Took an incredible tour with two very informative and incredible tour guides. We were able to get…read moreclose to the telescope and operate a simulation on how it works. It was very cool and we enjoyed our time here.

Yesterday (March 18th, 2025) we made the drive up to Mt. Palomar Observatory, something my…read more93-year-old father-in-law said he wanted to do. Seeing this wonder had been in the back of my mind as well, so I said, "Let's do it!" Having only recently lost his wife, through tears he explained to our amazing, friendly and knowledgeable guide Christi that he'd hoped to bring her up to the observatory someday, but she passed before he'd had the opportunity to do so. To Christi, he said, "I'd love to look through that 200" telescope and try to find my wife in Heaven." Definitely a tug on the heartstrings moment... and she responded with the sort of compassion one would expect from a family member. As other reviewers have noted, the public is not allowed to look through the scope; that privilege is reserved for nighttime astronomers. News to this 70-year-old reviewer... learn something new every day! That said, Christi explained to us the intricate construction of the telescope, the "re-mirroring" every two years, how the entire dome rotates to accommodate the different astronomers' needs, why the inside of the observatory is kept at a chilly 40°, and so much more. She told us she was "...new here..." but would answer as many questions as she could. Well, I'm a questioner, especially when seeing an incredibly complicated device such as the Hale Telescope (named after astronomer George Ellery Hale). Christi was able to answer most of my inquiries, and I have no doubt she will research the answers to any questions that stumped her. I cannot recommend this young woman highly enough to the powers that be at Mt. Palomar Observatory. Next to the gift shop is a small but very informative room for visitors thirsting for more information. The infinity of the Universe has always fascinated me, along with the mind-boggling intelligence of those who wish to explore its vastness. This tiny room is bursting with their stories. To those who posted "glass-half-empty" reviews here, I'm sorry the wonder of this landmark was lost on you. Perhaps you'll give it another look sometime. Getting a feel for how tiny our little planet Earth is when compared to the infinite puts our very existence into an entirely new perspective.

A great venue. The interior architecture is phenomenal. Sound quality is very good…read more The floor is slightly slanted upward toward the back. There are little sections separated by railings, which add a little separation. We paid for the VIP up top (not the four-top tables). We could choose to sit on a counter/bar stool with a thin-line bar top. But, it was farther back and you looked down at the people in front of you. So we moved to the right side in a standing section. The best! On the rail. Had a table to set drinks on. Private bathroom for upper level guests. Way worth it. One thing I wish they did was sell the 4-tops in twos. They are great. It, it's not always easy getting four people together for a show. Oh. Parking is a breeze. Structure across the way validates for concerts.

I went to the Heated Rivalry Rave and I can say that was such a fun event…read more Purchasing tickets online was really easy and getting in was fast and efficient, I felt like everyone was working together to make it safe and easy. The venue itself is really huge, I've been for a couple podcast tours but it was always seated so getting to come where there was open floor was fun. Lots of space for dancing and letting our little hearts live in the music. Would totally come back or another event here!

Checked out a public star party with the San Diego Astronomy Association at Tierra del Sol. The…read morevolunteers were friendly and knowledgeable, and they let you look through some serious telescopes. Saw Saturn, Jupiter, and a few deep sky objects I've never seen before. Dark sky site is way better than anything in the city. Members were happy to answer questions and didn't make you feel dumb for being new. Small membership fee, but public nights are free. If you're into space at all, it's worth the drive. Bring layers because it gets cold at night. Just a great group of people sharing a cool hobby.

What a great group. I encourage you to come on out and explore the night sky on a public star party…read morenight at one of the multiple sites in the county. Check out the calendar at sdaa.org

5 years later, we returned for another show. Hands down, one of my favorite things to do with my…read morekids. Prices have slightly increased, but show me one place that hasn't raised prices...am I right? This time, we opted for the later show which was a 'full dome movie'. I'd never experienced one before and it was really cool. There are different themes each month so check the schedule. The movie was about extraterrestrial life. There are two powerful telescopes outside. You definitely don't want to miss it. Free parking right across from the planetarium. Mom approved! 5 stars!

Great place for a field trip! The show was very entertaining and educating for my kids. Everything…read moreseemed very organized and clean and I love that questions get answered by a scientist at the end. Parking was easy but costs a couple of $. Plan to be back sometime.

I was staying in Twentynine Palms near Joshua Tree last weekend and decided to stop by the…read moreobservatory on a whim around 11 PM with a couple of my friends. Little did we know that this would be one of the highlights of our trip. Not only were the stars beautiful but we met a very nice and passionate scientist who decided to chat with us and teach us all about the constellations. It was such a treat. He and his wife were finishing up and packing away their telescopes and he told us that they were going to lock the gate of the parking lot that our cars were parked in, but let us know that we could move our car right outside of the gate and stay all night if we wanted to because it was open 24 hours. He also warned us about the coyotes and cougars. Coyotes stay away with noise and cougars are attracted to noise, so pick your battle lol. We definitely can't wait to come back! And it's free!

So many different little areas to put your telescope on and check out the stars. This area is just…read morefor getting together with other enthusiasts and checking out the night sky. Love that this was built just for that purpose.

Loved the hike and enjoyed the view as well as going all the way up. Quiet on a weekday and not…read moremany traffic with people. You would enjoy it if you love nature and birds.

Family-Friendly Hike…read more There are a few caveats before you start trekking your young kids up and down this trail. I'll start by saying that you should think carefully if your children are under 5 years old if you intend to go all the way up/down. The going "up" can result in a lot of whining and complaining for the younger ones. I walked with several kids and they all made it both ways (ages 5- 9), though they were pretty tuckered out at the end. Remember it's about 4.5 miles down and up. The hike itself is worthwhile as you walk through the surrounding area's oaks and conifer trees. The trail is relatively rock free barring a few boulders that have fallen on the path. If you're planning on taking this hike as part of your observatory experience then just park at the top, have some lunch, visit the actual observatory, then hike down and back up. You can also start your hike "bottom up" from the Observatory campgrounds. Though you have to pay 5 bucks for parking down there. - Remember what time the observation parking lot closes when you take your hike. It usually closes at 3 or 4PM. - There is a bathroom ( yuck) at the campsite at the bottom of the trail.

Great telescope accessories!…read more Nice work on what you have created. It is a pain in the butt to worry about where your eyepieces and accessories are.

I bought a Shannon Telescopics EP tray about two years ago. At first I found it useful for my…read moreeyepieces and the hand controller, plus any other accessories I needed while visually observing including filters and flashlights. But since I moved on to imaging, I have not used it much recently. It is a great item if you are into visually observing as it provides numerous holes for you 1.25" and 2" eyepieces. Plus it has to cutouts for the hand controller of your goto Nexstar telescope. As I said, since i moved on to imaging, I have not had the inclination of using the EP tray, but I would recommend it to anyone who is using their telescopes for visual observing. It is a great accessory to have.

This place is really a nice space and perfect for an intimate concert experience. I really enjoyed…read moremy experience here, and this place will live on forever in my memory as I got to see my favorite band perform here. I will say, I read in previous reviews that the sound seems off. I will admit I feel like I felt the same way, however I would be willing to bet that this was more of an issue of the band's sound techs rather than an issue of the venue's acoustics. To anyone reading this, go to a show here in confidence.

First time here and they definitely did impress…read more Staff was friendly and quick to make drinks and get people through the line. Security was nice and friendly even when I was in the wrong spot. The venue itself is more intimate, which I enjoyed, but they still had some seating they had private spots and even some reserve reserved or VIP tables which I really liked and I think I would get next time I came here. If you have a band that you enjoy, this is definitely a good venue if they're playing out to go check them out. Easy to get to via Lyft. And in a nice location in the downtown area.