General Tours at Palomar Observatory
These one-hour-long tours are held on Saturdays & Sundays only during the months of April through October. Tour tickets are sold in the gift shop the day of the tour on a first-come, first-served basis. There are no online or advance ticket sales. The gift shop opens at 10:15 a.m.
Tours are offered at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. & 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $8.00 per person for all ages. The tour is not recommended for children under six years of age. Sorry, no pets on tours.
Please note that tours may be canceled due to observatory operations or available staffing. Please check this page for updates or call 760-742-2136 for more tour information.
There is no viewing through the Hale Telescope as a part of any of the tours.
Tours cover the history and current scientific research of the Palomar Observatory, with a special emphasis on the 200-inch Hale Telescope. Please note that the interior of the 200-inch dome is kept at nighttime temperatures (for an elevation of 5,500 feet!). Temperatures inside the dome are often in the 30s & 40s in April, May & October. Dress accordingly. High-heeled shoes are not recommended for the tours. Palomar Observatory is a privately owned research facility so we close the dome at 4pm to begin our work.