News

Want to Know What's Happening Here?

As Yerkes has become a space at the confluence of culture, art, and science, we have so much going on. From our speaker series to our roster of tours to our star parties, keep up to date by getting on our email list, following us on social media, and visiting us in person. We're forever evolving into a place of diverse programs for kids and adults alike. Writers, artists, sculptors, photographers, musicians, engineers, chemists, tech innovators, and astronomers are collaborating to understand how science inspires the arts and how the arts inspire cosmic discovery. We're eager to work together at this epicenter of BIG IDEAS. What was a dormant institution a couple years ago and a construction site under full restoration just last year is now a vibrant place filled with enthusiasm, focus, and new voices in conversation. Discover what’s happening in Cobb & Hale's three domes and the junction of Olmsted ellipses. More importantly, discover how you can tap into the energy.

The Great Refractor telescope pointing at the night sky through the dome's shutter.

We are hiring!

We are excited to announce that we are hiring a new outreach assistant! This position offers a rare opportunity for the right candidate to make their mark on one of the iconic institutions and landscapes in the history of science. The goal of the Yerkes Future Foundation is to ensure Yerkes continues to advance astronomy…

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Yerkes Observatory at night during an open house event

2025 Messier Marathon Open House

Join us for our yearly Messier Marathon open house on Saturday, March 22 from 7:30pm – 9:30pm! We’re thrilled to be partnering with the Milwaukee Astronomical Society, where they’ll provide an educational presentation about Messier objects and marathons, and observing outside if clear. We’ll also have exciting family activities, a virtual reality exploration of gravity,…

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Founding Yerkes Board Chair Dianna Colman Hands Off Leadership

After six years as Board Chair of the Yerkes Future Foundation (YFF), Dianna Colman stepped off the Yerkes Board of Directors last week as her second term as a Foundation trustee came to an end. Mrs. Colman, who was among the leaders of the effort to save, restore, and revitalize Yerkes Observatory that began when…

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The Milky Way White Oak

Solemnly growing near the northwest corner of Yerkes Observatory’s fifty-acre campus, a particular White Oak stands strong. Born in 1773, this White Oak predates the Declaration of Independence by three years and the statehood of Wisconsin by seventy-five. On this parcel of paradise in 1895, ground was broken to build Yerkes Observatory which would open…

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Join us for a Community Day in the Bay!

Join us for a special Community Day open house on Saturday, October 5 from 10am – 12pm! We’ll have solar observing outside on the South lawn if the weather is clear, engaging hands-on activities, scavenger hunts with prizes, presentations from Yerkes astronomers, food for purchase from Pastries by Chad, and more for your family to…

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