Snow King Observatory & Planetarium

This was a very different experience than most that you have in Jackson hole, but it was wonderful! Definitely brand new and they’re still working out their processes and kinks, but I would recommend doing this experience while you’re in Jackson hole specially the evening star viewing version of it. JOE was extremely informative very passionate about space and all the things pertaining to it! Kaylee was also very informative and knowledgeable during her portion of the evening. Anyone that has any interest in space, our solar system, or just cool telescopes should absolutely go!

Joe Zator and Matthew are incredible and extremely knowledgeable. If you get a chance, definitely spend an evening learning from them while enjoying the beautiful facility! They give you access to essentially the entire complex and show you the telescope they use, and tell you how it works. We’ll definitely be doing this experience again when we’re back in Jackson Hole! We went at night and it was amazing to be one of the only people at the top of the mountain!

This was a very cool experience for our family! We unfortunately visited during a full moon, so the star experience was somewhat less vibrant, but the team was exceptional in creating a beautiful experience. They are still working out some kinks- we bounced around a bit trying to find the gondola parking location (the Snow King resort staff had no idea about the observatory), and while the observatory team hasn’t quite perfected their presentation/script, it was very exciting to see the stars from a powerhouse telescope. Additionally I would have loved the opportunity to purchase prints of the Snow King Observatory artwork displayed in the lobby. I think with a little more curation and polishing of the presentation this could be a real shining star of an experience in Jackson!

Dr. Joe spent so much time explaining and answering questions during our visit. We enjoyed our time at the observatory and planetarium!

All I can say is "WOW!" What an incredible experience! Not only is the facility truly amazing, but it is set amongst absolutely stunning views of Jackson. But that isn't even the best part---Joe Zator and the team are wonderful! The levels of professionalism and approachability are only matched by knowledge and enthusiasm! The Snow King Observatory and Planetarium is an absolute MUST visit...and visit again...and again..and again!

Staff (5/5): The staff were highly knowledgeable (especially Matthew) about the topics they spoke about. Facilities (4/5): the facility was nicely built, was clean and well maintained. We just anticipated it would be bigger and more interactive for kids. I would not recommend bringing small kids for the day programming. Experience/Value (4/5): I would say the experience is not the best for young children as there isn't a lot of hands on experiences for them. It's mostly all educational. I thought it was going to be bigger with more interactive experiences for children. I have a ten year old who thought who thought it was good but was bored about 5 minutes into the educational talk. She loved the movie in the planetarium. We saw the movie, Edge of Darkness which was interesting. Unfortunately the solar telescope was put away when we were there because there was a chance of rain, so we were bummed we weren't able to see that portion.

I try not to leave to many one stars but this was a bit of a disaster. My mom bought tickets for the "Observatory Night Experience- tour and show" and when we arrived we were told it was closed for a private event occurring the same night they had sold us tickets for. My sister and mom drove all the way from Texas with my self coming from Colorado with a two day window. They did refund us but does not make up for the travel time and cost to get there. We also had to wait until the next day to request a refund. This maybe a one off but this private event had to be planned, but nothing was said until we arrived. Event was scheduled for 10/13/25.

We had such a good time visiting the new Snow King Observatory on our recent trip to Jackson. The staff were all very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and friendly and made our visit truly enjoyable. Seeing a show in the planetarium was such a cool experience. The best part though was learning about their telescope and seeing it up close and personal. After hearing about the telescope and seeing some of the pictures it has captured left me amazed. Our trip left us with a sense of wonder and a new fascination with space!!