Science Center – OLD

So Much To Do!

The Green Bank Science Center offers regular tours and presentations and features the Catching the Wave Exhibit Hall, the Galaxy Gift Shop, and the Starlight Café. We recommend planning 2 hours for a full visit.

Admission

Science Center Admission is free! Fees are charged for public tours and some programs.

  • See our Hours and Admissions page for more details, or call 304-456-2150.
  • See below for tickets and program information.
  • Advance reservations are required for groups, field trips, special tours, and some events. See below for details.

Our masking guidelines are determined by local levels of COVID-19. Signage at our entrance will let you know whether masking is required. We do have masks available if you do not have your own.

Regular Offerings

Explore the fascinating world of radio astronomy!  The tour highlights groundbreaking instruments and discoveries from the 1930s to today and offers a close-up view of the Green Bank Telescope, the world’s largest fully-steerable telescope!

The tour begins in the Science Center with a dynamic presentation and introductory video. Then we climb aboard our radio-quiet bus for a behind-the-gates tour of the observatory grounds and an up-close view of our telescopes. This family-friendly tour is our most popular offering.

  • $10/person, various discounts apply. See Hours and Admissions for more details.
  • Tours are offered at regular intervals every day the Science Center is open. Call or visit our online store for available times.  (304)456-2150    shop.greenbankobservatory.org
  • You may purchase tickets online in advance or on site as availability allows. 
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What IS radio astronomy? What can it teach us about the Universe?  Explore these and other questions with our interactive exhibits and historical displays.

The Galaxy Gift Shop offers apparel, collectibles, and the best variety of educational toys around. Indulge your inner scientist! Educators enjoy a 10% discount in person at the gift shop.

Can’t make it for a visit? Shop from home on our online store!

Online Shop

Dine at our award-winning Starlight Café and enjoy the scenic view! Our menu includes a selection of fresh foods and snacks with generous portions and affordable prices. Cafe-style seating is available indoors in the atrium or at picnic tables on our outdoor patio.

Order onsite or call ahead to place your takeout order – 304-456-2361. Last hot food orders are taken a half-hour before close.

Café Menu

Take a self guided tour or hike or bike one of our many trails. The grounds are open to the public every day from dawn to dusk.

You may also take a self-guided walking tour of the grounds using this map, which is also available to pick up outside the entrance of the Science Center. A walk to the Green Bank Telescope is 1.5 miles one way, following our scale model of our solar system (that’s 3 miles round trip!)

HIGHLIGHT PLANET WALK, NATURE TRAILS

Above: Catching the Wave in our exhibit hall.
Left: Go behind the gates on a Guided Bus Tour!

Special Tours

Celebrate the Green Bank Observatory’s historic role in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence!  We begin where it all started, in the control room of the 85-ft Telescope used by Frank Drake in the original search, “Project Ozma”. From there, enjoy rare admittance to the 140-foot telescope, where Jill Tarter’s Project Phoenix took place, and then to restricted GBT access points. The tour concludes in a conversation with a staff astronomer about the future of SETI and the role of the GBT in the Breakthrough Listen project.

If you’ve ever wanted to be inside our operation control rooms or to speak to one of our radio astronomers in person, then this is THE opportunity of a lifetime!

  • Tours are scheduled on select Friday afternoons April – October. Due to high demand and limited capacity, tours do sometimes sell out. See our online shop to see available times and purchase tickets.
  • Background screening required; reservations must be made at least 48 hrs in advance to guarantee completion.
  • Ages 12 & up.

Accessibility Note: Portions of this tour require climbing stairs. Some accommodations can be made with advance notice. Please call 304-456-2150 or respond by email to your order confirmation.

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Join a conversation with an Observatory engineer as they pull back the curtain on our labs, telescope receivers, and the GBT control room. See what makes our observatory one of the world’s leading radio telescope facilities!

  • No photography of any kind is permitted inside the Jansky Laboratory.
  • Tours are scheduled on the 2nd Thursday of every month. Tours begin at 3:30 PM and end at approximately 5 PM; tour length varies depending on the engineer leading the tour and the size of the group.
  • Background screening required; reservations must be made at least 48 hrs in advance to guarantee completion.

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Family Programs

Take advantage of West Virginia’s dark skies! Green Bank Observatory staff will treat you to views of the night sky through optical telescopes!  In the event of inclement weather, we will have indoor activities available.  Parties last for about two hours, but we encourage you to arrive within the first hour.

Make an evening of it! Come early and enjoy dinner at our Starlight Café. Call ahead (304-456-2361) or stop by to get your order in before 5 PM. Pre-paid pizza orders can be picked up any time during the star party.  

  • Parties are scheduled monthly and start approximately a half hour after sunset. Keep an eye on our events calendar and social media for dates, times, and weather updates.
  • Please sign in at the front desk in the Science Center when you arrive.

Get your family started in science! Kids will love our fun-filled hands-on science experiments! 

  • Ages 4-9
  • Select Saturdays, 1:00-3:00 PM. Keep an eye on our events calendar for dates.
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Crawl into our planetarium balloon for an indoor tour or the night sky!

  • Select Sundays. Keep an eye on our events calendar for dates.
  • Space is limited. Reservations recommended.

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Education Programs and Field Trips

We create field trip experiences that meet both the national Next Generation Science Standards as well as state-based science learning goals. We also offer Scout badge weekends and a variety of research opportunities for K-12 and College students. Visit our Education pages for more detailed information.