me. «The sun has a health?» was going on inside my mind.
The docent even mentioned about a recent incident in the space that might have destroyed all the telecommunications. Being so disconnected from the day-​to-​day things happening around the Earth, it sometimes is really hard to imagine that a world-​wide black-​out like what we’ve seen in the movies could have actually happened.
Oh well, I guess I would have welcomed it for a day or two; would have given me lots of time to catch up with sleep and relax and do literally nothing.
We then took the guided tour to see the 2.1 meter telescope. The docent was extremely knowledge and very passionate about astronomy.
By the end of the tour, it felt like an information overload. I don’t remember half of it, but I certainly found it very intuitive and informative.
A long triangular structure nearby piqued our interest and we walked over. It was solar viewing telescope.
We also wanted to see the biggest telescope in Kitt’s, the 4.1. While driving towards the 4.1, we realized there was no parking nearby and making a U-​turn on those narrow roads was going to be a challenge. So we just left!

Went here with the family on a beautiful winter day. We took the first tour of the day (solar telescope). We were lucky and it was in operation for some scientist. Kind of cool that you get to go inside a working telescope. The views from up top are incredible.
We got super lucky and they had a couple of small solar telescopes available and we got to actually view the surface of the sun and see sunspots and other solar features. The docents are know their stuff and are happy to pass on their knowledge.
I’d be curious about the night tour and the view at night away from the city lights, but that wasn’t in the cards this time.

Kitt Peak is quite the gem in our region– A thorough tour of the facilities, a boxed dinner (super basic) and a viewing through their giant telescopes is well worth the visit. For the price, fifty bucks, it’s a fair deal. It’s definitely a drive, but the views and educational experience are second to none. Guides vary– but they’re all super enthusiastic about what they teach. It’s super fun as a group outing too. It cools down significantly, so bring a jacket and closed toed shoes!

I went for the 11:30 and 1:30 tours on a Sunday and had a great time. The views are gorgeous on the way up and there weren’t a lot of people there. I had a great docent, Larry, who was very informative, well spoken, and knew a lot about the telescopes and history of the observatory. I would like to return for the night viewing program next!

Great trip out to the peak, beautiful drive up there with incredible views. Be sure to bring food or eat before you get there because there’s not much out there or on the way. Staff is knowledgable and helpful, the guided tour is worth the money. Self guided tours are just that, only a map to guide you, the MP3 players are no longer offered. The walk is nice and not at all strenuous. Only about a half mile to the furthest scope. You can see all three scopes wandering around in about 3 hours and that includes a guided tour of one of the scopes. Go see it, you’ll be glad you did.

Wound my way up here and spoke with other visitors at the picnic tables outside the visitor center. There was a guy from Arizona Department of Transportation who was a local but had never been up here before. Met others from across the US.
I did the self-​guided tour thing. I liked the Solar Observatory best. Downstairs, they have some classic 1960s, 19-​inch racks that control the configuration. A member of the research team using the telescope said they’re original equipment. Racks have the typical engraved rack panels with 60s-​era lighted switches. This is how scientific electronics looked before microprocessors. Modern systems are all on computers and I/​O is through keyboard, mouse, and flat panel displays. Some of the optical elements are winched up and down the central shaft on a set of rails. The rails look like 80-​pound railroad rails, by my guess. There’s another entrance at ground level that allows visitors to see the rails and the movable optical elements. There’s a sign warning of snakes but no unfriendly snakes were observed.
Visitor center was interesting and staff were helpful. Weather was comfortable but the high altitude means your mileage may vary. I’ll bet they get some whopper lightning storms up here!
The only handicap-​accessible restroom is in the visitor center. I found the 4-​meter was not accessible, although they will give you a parking permit allowing you to drive up to it if you can’t make it up the grade. Many of the other buildings and areas are accessible.
A staff member claims this is the only place on the Tohono O’odham Nation where you can take photos without tribal permission.
Correction 7−27−13: FYI the stuff the optical dollies roll on is not 80-​pound rail. It’s I-​beam stock. The dolly wheels the mirrors roll on have flanges on both sides of the rail.

I went to Kitt Peak for the first time this past weekend and did a night time viewing program (NOP). It was really cool! It was a 4 hour tour with tons of viewing (I could see the rings around Saturn and the moons of Jupiter) and other educational information. The guide was insanely educated and very good at teaching us things.
For $ 50 it was an amazing deal (and they give you a boxed dinner!). Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys stargazing as well as seeing the most gorgeous sunset ever! Don’t forget a jacket and a cap; the high altitude and wind make for a chilly evening.
And don’t pay attention to the Cherry Ave address — the actual observatory is NOT located in Tucson — it’s about an hour drive outside of Tucson.

Great day-​trip when visiting the Tucson area!
You’ll need to devote a good portion of your day for this trip, but it’s completely worth it. The drive out to Kitt Peak takes you through some beautiful Sonoran Desert scenery and it’s just gets gets better as you climb to the top of Kitt Peak. Seriously, the drive alone is worth coming out here. Once you reach the observatory you’ll find a very informative visitors center as well as a gift shop with numerous Kitt Peak and Astronomy related merchandise. You can take a guided tour or grab a map and show yourself around the facility. Tours are free and well worth the time. The guides were very knowledgeable and were obviously very passionate about Kitt Peak and all the research that is being conducted there.
Best Tips– Take your time! You’ll want to stop at many of the pull-​offs to take in the beautiful views of the Sonoran Desert. Also– Bring a light jacket, at the very least. Temperatures up there are usually ~20 deg. cooler than down on the desert floor.