Located on Mount Wilson, a 5,710-foot peak in the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena, California, the Observatory was conceived and founded by George Ellery Hale in 1904. The home of some of the most important telescopes in the development of modern astronomy - including the two largest telescopes of their time - it is a site of significant ...

Located on the summit of Mount Wilson above Pasadena at an altitude of 5715 feet, Mount Wilson Observatory is visible from much of the Los Angeles area. Free of charge, visitors can view the historic Hooker 100-inch telescope from the Visitors’ Gallery inside the dome.

The scientific process of astronomy begun more than a century ago at Mount Wilson continues today around the world and in space with such instruments as the Hubble Space Telescope, named for one of Mount Wilson’s outstanding astronomers.

Mt. Wilson Observatory HPWREN TOWER CAMS – CURRENT IMAGES. CLICK TO VIEW LARGER IMAGE

Mount Wilson’s 60-inch telescope provides incredible views of some of the most beautiful objects in the night sky and is among the largest in the world accessible to public viewing.

Georgia State University's Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy operate the CHARA Array on Mount Wilson. The Array consists of six 40-inch (1-m) diameter telescopes distributed along three arms of a Y-shaped configuration encompassed …

Access to Mount Wilson is via the Angeles Crest Highway (CA Hwy 2) from the 210 Freeway at La Canada Flintridge. Directions given by apps on your phone can be incorrect. We recommend downloading and printing our PDF map with directions here.

Mount Wilson’s newest astronomical instruments are Georgia State University’s optical interferometric array of six telescopes. This facility, located here because of the exceptional seeing conditions, puts Mount Wilson back on the cutting edge of astrophysics. The full array was completed in 2004.

Built in 1936, he Mount Wilson Observatory Astronomical Museum features historical photographs taken by the Mount Wilson telescopes as well as photographic & documental histories of the Observatory and vignettes of current research programs.

The following sites provide weather forecast and condition information and the status of county and state roads that provide access to Mount Wilson Observatory: Current Conditions (Frequently Updated) from CHARA Weather Stations; MWO National Weather Service Brief Forecast; MWO National Weather Service Detailed Forecast