Daytime Guided Tour COMBO (McMath/2.1-meter)

Explore the Nicholas U Mayall four meter Telescope during a ninety minute guided daytime tour at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tucson Arizona. When it first saw light in nineteen seventy three, it was the second largest telescope in the world by aperture. The eighteen story structure stands just below the summit and can be seen from more than fifty miles away. Guests tour both the interior and exterior while learning about its design, discoveries, and lasting impact on modern astronomy.

Today the telescope hosts the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, the most powerful multi object survey spectrograph in the world. Supported by the Department of Energy and led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, this instrument helps map the universe and study dark energy. The program involves extensive walking, including uphill paths and nearly two flights of stairs. Most facilities are not wheelchair accessible. Guests should check in at the Visitor Center at least fifteen minutes before the tour. Advance reservations are recommended. International visitors should carry passports due to a border checkpoint along the route.