Yerkes Observatory

The space & spaces tour was life-changing. Ken was an incredible tour guide — you can see how passionate he and the rest of the staff are about the history and future of this observatory. I enthusiastically recommend getting tickets this tour!! We went at 2:30pm on a Saturday with a large 40+ person tour group, but it felt so intimate. Thank you so much for your knowledge and for keeping the observatory lights on. I can’t wait to be back.

We brought my brother & wife to visit Yerkes. What an incredible place & experience! Such history! To think that Carl Sagan, Albert Einstein, & many other notable geniuses walked the halls & worked here. The architecture is absolutely beautiful & intricate. The building was erected in just 2 years. You wouldn't see that done today. The telescope itself is unbelievably huge! Our gude was extremely entertaining, knowledge & passionate. The tour was 90 minutes long. There are grounds & trails you can walk. There are no picnic tables. We had brought chairs & a picnic snack to eat because of the timing of our tour (1:00). We had planned to eat at a park but ran late & didn't want to miss our check-in time, so we set up the chairs in the grass & ate. This is a gem in the beautiful Lake Geneva area. Well worth the experience .

Our son and daughter in-law reserved a tour online for 4 of us. This was day after we visited museums and Nay Pier in Chicago. I suspected we would enjoy the Yerkes tour (I’m an amateur stargazer with 2 telescopes), but the facility and tour was clearly highlight of our greater Chicago visit. Yerkes has an amazing history and the tour guides and presentations were excellent. We even spent $246 in the great gift shop.

My wife and I took a tour of Yerkes Observatory last week (July 2025), and we were both thrilled with the experience. Just driving to the Observatory and parking our vehicle we were in awe of the architecture and the huge domes that house 3 telescopes. Yerkes has the world’s largest refracting telescope that was built in the 1890s. Our tour guide, Charlie, was outstanding. This extremely informative but NOT boring tour takes you through the history of Yerkes, how it was built, why it was built and the wheeling and dealings that got it built. We discovered all sorts of information about the building's architecture from the exterior of the building to ornate entryway and classrooms. We toured the room (it is the size of a school gymnasium) that houses the refractor telescope and saw how the entire floor raises up 22 feet and rotates to align with the rotation of the earth and the night sky. We also toured the old library and saw images of Einstein when he visited Yerkes. We also saw Carl Sagan’s signature on an “Astronomy 101” book he checked out when he was a student here. There was much more included in the tour, I don’t want to give more away so you can discover it for yourself. If you love architecture, science, astronomy, famous scientists, and other cool things you MUST take this tour.

It is hard to imagine that just five years ago there were plans to tear this beautiful facility down and put up hundreds of condos! History would have been lost to greed and lack of respect for history and historical events. Over 180,000 glass photo plates of astronomical confirmations and discovers are housed there, some of which you can get a first hand look at when you take the behind the scenes hidden areas tour. My family and I enjoyed the hidden spaces tour guided by an enthusiastic member of the staff who explained the history of the building, it's criminal founder and all the astronomy that took place over the years all with a hillbilly humor! He was genuinely proud of the conservation of the observatory. We also experienced two telescopes, one the largest refractory over 12,000 pounds that you could move with one hand! Plus you experienced the opening of the dome, it's rotation and lifted by the largest elevator that brings you up to the telescope and then back down. You will have to walk a bit and be willing to climb spiral stair cases, bend under pipes and go in and out of AC to some warm cramped spaces, but it was all worth the time, about 2 hours and the money, a personalized tour. We would do it again and want to see more spaces!

Stunning observatory, wonderful tour. Our guide Walter oozed knowledge and passion. He explained the history and architecture of the observatory in an engaging way, interspersed with amazing stories and humor. Rebecca, one of the volunteers, also accompanied us on our tour and was very knowledgeable and friendly - really appreciated being able to throw space questions at her and learn a bunch. The observatory itself is just wow. The history, the discoveries made here, it is beyond belief. Not to mention the building is beautiful - everywhere you look there is ornate detail and it all carries such significance that will be explained to you on your tour. Overall, cannot recommend this place enough. Do a tour!

We visited this amazing observatory on Saturday, April 19. It is a wonder of astronomy, cosmos, astrophysics and architecture. It was built by the University of Chicago and opened in 1897. Some very famous folks worked here - Mary Ross Calvert, Edwin Hubble, Otto Struve, Gerard Kuiper, Nancy Grace Roman, Carl SaganKyle Cudworth and a special visit by Albert Einstein. I can’t say enough about the property and arboretum. There are so many surprises everywhere you look when in the main building. Our tour guide Jana, was very passionate, knowledgeable, and energetic during the tour. There we many opportunities to touch items and see during the walk. The highlight was seeing the 40” Great Refractor telescope which happens to be the largest in the world. A must see! Such a GREAT tour!

This was an absolutely amazing and incredible experience and tour. It was in gaging educational, fun and interesting. I love all architecture the details in the stones. The area was absolutely gorgeous. Our tour was amazing his name was Ken! He had so much knowledge it was incredible. The telescope it larger than life and I was captivated by it. I was on the 1030 tour July 7th. I will be back and I’ll bring my Dad and stepmom they’d really enjoy this tour.

Can see the stars! Deals with anything astronomical. Nice area for picnicking because of its nature and quietness when the weather is nice and grass is dry.

Yerkes Observatory is a local treasure that is well worth a visit. The grounds and building are amazing. So much detail inside and out. All is well maintained. Lots to look at inside. The tour is a $10 donation and you get to see the 40" refractor and learn a whole lot in just an hour. Our guide was knowledgeable and made things easy to understand. They have evening activities that cost more but weather permitting, you can look in the refractor or reflector. Small but mighty gift shop.

Absolutely fabulous - this was one if the best and most fun things I found to do in Lake Geneva. The Yerkes Observatory was opened in 1895, funded by a financier named Yerkes, as part of the University of Chicago. First of all, the building is magnificent. The style is mainly gothic with ornate carvings inside and out. One of the things that makes this really terrific is the people who do the tours know all about it and love what they do. When built, the telescope was the largest optical telescope ever made. Unfortunately, the tours are during the day so we did not get to actually use the scope. But, they do occasionally open for evening tours. We tried to sign up for one, but they canceled it due to uncertain weather. The tour takes you through only some of the facility. While the primary scope is no longer used, there are people who study and work at Yerkes. We had to stay out of their way. The highlight of the tour is going up to the observatory to see and learn about the telescope and the room it is in. The observatory is quite large. The floor is round. What makes it most interesting is the entire floor raises and lowers to bring observers up to the telescope eyepiece. Normally, the floor is down so tourists can simply walk out onto it. We were very fortunate that some work was being done that caused them to raise the floor. We were able to watch the floor being lowered by the hydraulics. The cost of the tour is $8 per person, which is collected in their gift shop after the tour is over. They have the normal selection of t-shirts and hats. They also have lots of kid's toys. And, if you have a real interest in astronomy, they have books, photographs, and even glass slides taken through the scope.

The maximum five stars+. This place is a hidden gem that may be shutting its doors forever, so please hear me out. I came here when I was about my son's age for a school field trip. Don't remember much from my trip (this was 35 years ago) but I do recall thinking the place was really cool. Fast forward to 2018. I read recently that Yerkes is on par to close its doors later this year, for good. My sons school has no plans to get him here so I made sure he got to see a great piece of American history. I highly recommend doing their tour. You can come in and wonder a bit on your own but the real reward comes with the tour. Aside from a cheap asking price, the experience and knowledge you get in one hour is well worth it, and offers you a unique look at the observatory. Our tour included the history of the key figures who financed and built the observatory in the late 19th century. It also covers the building design, architecture and hidden nuances. Last but certainly not least we were escorted into the large telescope room where we were not only given a detailed history of the telescope, but also got to experience all of the moving parts, including the telescope being moved and the floor raising. This awesome piece of American history may soon be gone if not for a sudden influx of interest and funding. Do yourself a favor and make a visit here, and by all means, bring children here to experience it as well. This place is a hidden gem that can leave an incredible and lasting impression on the young, old and all ages in between. Cheers!

Glad we were able to get a tour on the last day there were offering them. The University of Chicago is shutting it down October 1st. It was pretty neat to see a piece of history. The tour guides were very nice and knowledgeable. It's sad to see this historic site close. I hope the U of C will find a buyer that will keep the observatory open for the public to enjoy.

We went to the Yerkes Observatory on a lazy Sunday a few weeks ago, and it was such a pleasant experience. Our tour guide was a Mr. Richard Dreiser, and he was absolutely phenomenal, and one of the best parts of the guide - his soft, soothing voice and knowledge base made the tour absolutely sublime!

If you live in or visit this area, definitely stop here. It is beautiful, even for those clueless about astronomy. The tour is insightful and fun. I visited Yerkes in '04 while staying at the Lazy Cloud (see my review). It was snowy, serene, and beautiful. I still have a picture of Einstein taken (and purchased at) at Yerkes hanging in my office.

I had a great time at Yerkes on one of their regular Saturday tours, offered at 10am, 11am, and noon. This is well worth the suggested $5/person donation. As we were there over the 4th of July weekend, there was a large group waiting to begin the tour. We ended up being split into two groups, each doing a different part of the tour at the same time. My tour started with our guide taking us outside and explaining some of the history of architecture of the building and continued inside. It truly is a wonderful building to see with old architectural elements. We were also told of the history behind how the observatory came to be built - it's funding, it's designer, and some of it's past discoveries. For the second part of the tour, we were taken inside the dome to see the refracting telescope. A very neat experience, as the astronomer moved the dome, moved the telescope, and even moved the floor of the telescope. Both guides welcomed any and all questions. You could tell they knew a lot about the building and astronomy. I totally geeked out and loved the whole experience. There is a little gift shop located in the observatory. They have black and white postcards for $0.25-$0.50, as well as some science items for children, and of course, Yerkes Observatory apparel. You bet that my husband took home a t-shirt for $13. Overall, a great time. i would highly recommend to anyone - with or without kids.

I have to give my tour of Yerkes Observatory a rating of billions and billions of stars. Yes, it was that awesome. The park-like setting is lovely, the beaux-arts architecture of the building is gorgeous, the humongous telescope is a wonder, and the two fellas who lead the tours were great. The first half of the tour included information on the history of the observatory, the donor who funded it, the architect who designed it, and the architecture itself. The individual who gave the talk on these topics was fantastic. He had a good presence and delivery, and clearly knew WTF he was talking about. Hats off to him! His charming wife runs the gift shop, and I had an engaging conversation with her as I settled on the really cool souvenir I selected to bring home with me. The gift shop is small, but well-curated, and the nifty items featured there are certainly reasonable priced. Thanks for that, Yerkes Gift-Shop Lady! The second half of the tour was held in the observation room of the 40-inch refractor telescope, and it was every bit as fine as the first half. That talk was given by researcher who has intimate knowledge of all the decades and decades of scientific research conducted at Yerkes. He was great. . . And it gets even better, if you can believe that. Since my party included a scholar who just arrived from China the previous day, he gave us a special private tour of the archives and 24-inch reflector telescope. I, my friend David, and our jet-lagged Chinese student were all delighted. It really does not get any better than this. Go there now before it closes. . . It is sad that the University of Chicago has decided to divest itself of this amazing historic site, but that is what is in the works. It's a great day trip for anyone in the Milwaukee, Madison, or Chicagoland areas, and all this wonderment costs only ten bucks for adults, and eight bucks for children.

We were here this past Saturday for the first time and absolutely loved it. The grounds are stunning and the building itself is an architectural masterpiece inside and out. We decided to take the guided tour and I'm so glad we did. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining and the tour was full of obscure facts and stories about the people involved in the creation of this place and its history. Before you go on the tour, take a walk around the inside and take a look at all the beautiful photographs of various space oddities and of the people involved in bringing this dream to life. The photographs of the Columbian Exposition are particularly interesting. The tour included going inside the dome to see the 40" refractor telescope. Our guide explained in detail how it worked including a demonstration of how it moves to remain focused on a particular part of the sky as the earth moves. The best part was when he manipulated the floor. I'm not going to explain this so I don't give it away but it's VERY impressive. After the tour, be sure to visit the amazing gift shop. It's not overly large but there are some very unique gifts and lovely items for sale. Pick up a t-shirt at least because every purchase goes towards the funding of this beautiful place. Finally before you leave, take a walk around the building and be sure to admire the plaster castings on the building of various astrological symbols and phases of the moon. They don't do work like this anymore and it's pretty amazing. Several times a year, the observatory has special night viewings of the sky through the telescope which you can sign up for on their website. Check it out. We'll be going in the near future because it's sure to be awesome. You don't get many opportunities like that so if you're even remotely interested in space or constellations, I highly recommend this place.

Awesome history of this building and stunning architecture!!! The telescope itself is located up a large flight of stairs which made it inaccessible to our group due to physical limitations - that was disappointing. We did see photos of it but we're unable to participate in he guided tour. Friendly staff and other things to observe and read on the first floor, but it seems there's room to improve upon and modernize signage, display cases, etc. You really step back in time in here! Cute little gift shop with a few science and astronomy-themed items. A unique attraction to come upon in this sweet town!

This place was awesome! Was able to look through the telescope and the information provided was great.

Besides the lake, this is Williams Bay's big claim o' fame, and with good reason - the University of Chicago built it in the late 1800s, and for about a hundred years it housed the world's largest refracting telescope. Scientists from all over came up to Yerkes to study the night sky, as the observatory is convenient to Chicago and Milwaukee but far enough to offer an unobstructed view of the stars. In fact, there is an amazing photograph dated about 1925 I think where a bunch of serioius-looking astronomers are sitting under the giant dome. At the very end of the row is a small little man with wild white hair and big eyes dressed to the nines in a suit - Albert Einstein. I still get the shivers when I go in there and think about him looking through that giant telescope. Awesome. The obervatory is sadly no longer in the Guiness Book, as some lame place in Arizona stole our thunder; but it is still a premier facility for U of Chicago professors and experts of the sky. You can tour for free on Saturdays, and often during meteor showers or rare comet sightings, they'll have night tours where they'll let us normal folk come in and look through the scope. The grounds are vast and green and beautiful; the buildling itself it covered with intricated stone carvings of gargoyles and globes and is architecturally very unique. Another fun fact: the crappy late 90s' movie "Chain Reaction" with Keanu Reeves, Morgan Freeman and Rachel Weisz was filmed partially on Observatory grounds, too. It was pretty much the biggest thing our town had ever seen. Except, possibly, for Mr. Albert Einstein studying the night sky on our turf. That's sorta cool, too. ;)

Found a 2 for 1 admission groupon and decided to check it out with my husband on a Monday during non-tourist season. The tour started at 11am, there is a sign on the door that someone would come out 5 minutes prior but someone opened it for us 15 minutes prior when we arrived. Our guide, I believe Tom was his name, gave a thorough history of how the observatory was built and pointed out stories behind some of the architectural details. At the end, we walked into the 40 inch refractor telescope area. Note - you don't get to look thru the telescope during this tour. They have special programs for that which I might go on with my dad who is a large astronomy buff. You pay at the end and there is also a small gift shop. We had about 12 people on our tour including us - the gift shop was cramped so I handed my groupon and we left. This link has info about Saturday verses the weekday tours http://astro.uchicago.edu/yerkes/visit.html If you have those in your group interested in astronomy and/or architecture, then this is a great place to visit. ---------------------------- 3 stars Yerkes 40 inch $100 per person telescope viewing As a birthday present for my father, my mom & I splurged thinking of the cost as a donation. At first I was told it would be limited to 12 people on the tour, but when we got there, there were 16 people. I think if you pay $100 per person the limit should be 12 or less. If each person spends 2 minutes looking at 1 object in the sky, 16 people will take 32 minutes! There is a short introduction and then our guide looked for the first object which he couldn't find. He did find Jupiter but by the time my family was able to see it, it was cloudy. The rest of the tour was cancelled and the money refunded due to clouds. I did think it was generous to refund all the money - we put money in the donation box. Note that the floor changes levels so you can't leave to use the restroom for the entire time (about 2 hours) unless you make everyone else wait for you. I have a feeling that the $37.50 for the 24 inch is a better bang for your buck if you are interested in doing this.

Holds the largest refracting telescope in the world -- this place is not only a marvel of space, but the architecture of the place is amazing. For free, or a small donation, you can visit this place on weekends. Currently it is waiting to determine its fate as development company's lie in wait to build around the historic landmark.

This place is so fantastic! I can't believe I have friends & coworkers who visit Lake Geneva regularly who haven't even been here or noticed it's giant dome on the horizon! They give tours on Saturdays at 10, 11 & Noon - the tours are free but they don't mind a kind donation to help maintain things. The architecture alone, both inside and out, is gorgeous. You can completely walk the grounds to admire the outside. The tour guides are brimming with knowledge & enthusiasm & a bit of humor, too. There are plenty of displays & photos & a little museum inside too, along with a gift shop. It's a very short drive from downtown Lake Geneva so if you are in the area, check it out!

Nice to read the other reviews. I went there today and was turned away. The University of Chicago is uncomfortable with disabilities. The U chooses to turn its back. It's a long way for me to travel -- I used their full-color brochure to check on hours of operation and location. They don't even advertise that I am not allowed in the building. Would have saved time, money and my dignity. I remember being turned away years ago from a restaurant at noon -- because it had a men-only lunch rule. I swore that would never happen again. Years ago the restaurant door was literally slammed in my face as my colleagues went in.

Local historical treasure! Tours will end October 1, 2018 if there isn't a way to save this site. You don't have to be an astronomy geek to appreciate the beauty of this building, the technology it heralded and the history it holds. We have lived in the area for four years and this is always a must-see when we have visitors. I wish we had deep pockets to save this treasure!

We decided to add some education to our Lake Geneva vacation and stopped here for the tour. It was quite an interesting tour which included seeing the large telescope and the platform it is on. In addition they had many other exhibits on display about science. The ground were well kept and allowed for pictures at a distance from all sides. There is no fee for the tour however they do ask a donation of five dollars in order for upkeep which is very reasonable. There is also a gift shop with many interesting items available.

Lots of great history here. Hard for little ones to stay entertained. Also great for architectural buffs as the building very ornate

Amazing! Happen to be here on a very rainy day. Still able to enjoy the fabulous architecture and astronomical history which was established in 1897. The tour guides are extremely knowledgeable.

My wife turned me on to this place even though she has not had training in science: This place is so cool on a number of levels: archhitecture, history, academic politics/culture at the U. of Chicago, technology(the whole floor can me moved up and down so the the astronomer won't have to climb a ladder in the dark!), astronomy(science and history), lovely grounds, programs for the disabled, and symbols. And Spider Man! I love Kimberly N's and Kate M's reviews.

The Tardis lives! Look at the pictures and you'll see what I mean. The tour was fascinating and informative. They even raised and lowered the floor and rotated the dome. A step back in time. The architectural details were over the top. Gorgeous. Wow!

Pretty difficult to get in, but once you do it is worth it. You must email them and wait for a response of when to arrive, so make sure you're able to plan for that. Also not accessible to those unable or unwilling to climb steep winding stairs. The sights are something to see though! We saw lots of stars, nebulae, Jupiter and some of its moons, and Saturn and its rings! Definitely recommend going if you can

My husband and I went up there on a Tuesday in the spring and there was a fairly large group. It was interesting and beautiful. We are already planning a trip back.

Highly recommended. Beautiful grounds and fantastic 40" refracting telescope that dates back to 1893. Lots of tie-ins to Chicago history, from the Columbian Exposition to Frederick Law Olmsted-designed landscaping to Charles Yerkes, the scheming transportation magnate who helped create "The Loop" in Chicago, as well as the London Underground. Take advantage of this great public space and view the wonders of our solar system when you are anywhere in the area!

The Observatory is a hidden historical treasure - both astronomically and architecturally. It will be a shame if it closes.

Just relocated to this area and plan a visit to this icon soon! Question....where can one purchase a nice black and white photo of the Observatory...would like to have it framed. Is there a gift shop on the grounds? Thank you.

What a fun tour! Beautiful architecture, outstanding tour guides, and fascinating history. The telescope is a marvel!

Enjoyable for all levels of "Geekness" The architecture, the grounds, the view, the history, the dedicated and friendly staff, and yes, the telescope: INCREDIBLE. I just took the tour that I knew about for twenty years and kicking myself for not doing it sooner. Our tour guide was very informative, not only on Yerkes history, but astronomy and Chicago's connection to this facility and area. He was very pleasant an humorous. The director, Dan, led the second half of the tour in the giant dome and I could have listened to him for hours. The University of Chicago has announced that it no longer will be funding the operation so more people have to be made aware of this significant site. The staff stresses that they are NOT closing in October but are exploring future funding sources. Anyone who has spent time around the beautiful waters of Geneva Lake knows of Yerkes, now go and learn something. (And spend some money in the unique gift shop) Enjoyable for ages 8 to 80. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60395-d283909-r567340872-Yerkes_Observatory-Williams_Bay_Wisconsin.html#

Friendly staff, interesting tour, glad we went. Sad to here that U of Chicago is pulling their support, hopefully private funding becomes available.

This place is very cool. It is owned and operated by the University of Chicago which offers free tours on Saturdays. First off it is still the largest true refracting telescope in the world although it was built in the 19th Century. The explanation is that, because of the physical structure of glass, any lens of a wider diameter would collapse on itself. Second, the architecture and detailing is amazing. Third, it sits in a large very attractive park-like campus on the shores of Lake Geneva. Fourth, it is historically important as the birthplace of modern astronomy and astrophysics. This is where they first started applying principles of chemistry and physics to understanding the universe and it was the first observatory to contain physics and chemistry labs. Previously astronomy had mainly confined itself to "star gazing." Fifth, it has viewing nights open to the public. It is on the National Register of Historic Places for both for its architectural importance and the significant role it played in the history of modern science.

This is a great place of history significance! I love going here and they do offer on Saturday nights observing one with their 40 in telescope. A great experience if you never seen the star through a telescope. Great employees!

Sharing a view with Einstein. The history here is great. To think about the scientific minds that have come to ponder the universe here is amazing.