Lick Observatory
The Main Building (and with it the 36-inch refractor dome tours) is closed for repairs after the Christmas storm; the grounds and Shane Telescope gallery are open.
Research observatory on Mount Hamilton above San Jose. Free to visit: the Shane Telescope gallery and grounds are open while the historic Main Building is closed for storm repairs.
Ways to visit
Grounds and Shane Telescope gallery (self-guided) Open
Main Building closed for repairs; the older 'Saturday and Sunday 12 to 5' hours and hourly refractor talks are superseded by the current visit page.
- What you see
- Grounds, Exhibitslickobservatory.org, 2026-10-26
- How
- Walk inlickobservatory.org, 2026-10-26
- When
- MonTueWedThuFriSatSunGrounds open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; gift shop weekends only. The road can close in snow. Closure days are from the general visit page, which pre-dates the repairs notice.Closed: Independence Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Daylickobservatory.org, 2026-10-26 · lickobservatory.org, 2026-10-26
- Booking
- Not required · same day possible · on siteNo booking is mentioned for daytime visits; night visits need a summer-series ticket.lickobservatory.org, 2026-10-26
- Cost
- FreeAdmission is free to the public.lickobservatory.org, 2026-10-26
- Requirements
- None stated.
About
Lick Observatory is a University of California research site on the summit of Mount Hamilton. Visitors can look at the 120-inch Shane Telescope from a gallery and walk the east grounds for free. The Main Building and the 36-inch refractor dome are closed for storm repairs, so the hourly dome talks described on older pages are not running. Night visits need a ticket to a summer evening program.
Run by: University of California Observatories (Lick Observatory).
Where official pages disagree
- days and hours: The general visit page says open Saturday and Sunday 12 to 5 with hourly refractor talks; the Shane Telescope visit page says grounds open daily 9 to 5 with the Main Building closed. This listing follows the newer-looking repairs page. lickobservatory.org/public-visitor-information/ · lickobservatory.org/public-visitor-information/li…
Getting there
Mount Hamilton, CA
On the summit of Mount Hamilton, about 20 miles east of San Jose along a narrow, winding road with no fuel on the way.
The pin marks the site itself, not necessarily the entrance (37.34111, -121.64306). Show on our map · Google Maps · Apple Maps
Last checked 2026-10-26. Sources are listed below.
Sources
- lickobservatory.org/public-visitor-information/ · official page · read 2026-10-26For: name; phone and email; Grounds and Shane Telescope gallery (self-guided): days and hours; Grounds and Shane Telescope gallery (self-guided): booking; Grounds and Shane Telescope gallery (self-guided): requirements
- wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityData/Q4616… · Wikidata · read 2026-10-26For: location
- lickobservatory.org/public-visitor-information/li… · official page · read 2026-10-26For: Grounds and Shane Telescope gallery (self-guided): open or closed; Grounds and Shane Telescope gallery (self-guided): what you see; Grounds and Shane Telescope gallery (self-guided): kind of visit; Grounds and Shane Telescope gallery (self-guided): days and hours; Grounds and Shane Telescope gallery (self-guided): cost
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