Mount Wilson Observatory
Winter hours apply: entry is 10 am to 4 pm, the museum and 100-inch viewing gallery are open, and there are no public guided tours until spring. Facts come from Visit Pasadena's listing, so check mtwilson.edu for weather closures before you go.
A historic observatory above Pasadena with a free dome gallery for the 100-inch telescope, open daily; two-hour weekend tours run in spring and summer, not winter.
Ways to visit
Grounds and Visitors' Gallery (free, self-guided) Seasonal
Winter months: entry is 10 am to 4 pm. The listing gives 10 am to 5 pm daily outside winter.
- What you see
- Grounds, Exhibitsvisitpasadena.com (agency or tourism page), 2026-11-05
- How
- Walk invisitpasadena.com (agency or tourism page), 2026-11-05
- When
- MonTueWedThuFriSatSunWinter months: open 10 am to 4 pm daily, with the museum and 100-inch viewing gallery open. The listing gives 10 am to 5 pm daily outside winter. Weather can close the road: check mtwilson.edu.Season: (Winter months: entry 10 am to 4 pm; museum, restrooms and the 100-inch viewing gallery open. Dates of the winter schedule are not stated.)visitpasadena.com (agency or tourism page), 2026-11-05
- Booking
- Not statedThe tourism listing mentions no booking for the free grounds and gallery.visitpasadena.com (agency or tourism page), 2026-11-05
- Cost
- FreeFree entrance, per the tourism listing.visitpasadena.com (agency or tourism page), 2026-11-05
- Requirements
- None stated.
Weekend public tour (tickets at the Cosmic Cafe) Seasonal
Weekend tours run in the spring and summer season. The listing says there are no public guided tours in winter until spring.
- What you see
- Inside tour, Groundsvisitpasadena.com (agency or tourism page), 2026-11-05
- How
- Scheduled tour · about 2 hoursvisitpasadena.com (agency or tourism page), 2026-11-05
- When
- MonTueWedThuFriSatSunWhen running: Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 am and 1:00 pm, about two hours with a mile of walking and stairs. Not offered in winter.Season: (Spring and summer; no public guided tours in winter until spring. Dates are not stated.)Closed: no public guided tours in winter, until springvisitpasadena.com (agency or tourism page), 2026-11-05
- Booking
- Required · on siteTickets are sold only at the Cosmic Cafe, which is closed in winter.visitpasadena.com (agency or tourism page), 2026-11-05
- Cost
- PaidAdults: $15 · Ages 62 and older: $13 · Ages 6 to 12: $13Prices as listed by the tourism listing.visitpasadena.com (agency or tourism page), 2026-11-05
- Requirements
- Fitness and accessibility: Yes. Unsuitable for people with respiratory or heart problems, or with limited mobility, because of the elevation and about a mile of walking and stairs.
About
Mount Wilson Observatory sits in the San Gabriel Mountains above Pasadena, reached by the Angeles Crest Highway. The grounds and the viewing gallery for the 100-inch telescope are free, and in winter entry is 10 am to 4 pm. Weekend guided tours of about two hours run in spring and summer, not in winter. Private, engineering and STEM tours are also offered by arrangement and are not covered here.
Where official pages disagree
- open or closed: The tourism listing gives weekend tours and daily grounds hours, and in its winter note says no public guided tours run until spring. The late-October tour dates are unconfirmed: check the operator's own site. visitpasadena.com/directory/mount-wilson-observ…
Getting there
100 Mt. Wilson Circle Rd., Mount Wilson, CA, 91023
Access is via the Angeles Crest Highway (CA Hwy 2) from the 210 Freeway at La Canada Flintridge.
The pin marks the site itself, not necessarily the entrance (34.22503, -118.05719). Apple Maps directions go to the street address instead. Show on our map · Google Maps · Apple Maps
Visit Pasadena listing (telephone): (626) 214-8030
Last checked 2026-11-05. Sources are listed below.
More on the official page: mtwilson.edu. Check it before you go.
Sources
- visitpasadena.com/directory/mount-wilson-observ… · official tourism or agency page · read 2026-11-05For: name; street address; directions; phone and email; Grounds and Visitors' Gallery (free, self-guided): open or closed; Grounds and Visitors' Gallery (free, self-guided): what you see; Grounds and Visitors' Gallery (free, self-guided): kind of visit; Grounds and Visitors' Gallery (free, self-guided): days and hours; Grounds and Visitors' Gallery (free, self-guided): booking; Grounds and Visitors' Gallery (free, self-guided): cost; Grounds and Visitors' Gallery (free, self-guided): requirements; Weekend public tour (tickets at the Cosmic Cafe): open or closed; Weekend public tour (tickets at the Cosmic Cafe): what you see; Weekend public tour (tickets at the Cosmic Cafe): kind of visit; Weekend public tour (tickets at the Cosmic Cafe): days and hours; Weekend public tour (tickets at the Cosmic Cafe): booking; Weekend public tour (tickets at the Cosmic Cafe): cost; Weekend public tour (tickets at the Cosmic Cafe): requirements
- wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityData/Q4668… · Wikidata · read 2026-11-05For: location
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