I have two kiddos that have become obsessed with science. They love partaking in experiments, learning about space and watching science in action. One of the places on our must visit list for the year is the Palomar Observatory.

The observatory is owned and operated by Caltech. The observatory is home to five telescopes that are nightly used for a wide variety of astronomical research programs. The research is conducted by Caltech’s faculty, post-doctoral fellows and students, and by researchers at Caltech’s collaborating institutions. The Palomar Observatory is open to the public daily (except December 24 and 25) for daytime visits.

There are two tours on Saturdays. They only have 25 spots each,  so make sure to get there early. Pack a picnic and be prepared for a great drive!

The interior of the 200-inch dome is kept at nighttime temperatures (for an elevation of 5,500 feet!), so make sure to bring a jacket!

For additional info and driving directions head here.