San Jose California offers various diverse attractions, great shopping opportunities and is often picked as a great weekend getaway destination. There is more than Silicon Valley, high tech and startups in San Jose. And whatever your interest is, or the purpose of your visit might be, there is one attraction you shouldn’t miss: Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton in San Jose! Why, well keep reading to find out!
Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton in San Jose – What is it?
The Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton in San Jose is part of the University of California Observatories. It’s a campus for astronomy research. But more than that it is famous because it is the very first mountain top observatory ever built in the entire world! Though the Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton is a scientific research institution, it is also open to the public, and it allows you to learn a lot about our solar system, planets and other interesting facts about space!
Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton in San Jose – Where is it?
The Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton was built at the top of Mt. Hamilton, away from light pollution of the city, and high enough for one of the best panoramic views in the bay area. So whether you are interested in astronomy or not, you should consider taking that scenic drive. The view of the valley, and on a clear night, of the sky will leave you speechless. You can see all the way to the San Francisco bay!
Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton in San Jose – What to do there?
There is one top reason why you can’t find a real good excuse for not visiting the Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton in San Jose: it’s free! But on top of this, it’s super interesting. The observatory is open every afternoon and closes at 5pm. So if you want you can pack a lunch and get there early to enjoy the surroundings of the observatory, and then visit it! During your visit, you get to enter the original dome of the observatory. Here you can learn a lot about the history of the observatory as well as the latest developments of the industry. Then you will get to check out the telescopes and learn how to use them and where to look out there! Various programs are offered throughout the year, the most popular one is the summer program, which includes lectures and observation of the sky through the telescopes.
This is not the best kid attraction, as they might not be very interested in science yet, but there are always exceptions!
So if you have extra time in San Jose, make sure to check the Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton, we all need to be taken up in the stars sometimes!
