UT McDonald Observatory Reviews

Beautiful views and an expert staff make for an astronomical adventure. Stars have interested me, but this place will make them pique your interest.

The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory is located just west of the West Texas town of Fort Davis on Texas State Highway 118, within the Davis Mountains. McDonald is a very interesting night observatory with a strong public education and outreach program. The observatory is family friendly and is a good place to learn and experience a little bit of astronomy. Highly recommended, especially for families!

Wow. For people into astronomy, a place with some serious telescopes for anyone to see. Starry night program is a must see. Great facilities and staff

Kid friendly exhibit area. Small eating area with limited menu. Nice souvenir shop. Lecture hall. This is where the tours and star parties begin.

Mcdonald observatory was an amazing experience for everyone we went with us! The location is full of stunning views in the daytime which are only beat out by the insane scenery that can be seen at night.
If you get the chance to visit during one of the observatories "Star Parties" they offer views of many different stars, galaxies, and nebulae through smaller telescopes set up throughout the facility which is a truely awe-inspiring event.

Great observatory that has public tours of the scope

Go online or call to schedule maybe a week or a month before heading out. But if you re in the neighborhood it s a cool place to visit even if you don t get to use a telescope. They have a short film, cool gift shop, a mini museum and good food.

Very interesting and a great place to see the stars, moon and several planets!

An amazing large Observatory, with really great dark skies! The drive is also very scenic.

This was VERY interesting and lots of fun. We stayed there 8 hours because we went to 3 programs. Daytime (All about the Sun), Twilight (All about the planets), and Star Party (Best part! We got to see two satellites fly overhead, the moderator pointed out all the constellations that were up at the time, and we got to look through a good number of telescopes to see galaxies and Saturn. Beautiful! They have a great gift shop and a nice, decently priced restaurant. If you ever get out to West Texas, be sure to make a trip there. Note! Get your tickets online ahead of time to avoid missing out. We got lucky, other people canceled so we were able to attend all 3 programs.

We attended the Star Party on 3/10. Absolutely fascinating information and exhibits. The staff and volunteers were super friendly and very informative. I know little about astronomy, but found the entire program fascinating. Our 4YO daughter had a blast seeing stars, clusters and the moon through real tellescopes. I'm sure we will visit again!

It's was super cloudy the night we went so they offered a refund ( minus $3 handling fee )

What a cool place to visit. Way up in the west Texas mountains. Just to get there is an adventure.

Clouds moved in so the star party was abbreviated, but the staff is very good at making the indoor programs fun and interesting. I would definitely go again even if I knew the skies wouldn't be clear.

Great staff, clean, and wonderful educational experience for the kids. We didn't make it up to the big scope. But, we did attend the start party. The laser beam and presentation was cool. The telescopes were a little disappointing, just little grayish dots in a lens. Summer is apparently the better time to view the nearer planets and galaxies.

Attended the Star Party while working at Buffalo Trails Scout Ranch this summer and had a great time. The employees were knowledgeable and made it entertaining for everyone who attended.

Lots to see and learn. Star Party was very informative. Would have been nice to see inside the telescopes though.

I love this place even just walking around and enjoying the fresh wet air. Its a beautiful experience. We always seem to miss any viewings or tours but still its a great drive and wonderful.

A Texas treasure, one of my favorite places on the planet!

This really is a historical site and it is awesome to learn and look at the stars

Great gift shop in a spacious, clean environment. Good day or night.

Outstanding facility. We have a great time we visit for a star party.

The star party was great. Register online and get there on time. Great intro to astronomy.

Too much cloud cover for the star party - but plan B was fun. Will definitely come back and try again.

Cool place to visit, the drive there is really nice and scenic. If memory serves me correct one of the Scopes was 40 tons and they moved it around with a half horsepower engine, magnificent if you like physics. =)

Overall we enjoyed the tour of the telescopes. However, we weren't impressed with the facility. Several of the exhibits inside the visitor center were broken or not working. The staff was there, but that's about all I can say about them. They were bodies doing a job. No real personal skills. If you have small children like we do, I would recommend just showing up for the tour. The 30 min video followed by a 45 min presentation of someone talking at you was a little difficult for our kids.

Fabulous star party event, using telescopes to explore the sky.

Love it. Limited things to do in the daytime though.

Definitely a stop you want to make if you have a group traveling with you. The daytime showings and star parties are worth every penny!

I learned more things than I had ever forgotten about space and how we map it.

We saw a cloud party, but the facility was nice and very informative.

Loved it. The staff was friendly, and knowledgeable and the star party was AMAZING.

Oh man this place is so cool. You definitely want to do the Star Party!

I was greatly disappointed . I was here well over 10 years ago during Spring break when they had videos of pictures taken by the Hubble Telescope. That is gone. They have developed a cattle call method of doing things with very limited education. But they are all very kind and sweet.

Good. Excellent daylight science presentation. A little long in duration to keep my kids all interested.

Make reservations for the star parties that are held Thursday through Saturday. While you wait for the party to start you can shop in the gift shop, grab a coffee or snack from the star cafe and check out the exhibits and history of the observatory. We went when it was cloudy but they still did their best to put on a great program. The drive up there is worth it all and the song is true, the stars at night are big and bright!!!

Had never seen so many stars....got to look through 7 telescopes...

A really awesome experience for anyone interested in astronomy. The main building has a nice gift shop with some interesting memorabilia and educational books, a snack bar that serves very nice food (I'd recommend the brisket quesadillas), and a large auditorium for lectures. Visiting the actual telescopes and looking through them was amazing and something you need to experience. The area has almost no cell reception except for a few parts on the top of the mountain.

Amazing facility and staff not to mention the dark skies full of stars, worth the long drive. A trip we will long remember!

Attended a star watching party. Absolutely amazing.

The star party is a must see if you go to the observatory / West Texas. Try to go on a night with a new moon(no moon in the sky) or crescent, sometimes you'll luck out like we did and the moon was behind the mountain, allowing us to see the band of the milky way.

Even with clouds we still got to see a lot at the start party. The facility is clean and well taken care of as well, and the cafe is good too.

So great. Learning about the constellations was the best part, but make sure that you also look through all of the telescopes at the Star Party.

This is a must do on any West Texas trip. The Star party has become a tradition for us especially when travelling with first timers. The experience is dark as there is very little lighting and it can get cold in the evenings so bundle up. There is always a variety of telescopes to look through, and many times we haven't been able to see all. The facility is top notch and the staff extremely knowledgeable. Make it a point to visit at least once!

Great event. Too many people. Viewing lines are long.

If you're going for the star gazing then my advice is to order online even if the online source says they have plenty of tickets.

We came here during an unfortunately rainy and cloudy night for a "Star Party". They took us on a very interesting tour of the facilities instead!

Another must visit place in Big Bend area. The facility is great. The staff work hard to make your visit as educational as possible.
We attended SVN: special viewing night and experienced the sky watching using 82" telescope they have. For 3 hours we all were taken on a tour which we will not forget. Very enthusiastic and educated staff, including our host who is actually a volunteer, worked for NASA before!
Cafe is good, but don't expect a whole lot options.
It is usually cold at nights on the mountains, so don't forget to wear or pack warm clothing!

Wow, the folks at the observatory have a passion. Nice facility and the star party is fantastic.

Great and informative staff that explains all the details of the different telescopes set on top of a mountain close to Fort Davis,Tx. Easy parking with Handicapped parking close. Beautiful scenery.

Great visitor's center and opportunity to stargaze with some experts through professional equipment. It was cloudy the night wr visited though.

Our guide was fantastic and even got to meet an astronomer!

Cap excellent place to visit. Recommended for people of all ages.

We went for the Star Party. The moon that night rose after midnight giving us a dark sky full of stars. The evening starts with the "constellation tour" where they point out the important constellations and explain a lot about the night sky. It is extremely well done - interesting and informative for all but those who already know astronomy well. After that you get to see various planets, constellations and such through six large telescopes - around 20-25" diameter. There were four of us in our group and the Star Party was a high point for every one of us.

Great staff and great information. Did the star party and had a blast! Very reasonably priced

Saw the planet Saturn for the very first time. It was amazing to say the least. Also, they do an excellent job with informing and entertaining guest when sky conditions are not the best. Enjoy!!!!

I have been coming here for two decades, and I love this place. The sky parties are amazingly fun, and even though I go all the time, I still anjoy them. The Powers of 10 video has been on here for most of that time I think, and its fun, but these days I usually skip it to spend more time in the telescope garden looking at Saturn s rings or the Andromeda Galaxy or whatever is on offer given the season. I was telling someone about the 13 signs of the zodiac and how precession had moved WHICH sign you are and they were very unhappy to hear that. They had a lot invested in their old sign it seems. Warning: Do not go if facts bother you. :)

Informative staff, visuals, and affordable souvenirs add to the fun & wonder

Fantastic experience. Go for a star party or the 2pm Sun tour.

Great place to take school-age kids. The star parties are very informative and entertaining. Drive the entire scenic loop that takes you to the observatory.

Unfriendly staff and watch out for early closing. We arrived 10 minutes before closing. The door was standing wide open so after driving all that way we decided to go in at least for a few minutes. A woman rushed over and blocked the door and told us we couldn t come in because they were getting ready to close. My partner noted that it wasn t closing time yet and the door was open. She leaned out toward him, further blocking the doorway and said in a louder voice - I SAID WE RE GETTING READY TO CLOSE. Wow.... OK. As we walked away I heard someone inside say that they should just go ahead and lock the door already. I agree. If you re going to treat people like that, please go ahead and shut the door early.

Very interesting to learn just a little about this vast universe.

One of the darkest night skies areas in the world. Well worth the drive from anywhere. Purchase your tickets well in advance of your trip, they sell out extremely fast. You may be put on a wait list, be flexible with your schedule. The drive from Ft. Davis is beautiful, watch for deer and wild boar, especially after sunset.

The sky party was truly one of the most amazing nights ever! We were traveling from Big Bend and got incredibly lucky with tickets. They normally sell out weeks ahead but we got the LAST three tickets available for the same day - a Tues night sky party. And even more lucky, it was one of the clearest nights they had and the moon set with the sun so it was especially dark. The informative session of the tour is great and you learn a lot in the outdoor observatory. Then there is plenty of time to go to the different telescope areas (I think we went to 10). Saw Saturn, star clusters, nebulas, etc. The astronomers were so friendly and knowledgeable. Truly worth the visit. It was a cold night so dress warm! We stayed the whole two hours and I waited until most people left to take night photos with my tripod to make sure the lights didn t disturb the other visitors.

Unfortunately the observatory is now closed to the public ...

Worth the drive hell the drive upthere is awesome for motorcycles the roads are not bumpy at all the turns are magnificent.
Food is pricey and limited but well worth the visit

Very neat and interesting museum. The visitor center was well dine, complete with a foods vendor. The employees were very friendly. My only wish was that I could have done a night tour, unfortunately I didn't plan far enough in advance. Great place for the family to visit!

Go to a star party- incredible views and very knowledgeable guides.

Went to the Star Party. Very informative and fun. Went with the whole family. Highly recommend.

Star Parties or a tour of the McDonald Observatory should not be missed when traveling to West Texas.

This place is great. We were able to attend a very detailed and fun presentation about space, facts, stars, and more. Although weather conditions prevented us from doing the star party they still provided some other activities for those of which signed up and even provided refunds or reschedules. They have a nice gift shop and is a very nice activity for a family.

This is one of the most amazing thing someone like me can do in a lifetime. Being able to see in detail what is out there in space is truly an exilarhiting experience. When you finally reach the destination if it is at night and clear you can see stars unlike any other place. It's clear and vivid. When you are able to look through a telephone WOW. That's all I can say. Words will never describe this it's just something a person has to physically experience. I recommend going to everyone who will read this. Must do!!!

A bunch of the stuff inside was broken. The lines for the star party (to use telescopes) were 15-20min each, so it didn't work so well with kids. The presentation for the star party was mostly a guy going on and on, I do not think it was the best presentation of information.