Lick Observatory Mt Hamilton Rd, Mt Hamilton

Lick Observatory Reviews

• T

  Towshif Ali
  5

  Best place to go if you are an explorer with specific taste for antronomy/astrophysics. This place is heaven. This is an establishment comprising of a rare refracting telescope which is still functional. There are talks in the afternoon and a show for looking into the insides of the telescope. The outside view is spectacular with scenic mountain ranges. This place is at the apogee of the hills. Everything is open to public. Your trip up the hill for 1-2 hrs wont be a waste.

• S

  Swaminathan Ramesh
  5

  The history and human fortitude to build the world's largest telescope of it's time are on display. Open only Thursday to Sunday. 12-5 pm Inside: Tours of the 36" at 12:30, 1:30,2:30,3:30 and 4:30. Gallery of photos from the archives. Clean bathrooms. Outside: Sweeping views of the Bay Area. On a clear day you can see the Bay. The ride up is scenic. Use the I-130 route instead of Quimby Road, as the road has a more gradual gradient.

• D

  Donna Sepe
  1

  I'm really surprised by all the high ratings. I kind of hate to add something negative, but think it's important in case other families are making decisions about whether to go. Yes, the views on the way up and at the top of the mountain are beautiful, but that has nothing to do with the observatory itself. The building is old and outdated and the exhibits consist mainly of black and white pictures. (The facility likely works great for the college students and employees that work and study there, but I'm reviewing this while considering it as a "visitor center"). My 6-year old was super excited for the chance to look through any of the telescopes, but no one was allowed to look through the telescopes. (Chabot space center in Oakland gladly helped my son climb a ladder to peer through their telescopes and pointed out various planets and stars). Sure I shouldn't have assumed we'd be able to use the telescopes, but what exactly does Lick observatory offer if there's no opportunity to look through the telescopes? Just a musty old facility. We weren't even allowed in the room with the telescope when the docent wasn't there. Anyway, super disappointing experience greatly worsened by the incredibly long drive up. Highly recommend Chabot in Oakland for the kids.

• P

  Patrick McNamara
  5

  This spot is well worth the drive (which is certainly not for the faint-hearted). Easy to spend a couple of hours here with interesting exhibits and tours, opportunities for a good walk and fantastic views of the South Bay area. The store prices are reasonable and it sounds like all profits go into keeping the facility open to the public and free to visit.

• M

  Mauricio Monteiro
  5

  It is a very interesting place to visit. Very beautiful architecture and good infrastructure.

• F

  Fan Gary
  4

  COVID-19 issue, it doesn't open, but the view stills good.

• S

  Scott Gille
  5

  This is a great ride for cyclists. It takes 2-3 hours to get up here but the view is worth it. Bring change and small bills so you can use the vending machines to refuel. Restrooms are here as well.

• A

  A
  5

  This place here....Getting to it is the most fun. All the roads going to James Lick Observatory (two sides) is fantastically fun. The amount of curve and tight upins with view of nature makes the ride all that better. Always be mindful of bicyclist and other vehicles when driving. When you finally reach the top you get an view over San jose....So beautiful. So many times I rode up here and shared many friends and family about this place. Very Nice.

• S

  Shweta Sagari
  5

  This observatory is literally next to the San Jose. Road to the observatory is very scenic. It's very windy, so it's better to take precautions if you get motion sickness. It is state-of-the-art observatory. People on observatory are very friendly and very enthusiastic to tell history/information about the observatory. They have tours open to public over Thursday to Sunday which are free of cost.

• E

  Emily Saelak
  4

  There's not too much to do up here, and the windy drive up to the observatory is long, but the view from up here is pretty nice. The observatory is small and there are actually two sections you can explore. Both are a short walk from each other. While you're at the observatory at the top of the hill, they do presentations on the telescope every so often. So you can look out for that. It's a the end of the hallway. Turn right as you walk in. There is plenty of parking up here, and there's cute things you can get in the gift store. BTW, come here in the afternoon, they are not open at night :) Unless you're a VIP member or something like that and they're holding an event for their members. Want to attend an evening event to look through the telescopes? Tickets are available to the public, no membership required.