William D. McDowell Observatory — Attraction in Lyndhurst

As part of a University/School, the observatory is a cool place for anyone interested in looking at the stars and planets above. The school-staff is really nice. The group sizes were decent when we went-any more and it would have been very crowded. There’s no way to determine the crowd size though so it’s a gamble.

On our visit, we were shown craters of our moon, Saturn, and Andromeda. Due to light pollution, Andromeda was hard to decipher, but the Moon and Saturn were quite clear. Other than that one annoying person who must take a picture of every single thing on their phone- the rest of the group was pretty chill.

The entire experience takes about 2 hours. But you can leave anytime. If there are too many groups, the wait times might be longer.

It’s a great experience for kids but since it’s only open on Wednesdays in the fall, you will be risking tiring them on a school night.

Could be interesting date option. But there’s no food or restaurants nearby.

When you get there, the parking lot is super dark to prevent light pollution. It’s a good idea to bring a flashlight. But don’t use it inside the observatory.

When we went, there was no cost or reservation needed. Just be sure to check the...

You would never know this place existed unless someone told you or you searched it on Google maps. It's open every Monday and Wednesday from 8-10 pm weather permitting. According to their page they update a recorded message on their hotline number indicating if they're going to be open that day. When I was there I viewed Jupiter and it's 3 orbiting moons and then they moved the observatory to view Mars which wasn't as cool as Jupiter. It was just a small orange dot. I believe they view different planets every week/day that they are operating. The staff are volunteers and obviously love their scope of work and are very informed. This place is a great place to bring the kids to or go to on an after dinner date....

Visiting the William D. McDowell Observatory was truly amazing! As someone who has studied astronomy for over a decade, I deeply appreciated the quality of the Ritchey-Chrétien telescope, especially its ability to provide detailed views of Jupiter and Saturn’s rings. The retractable dome setup adds to the experience, making it an excellent spot for observing the night sky. Highly recommended for my fellow cosmic enthusiasts looking for an uninterrupted...