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.

Exploring the Night Sky Tour Dates for Summer 2024

Exploring the Night Sky with the Great Refractor tour tickets for Summer 2024 are available now on our ticketing website! We’re pleased to announce new youth pricing for this experience starting in June. For youth ages 13-18, prices are now $85. Adult tickets are $140. With only 12 tickets available for each tour, this exclusive…

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Welcome 2024 Yerkes Research Interns!

Yerkes Observatory is proud to offer immersive, hands-on internship experiences for current or recently graduated undergraduate students. During their time in Williams Bay, interns will engage with research focused on digitizing the Yerkes glass plate collection and collecting data with our 24″ telescope, support observatory outreach, education, and public programs, and explore the amazing science…

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Yerkes Observatory Announces Play/Space

We’ve launched a crowdfunding campaign to construct Play/Space, an astronomy and science-inspired, fully accessible playground at Yerkes. Our astronomers and staff worked with Monstrum, based in Denmark, to design a unique 7,000 square foot, 26′ tall playground inspired by a supernova–a luminous explosion of a massive star or white dwarf triggered by runaway nuclear fusion….

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Exploring the Night Sky Tour Dates

With only 12 tickets available for each tour, this exclusive evening illuminates the inner-workings of Yerkes Observatory after dark. Curated by our Telescope Team, each tour features a viewing of the cosmos with the largest refracting telescope in the world if skies are clear. If skies are not clear, we’ll delve into Yerkes vaults with…

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Solar Eclipse Open House

Join us for our Solar Eclipse Open House! We’ll have a livestream of the total eclipse, *safe solar observing outside if the weather is clear, family activities, presentations, and more for your family to enjoy. Want to learn more about solar eclipses before the event? Check out our solar eclipse page here! The Open House…

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