Lick Observatory

Ambiance:
* Parking | When hitting the hill from Quimby Rd, it’s about a 45 minute drive and it can be quite curvy. In regards to parking, we got here on a Winter Break afternoon Monday where it wasn’t too pack bt parking can be limited.
* Feels | A very family friendly place with lots of information to learn about the history of the mountain and the observatory. There are events seasonal that I recommend looking into.
Overall | 4 stars. The drive was time-​consuming but enjoyable. The view itself is quite unique as you’re basically leveled with the clouds. A hidden gem in San Jose for those that are into sight seeing. If you have the time, I recommend checking this place out.
Advice:
* Check-​in before you lose signal at the hills.
* Road becomes more narrow a quarter of the way for about a mile so be careful when driving.
* First quarter of the drive is when you can see the city, afterwards is parts of the city and San Jose greenery.

This is in the hills of San Jose, but will take you about an hour to get to even if you live in San Jose like I do. It’s a twisty winding road getting here, so if you have a problem with long twisty roads, this journey might not be for you.
We reached the top and surprisingly the parking was free, as well as the entrance fee. So technically there is no entrance fee! They do take donations and would like you to buy something from their shop to support this place.
The story goes that James Lick was old and dying and wanted the world to remember him. He had no kids and was alone. His original thought was to build a giant statue of himself at the ports of SF, his second idea was to build a pyramid in the heart of SF, and his final choice which he went with was to build the worlds largest telescope of the time. It’s a breathtaking piece and they give tours every hour.
The views are amazing here and you can’t believe you’re in San Jose. Can’t imagine how it looks at night or when it snows. Either way, if you’re in SJ give it a go.

In A Nutshell:
–If you are a South Bay resident and have always wondered what that white-​domed shaped building is up in those beautiful rolling golden hills is, well take a short drive up and see.
–The trek isn’t bad at all, it’s actually very short and very, very relaxing.
–Once you get up to Lick Observatory, you can soak up the scenery around you by snapping selfies and the view of the Silicon Valley and South Bay below you.
–Inside the old building, you can find a small museum selling souvenirs, some NASA space educational information on several HDTV’s and some public restrooms — there’s even a small Post Office inside.
Overall, you can take your car, scooter/​motorcycle or road bike up to Lick Observatory. It’s very safe, but just practice smart-​sense road awareness and respect your fellow human :)

Took the kids on a journey yesterday made it to the top of the mountain good education place for kids and adults if you ever have nothing to do com check it out very nice place after all these years great pit stop after that 19 mile winding rd they have snacks and drinks and nice people the view is awesome. Go by if your ever close by

The ride to get to the summit of Mt Hamilton can be a little pain… even for a motorcyclist! but the view is like…“Woah” ! amazing all way long!
You can get an outstanding free tour of the 1888 telescope (a gem of historical astronomy) given by a passionate astrophysicist. The lecture is interesting and easy to understand.
The telescope and it’s surrounding building are an archive of technological development. You need to tour and read by yourself (the guide is only here to give an history lecture about the telescope), they trace back from the construction era to newest techniques developed for space observation through photos, old prototypes and antiques, and TV/​slide show presentations.
Do visit this place. You’ll see some really interesting innovation (for the 19^th century!), enjoy a great view and get smarter ;)
Small snacks, souvenir shop. Visits are free.

The bf & I loved this place. The view going & up there is amaze-​ballssssss. The drive going up there consists of tons and of right & left turns & ups & downs. So warning to those people who gets motion sickness. This might be your worst nightmare :)) The observatory was pretty neat. The ginormous telescope which really is the star of the show, the mini museum they have going on, the cute gift shop was great also. Free parking. Free admission. Educational. And did I mention the amazing view!!!

TOO AWESOME
Okay, so it takes a while to get here. The road zig zags so much that you feel nauseous at some point.
But you get up here and it is a sight to be seen.
Even if you’re not a space nerd, you become one instantly.
The highlight of the observatory is the massive telescope (to say the least). It’s owned by the UC and used seemingly ²⁴⁄₇ to explore supernovae, galaxies, moons many many many light years away.
The fascinating part is how the the floor of the observatory moves up to get you up to look at the telescope. The dome rotates to allow for pin point views of the sky.
This is a landmark that everyone should check out.
Tip is to bring a lunch picnic basket and enjoy it during break time outside and admire the views.

A true jewel.
Worth the bonine I had to take to keep my cookies on the drive up.
You can get tickets for events on line.
We got two great lectures and we got to look through two of the telescopes.
This is a good activity for children 10 and up interested in astronomy.
Eat before you go… there are only snack (vending machine) food at the sight. One time we took a picnic lunch, but it was difficult to find a comfortable location to eat.
Also recommend you bring sweatshirt and head cover in case it is cold and windy at night.
There are books you can read on the life of James Lick. He was an interesting man.
Don’t miss the opportunity to discover the legacy gift of a man I consider to be the greatest local color eccentric San Jose was fortunate to claim.

There’s not too much to do up here, and the windy drive up to the observatory is long, but the view from up here is pretty nice.
The observatory is small and there are actually two sections you can explore. Both are a short walk from each other.
While you’re at the observatory at the top of the hill, they do presentations on the telescope every so often. So you can look out for that. It’s a the end of the hallway. Turn right as you walk in.
There is plenty of parking up here, and there’s cute things you can get in the gift store.
BTW, come here in the afternoon, they are not open at night :) Unless you’re a VIP member or something like that and they’re holding an event for their members.

An underestimated/​unknown place a little ways away from San Jose. Born and raised in San Jose for 23 years and even being a UC grad, I have not heard of this place until recently. I regret not having visited before since I heard that the UC system has cut future funding for this place and that it can very well be closed by 2018. SAVE LICK OBSERVATORY!
We didn’t come in time before they closed at 5pm (last free tour at 4:30pm) but we still walked around and enjoyed the summit and view. I need this place to still be available so I can come back and visit the inside! All I want to do is touch the resting place of James Lick and walk into the 120 inch telescope pretending I’m Dr. X in Cerebro.
This place is GREAT for visitors, San Jose residents, and aspiring astronomers of all ages. It’s at the highest summit of Mt Hamilton at 4000 ft elevation and it houses 7 telescopes, including the original Lick telescope which has been there since 1888 (that’s 126 years!!) and it is still in use! This place has been here before San Jose was even a city. Aside from the amazing scientific discoveries and research being done here, the history of it is a great story.
Do not underestimate the drive there! We took the Alum Rock way to avoid the steepness of Quimby (as per the suggestion of Unilocalers). Roads can get narrow at parts, just drive carefully and share the road with cyclists and other drivers. The drive in my opinion is more nauseating than difficult, but then again I wasn’t the one driving. 25ish miles, 360 small/​sharp turns, and 50 minutes of driving. Don’t worry there’s many occasional turnouts for yakking while the rest of your car can enjoy the valley view while also holding your hair back.

SAVE LICK OBSERVATORY!
I was first brought up here as a young child in the 50’s. My father saw snow on the mountain from our house on McKee Road, and decided to show my younger sister and I what snow looked like. However, what looked like a beautiful blanket of snow from the valley turned out to be less than 1″ on the ground.
In the following years, I hiked to the top when in the Boy Scouts, bicycled to the top when I was in high school (not as steep as you my think), and for a while had a tradition of driving to the top during sometime between Christmas and New Years Day — ideally on New Years morning to watch the sun rise.
Visitors can access the main dome. There are a lot of displays, and an excellent gift shop. There are also hourly tours of the main dome and the 36″ refractor Lick telescope (largest in the world at the time). The tours are outstanding. If you are lucky, the tour guide will show you how the floor around the scope moves up and down depending on the angle of the scope. Amazing hardwood floor, too. Curves in a circle.
When the children were of an age to appreciate it we began taking them to the summer visitor’s programs, and my wife and I attended a number of the ‘Music of the Spheres’ programs. The visitors programs usually included a lecture by a renowned astronomer or astrophysicist followed by a viewing through the Lick telescope. The Music of the Spheres had a very eclectic variety of musical performers, plus a lecture and viewing.
I can’t believe the number of valley residents who have never been here. I know the road scares many people away. I’ve never counted, but I’ve been told that there are 360 curves in the 19 miles from Alum Rock avenue. However, the road is not really steep, and there are a lot of turnouts. The road is very popular with motorcyclists, and they can handle the road much better than most cars so use the turnouts and let them by.
Anyway, back to my original statement. The University of California in its infinite wisdom has decided that 1.5M/year is too expensive to keep the observatory in operation. Never mind that this amount is less than UC Berkeley pays its football and basketball coaches (How’s that working out for you, UC?).
Anyway, visit the website
and write an e-​mail, make a donation, or whatever. This is much too valuable asset to see it go.
Just my $ 0.02
Update — UC has rescinded their plans to close this facility. Apparently, there was a very large public outcry, and UC listened.
Oh, I heard today, on KLIV radio’s valley history segments (The Valley That Was) that Mount Saint Helens was also considered as a site for Lick Observatory. Glad that did not happen

Great views and a really nice getaway. The employees are super nice and very informative too.

From San Jose, look to the east at the top of the mountain, see those white thiings that look like clouds that NEVER move, That my friends, is Lick Observatory! I have driven up here only a handful of times (4 times), and every single time I enjoy myself!
The drive up there is a trek, but I absolutely love it! I went up there on Sunday morning with my good friend Maddy, and there was a very soft brisk blanket covering the summit on our way up, but it was gorgeous. The road is trecherous and curvy all the way up the summit, so I recommend you be an experienced driver. On that note, PLEASE BE COURTEOUS of cyclists and hikers on the way up AND the way down. When passing them, try to not do it on blind turns as you may hit an oncoming car or cyclist!
The drive up gets me every single time! I drive up the Alum Rock side and sometimes drive down the Evergreen hills side. As you progress towards the summit, you will see the air become nicer, and the sky become bluer (on nice days). Even the trees and leaves near the summit change, becoming red. The trees themselves are red!
Once you reach the peak, there is a small town that surrounds the Lick Observatory, with a small school, and a few houses. It is eerie up there, quiet and calm. There is so much peace up there. I have only been inside the actual observatory once, becasue it is usually closed when I get up there, but it is really neat! It has the massive telescope, and a richter scale or seismographer. The people are all very welcoming and informative! The tour is free, but short.
The view from the peak outside the Observatory is breathtaking in whatever direction you look, may it be to the east and see Stockton, or to the South and you can see Morgan hill and Mt. Uhumunum, or to the west and see San Jose nestled in the valley. Sunset up there are a mavel as well. The stars and city are also something to definately check out, may it be from the summit or even on the drive up there!
Overall; this place is a very nice escape for me, and I enjoy it very much. The drive, the scenery, the people up there are also really nice. The Observatory has LOADS of history which to be frank, is all really interesting! I place to definatly check out if you have a few hours to kill, a full tanks of petrol and a camera

There’s a fantastic view of the starry sky at night that you just can’t get in the city. It’s like city lights but 10x better. The only downfall is the drive up there which is dizzy and long. I came on one of the summer night programs where they bring telescopes and also we get to look through the big ones too! The 40 inch reflector and the 36 inch refractor.
The light from the stars they showed us traveled 25,000 light years to get to our eyes. It’s very beautiful up here.

Fun way to spend the afternoon!
Spectacular views. The Great Lick Refractor is enormous! So cool!
The tour guide mentioned they will be closing the observatory to the public in 2016 for lack of government funding.
So if anyone is well connected to Washington DC or is a philanthropist please help keep this historical site open.
Would be a shame to lose access to such a historical piece of technology here in Silicon Valley…
I flew over this site in while flying a Cessna 172 in May 2014. Check out the pic!

In all fairness, this review is a combo of my two visits…
Once when I was 10 and the other a few weeks ago (I’m now 48, BTW.)
What a cool place — and I’m not even into astrology (heh, heh… yeah, I know it’s astronomy… I think.)
I rode my bike from San Ramon to the top of Mount Hamilton (whew!) with some friends (we travelled the less-​frequented road up the backside.) It’s a great ride, but travelling by car is probably easier.
Upon arriving at the top of the mountain, I was amazed to see the little village scattered about — observatories, sleeping quarters, a schoolhouse, the visitor’s center, assorted houses and various other structures.
The main observatory is a fascinating place to visit — check out the telescope — wow!
From the mountaintop, San Jose is an afterthought — hardly noticeable off in the distance.
What a great place to explore and get away from town. It was just as cool the second time as when I first visited 38 years ago!
5 gazillion stars in the galaxy… seems like a 5 star review on Unilocal hardly compares.

A Bay Area monument. WE MUST SAVE THIS ICON! Lick Observatory is the first observatory built on top of a mountain! Home of the worlds largest refractor telescope. We can’t thank Mr. James Lick enough who had the hobby interest in astronomy and the vision to build an observatory.
Even the original Native Americans who lived here saw this mountain as sacred and also used this area to view and track the night skies. So this mountain legacy is in the stars!
Always an interesting visit. Been here about 15x and we are Lick supported members. Nighttime public visits are by limited ticket access. Nighttime access is policed so you won’t get past a checkpoint without a ticket and your name on a special list. Rarely do you get internet access but I had enough for a Unilocal CheckIn and my Skywalk app.
Through telescopes we saw the great Ra with all it’s glory, M3 and Saturn and a variety if other nebulas.
Outstanding lecture by local research Astronomers from Bay Area university. The conversations that the kids have with the staff are always fascinating and it stimulates their interest in science and astronomy. The astronomers and the amateur astronomers who volunteer here focus on awakening the public mind in layman terms.
The amateur astronomers are so supportive in the Lick Observatory community and their passion that they volunteer to drive up to the mountain and set up their equipment for the public to view.
Small snacks and gift shop open for souvenirs and bites and drinks such as lemonade, coffee, hot cider and tea.
We had a wonderful chat on the drive up and always drive via Quimby. Never get tired of the valley void of any people so close to Silicon Valley. It’s a County Park full of wildlife like deer and boar.

It is amazing that roughly 150 years ago when mountain lions and grizzly bears owned this steep mountain that this road was chipped away mostly by hand and sweat to be able to build these beautiful structures.
The building inside is quite gorgeous! Beautiful craftsmanship. James Lick is buried underneath the large refractor, so thanks again Mr. Lick for your vision! We enjoyed our wonderful late late night.

Wow. Love this place. It truly is worth the windy-​ass drive. We took the Quimby Rd route going up and although the views are gorgeous, I just about had a heart attack on some of the steep switchbacks. Skip the steep route and take Alum Rock Rd via 130 to get there — just as scenic minus the crazy-​steep road.
I saw hardcore cyclists and even a few hikers coming up the mountain — kudos to them. Like most folks, you’ll drive up there. Parking is limited, but there are designated Handicap parking for those who need it. The bathrooms are clean, there are snacks in the vending machine and a cute little gift shop selling something for everyone — postcards, Tshirts, tote bags, posters, books, etc. Take time for the tour of the 36-​inch Refractor. It’s free and the guide is knowledgeable.
The view from the Observatory is totally worth the drive. It’s breathtaking. Since we just had some rain, the hills are green right now which makes the drive up even better. Bring a light jacket even when it’s hot in the valley, you never know if it’s going to be chilly up there.

Came here with my bf. I’m taking astronomy and my teacher suggested coming here for extra credit. I also want to mention that the drive SUCKS. Its a very windy road so beware!!! Head aches, dizziness and nausea may happen to you! You also have to be very focused driving these roads because you could definitely drive off the mountain.
Anyway, we finally reached the top and it is very peaceful, cleansing and BEAUTIFUL!!! We got there at 3 and watched the sunset. We finally went in to see the telescopes a little after 4 (they close at 5) there wasn’t much t see. There also was only one worker there, that ran the gift shop. We went to see the old telescope and she also showed us in. The old telescope is pretty magnificent. We went to the newer telescope and it wasn’t as interesting as the old one. Would I return? Probably not. If you have patience to drive a long ways and if you love astronomy, you should go up and see it.

The drive up was beautiful and relaxing… very easy to get too. We pulled up and found parking immediately. The view was gorgeous, but so so high up that its hard to even tell what anything was on the ground.
I LOVED the inside of the observatory. Its exactly the same as I remember when I was a kid. I love the smell of old buildings. The «tour» of the telescope was interesting, but my kids wanted a more hands on experience… which you’ll get if you drive up on a Friday night for their summer program.
I would absolutely recommend coming up here. Pack a lunch and just enjoy yourself.
Few things: This is a hot destination for motorcycle riders. They race up the hill, park and chill then race away. They are pretty safe, but just beware. There are also a ton of bicyclist on the mountain. IMO bicyclist think they own the road, so downhill they will ride in the street and not move. You will have to trail them until you find a safe place to go around them. So rude.
Last… Lick Observatory has no recycling bins. You have to throw your cans/​bottles away with the trash, or take them with you. Its just crazy to me that a place like this that NEEDS money and asks for your support by purchasing from their gift shop… doesnt collect recycling. Recycling is a big deal and adding a few recycling cans to this place is a good idea.
We’ll be back for the Friday night program!

We found ourselves needing to make the long drive to San Jose to pick up one of SC’s latest and greatest firearm from LC Action. Being the enthusiastic multi-​tasker that I am, I made the executive decision that we would make a day out of it and play tourist in San Jose.
Mount Hamilton and Lick Observatory were on the short list of must sees.
The location and views can’t be beat. We walked throughout Lick Observatory and along the top of Mt Hamilton taking pictures and breathing in the fresh air.
Crowds are manageable. When we went, there were maybe 10 – 15 other people.
I highly recommend. This place is amazing and definitely worth the drive up the mountain. Go. Take your time and enjoy.