Lowell Observatory

The Lowell Observatory, at 1400 Mars Hill Road in Flagstaff, AZ. It is one of the oldest observatories in the United States, founded by Percival Lowell in 1894. It was the world's first International Dark Sky destination, and was designated a National Landmark in 1965. The observatory is famous for the discovery of the dwarf planet Pluto by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930. Today the obervatory serves as an astronomical research and education center. It's open to the public, and visitors are treated to interactive exhibits and programs, tours of its famous telescopes, and hands-on observations through a variety of modern telescopes.
I visited in May of 2025 and was absolutely blown away. I only saw a fraction of the campus, and plan a repeat visit real soon. Stay tuned.

Welcome to Lowell Observatory

Planetary Symbols

Lowell Observatory Campus

Astronomy Discovery Center

One of the newest additions to the campus is the 40,000 sq ft Marley Foundation Astronomy Discovery Center, which opened on November 16, 2024. It's a state-of-the-art facility that features interactive exhibits, an incredible theater, and an outside dark-skies observatory/planetarium. Just inside the entrance there is a gift shop (Starry Skies Shop) to the left, a cafe (Planet X Cafe) to the right, and ticket desk straight ahead. The large circular area in the center of the building is the Origins Gallery. It contains a large light sculpture that resembles biochemical molecules representing the origins of life on earth (my interpretation). There is a gallery with exhibits for kids (Orbits Curiosity Zone), a gallery with astronomy exhibits for all age groups (Stardust Lab Astronomy Gallery), and the Lowell Universe Theater. The theater is pretty impressive, featuring a 160°, 25 ft tall LED screen and very comfortable seating. The second floor contains halls and classrooms for private events, and the third floor has an outside terrace and the open-air dark-skies observatory.
Now that you know what's in the Astronomy Discovery Center let's take a tour.

Astronomy Discovery Center

Aliens with a Rover

Astronomy Discovery Center Map

Origins Gallery

Orbits Curiosity Zone

Otherworldly Systems

Stardust Lab Astronomy Gallery

"What is Light?"

Stardust Lab Astronomy Gallery

"Up Close and Personal"

"Quest for Answers"

Entrance to Lowell Universe Theater

Astrophotograph Taken with Lowell Discovery Telescope

Outdoor Terrace Seating

Small Refractor Setup for Solar Viewing

The Mars Hill Campus

There's a lot of astronomical stuff to explore at the Mars Hill Campus. Unfortunately I missed most of it on my first visit. I didn't tour the Clark or Pluto Domes, the Rotunda Museum, the Putnam Collection Center, or possibly get a peak at the Dyer Telescope. So a second visit is absolutely mandatory.

Don't know which dome this is

Carl O Lampland Dome

Benches of the Visible Spectrum

Astronomy Arrives in America's Wild West

Lowell Observatory Puts Flagstaff on the Map of the World

The Sky is Merely the Starting Point

Once and Future Lowell Observatory

Titan Monitor Telescope (TiMO)

Giovale Open Deck Observatory (GODO)

The Open Deck Observatory houses a collection of telescopes in a roll-off room. Yes, the roof and walls of the room roll back on tracks so the telescopes have unobstructed views of the night sky. The collection of advanced telescopes give visitors amazing views of planets, star clusters, galaxies, nebulae, and so forth. The deck also has exhibits on spectroscopy and preservation of dark skies.

Giovale Open Deck Observatory

8" Moonraker Victorian Refractor

5.5" TEC Wide Field Refractor

14” PlaneWave Corrected Dall-Kirkham Reflector

17” PlaneWave Corrected Dall-Kirkham Reflector

32” Starstructure Dobsonian Reflector

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Background information obtained for Lowell Observatory sources and Wikipedia. Maps from Lowell Observatory Visitor Brochure.