Best FREE date or family outing ever! Have you ever seen that scene in "Half Baked" where Dave Chappelle is trying to take Mary Jane out on a date, but has no money & even has to steal change from a blind beggar to buy her ice cream? Skip the ice cream & come here! This observatory is owned by the City of Lincoln, & is operated by volunteers. Every Saturday night, visitors are treated to a short film (usually about the current season's constellations). A volunteer will then tell you what's happening in space news right now (Mars exploration, meteor showers, etc.). Then, you'll head out to the observation area, where they roll back the roof & set up 2-3 telescopes. You'll get a chance to look through each, & a friendly volunteer will tell you WHAT exactly you're looking at. It's a tiny building on the south side of Holmes Lake, so if it's a warm night, you can take a romantic walk along the lake if you like. Or, head over to nearby Goodrich or Baskin Robbins fo some ice cream :) TIPS: - Check the hours on the website before you go. - Watch the film first, then do the scopes. - Bring your kids!! read more

Hyde Memorial Observatory - Hyde Memorial Observatory - Observatories Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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We were late one afternoon at the Hyde Memorial Observatory. You do not believe what you will see Very nice indeed !!! It has a garden in the center. that seems fake .. read more

I cannot say enough good things about our experience at the Observatory on August 21, 2017 for the Total Solar Eclipse. The volunteer workers were so friendly handing out glasses. The head man was so knowledgeable, giving everyone information about when it would begin, when we could take our glasses off, and when we should put them back on. We came from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and we could not have had a better experience even if we had made reservations to be somewhere else. I don't know what other types of programs they have, but I would definitely add Hyde Memorial Observatory to my list of places to visit in Lincoln. read more