The Arecibo Observatory Review

Listening outside the neighborhood must be touching.

Interesting and educational place.
EXCELLENCE staff.
100% recommended for the whole family.

Interesting place most people never get a chance to visit.

Get the VIP tour if you go, it's worth seeing the control room if you can. Unbelievable and inspiring that humans can realize such big dreams!

Take the tour of the operations room. It's worth the extra cost.

James Bond was here.... and now so was I.... maybe science continue to enrich all of our lives... highly recommend it

Very proud of the Arecibo Observatory and the staff. This is a must see for everyone!

Impressive site, you should know it as a family. Children will surely like it.

Cool site! The road is a little bit exhausting but it is worth it.

Interesting and educational. Also bigger than I thought. If your a daring person try the VIP tour ;) you'll like it...

Ignoring the creepy road to get there and being so far from everything, it's a beautiful place.

Very instructive tour guide and the attention of the excellent staff.

Great history of space and atmosphere observation. VIP tour was great but active experiments prevented us for going closer to the dish. Recommend the crazy winding roads to get there!

The Observatorio has collapsed but the memories will last forever. I was fascinated with telescopes when I was in my teens, so my middle school field trip there was really a mind blowing experience for me. This was back in 2006.

Self guided inside, followed by a video, then an explanation at the observation deck. Less than 1hr to do. If interests you go for it!

The research institute must be preserved. The remaining infrastructure has not been destroyed and can continue to be used. Rebuild the radio telescope better and more efficient for the detection of asteroids with radar. Many highly qualified people work there whose knowledge would otherwise be lost.

It's it is a really nice place to explore a little bit more of science

GREAT GEM the drive is worth it plus you get to see something you don't see all the time but definitely a most go and experiance your self.

Something marabilloso the wisdom that God gives to man to be able to handle the so important how that giant plant

Very professional staff and great facilities. A unique experience worldwide.

If there is no close parking it's a 7 minute walk up to a 500 step stair case up to the visitors center / museum. If you can't make the walk they have a van drive you up the road from parking.
The museum does a presentation every 30 mins in English or Spanish. Then they take you out to the observation deck where you can see the dish.

It s a bit of a drive from San Juan but well worth it.

Too bad it was partially closed. We could get to the top of the dish though. I still recommend and hopefully soon they will be fully functional again.

A must see for any science interested people. It is even an extradinaire sight for people not interested in science, I would assume :)

I have been to the place several times and to take children is good since they kill curiosity.

Excellent place to go to visit and learn a little more.

0 stars for the management. They let this amazing telescope rot and now they're going to dismantle it for a damage caused by their negligence in maintenance. Today it's a sad day for science

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Not worth the price tourist trap. I feel like I could read all the interactive information online and saved some cash. Cosi or wonderworks are way better interactive science learning places, cost about the same but are huge compared to this place.

Very nice you have many areas inside that explain what the observatoy is all about plus also workers there who are available to show you and answer any questions you may have also they give a movie before u go outside explaining how deep and how it all bacame about and after that movie they take u outside to see what we all are waiting to see. People are nice and the price for the entrance 12 for adults 8 children and seniors.

If you have an interest in "outer space" than this is worth the trip and to see one of the largest radio dishes in the world. NOTE* if you want to shoot pictures you have to have a normal digital camera because you can not have any cell phones on because it causes interference with the observatory. You have to walk up the steps and should only take you about 15-20 minutes to do but it is all up hill. Once you are up there you will have to get a ticket to go into the museum / theater which also lets you go out to the area to view the dish. There is a lot of information why it was built here and what scientific work it has done to date. Also the movies "Goldeneye" James Bond 007 and "Contact" with Jodie Foster was filmed here.

A modern marvel, great learning experience for everyone in the family

Very interesting. Learned a lot of new info. The hike up the stairs was a little rough but worth it.

Good to see just minimal damage from last year's hurricane to such a world treasure!!

If you are a space science lover you have to visit them here you will see very curious things and you will learn new things and you can buy gifts and even astronaut food among other things and they have cafeteria.

The air is thick, the view was beautiful, museum was small, drive there is amazing, but overall, disappointing.

Not what it used to be 15 years ago. Very small area and small exibits.A huge lack of knowledge by the tour guides.

Fantastic place to visit! It's a fun drive getting out to the observatory, that's half the fun! It's $12 a person for the info center and $25 for the VIP tour.

The info center is a bit small but well worth it since you get semi up close to the dish. There is also a well put together history video you watch in both Spanish and English.

Knowledgeable and friendly staff! My family enjoyed the observatory, exhibits and movie. Be prepare to walk!

Very interesting place. They need to coordinate better school trips.

A good place to take children. very educational We learned a lot. The young people who receive and attend are very attentive. I recommend it.

They should wash the aluminum plates and some weeds in the oval radar dish so that the visitor and tourist appearance is better.

Works till to 3pm, better to come earlier. Was really excited to see that radio telescope!

Lovely to learn. If you are in Puerto Rico you must visit this place.

Great experience. Pay the extra for the VIP tour. Well worth the price.

It's truly inspiring been in a place where so many discoveries were made, we took the private tour and the guide was very nice and knowledgeable

VIP interesting visit, control room of another world, beautiful infrastructures.

Very unique place. People there are very knowledgeable

An amazing place. Excellent for bringing children on educational field trips or just as part of a family vacation.

Very cool, would be cooler if you could drive closer and they did more VIP tours

Kind of boring unless you are really into radio telescopes. Not too many displays.

Excellent place with scientific and educational interest.

Awesome. To get there you have to go through the rainforest, and this in itself is an unforgettable sight. Then when it comes to the real observatory, well the emotion is so great.
It's like living in the Contact movie that was shot here.
Meravisglioso.

Good place for visiting to enjoy nature and technology and to walk off some of the extra calories

Really really cool. There is a small museum outside the satelite that plays a short film explaining the satelite & what it observes. Good tourist spot, although very out of the way

Great working piece of scientific history. Be ready to take a short hike UP from the parking lot, or take their shuttle. In the process of cleaning the reflectors currently.

The Observatory is located in a beautiful part of the island! The drive is thrilling and scenic. The museum is very informative and the telescope itself is simply amazing. Take your kids there! Support science and enjoy this beautiful place to visit.

Made sure to call ahead of time to be sure they're open. I think it's weds through sun. Really nice place, a lot of history and they explain WHY this observatory is SO important to the science/space community. Driving there is a bit of a trek but definitely well worth it!

This place is just amazing. A huge, 1,000 ft diameter spherical (as opposed to parabolic) antenna, basically in the middle of the jungle, located within the karst mountains of Puerto Rico, a very distinct looking area, reminiscent of a smaller version of the mountains of Guangxi in China. A major feat of engineering from the early sixties, this place has lost none of its relevance for science and none of its coolness factors. No wonder it was chosen as a bad guy 'lair' in the James Bond movie "Goldeneye", and also appeared in "Contact". I especially enjoyed two VIP tours, one to see the control center, which I would almost describe as quaint, as it still has some decades-old equipment (or at least rackmounts), combined with modern linux, windows and apple workstations. The other tour leads down directly to the antenna that was built in an existing sinkhole, which is constantly monitored for activity. This place is well worth the approximately one hour drive from San Juan.

Definitely worth the trip! Free parking. Security at bottom of the stairs is there if you require additional assistance with the trip up to the observatory, just ask they will provide shuttle service from bottom parking lot. The admission was under $10. They have vip tours for $15 extra, that takes you down to the edge of the dish. Very informative movie presentation, personal guided tour, guides are bilingual. Mine was working on her third language (French). Very good experience. A must go! Check hours before you go! 10a-3p.

Lots of mountains and vegetation. Quite & a beautiful geography.

Very educational but be prepared to climb a steep hill to get there.