Lick Observatory Mt Hamilton Rd, Mt Hamilton

We drove from Livermore on Mines Rd. Don't be in a hurry. It's about 50 miles of curvy road with plenty of switchbacks. What an absolutely beautiful drive! Once you get to the top of Mount Hamilton and the Lick observatory you realize that it was well worth it. Absolutely stunning views. They have both free and paid tours of the telescopes.

The drive up and down is twisty. And you basically cannot park anywhere alongside the road, possibly due to safety reasons. The entrance is free and there are bathrooms. There are exhibits of scientific comments inside, which is pretty interesting to me. Mr. Lick was a millionaire and he funded this observatory.

Before I planned my trip to this observatory I really should of check the opening status for the public visitors Anyway, I had enjoyed my trip, walking around and observing panoramic beautiful view from the up was incredible experience! I hope to come back one day soon and be able to enter inside and check it all by myself #LickObservatory #LickObservatoryCalifornia

Observatory is still closed due to some maintenance and road work after last year’s wildfires, but worth to go there even if it's closed. It will be open once fireDepartment will approve that it's save for everyone. The road is narrow and with a lot of turns, a lot of bicyclists so be careful they are moving faster than a car. Views are amazing! I am waiting for opening!

Splendid view. Driving there is not easy though. The winding road and people who tailgating made it tough. Well, it is worth it once you get there. It is very educational too. I got to know that I used to live in a property in Santa Clara James Lick used to own. Haven't been there for more than a year. Will certain visit it again once the pandemic is over.

One star off for some of buildings in various states of disrepair. Visitor center and the Shane telescope are stunning though. Pro Tip: come up the back of the mountain through the San Antonio valley for a much more enjoyable if longer trip.

The drive is little scary, but the views are worth it

Closed to the public during Covid but still worth driving up for the views. The drive is not for the faint of heart. Still smells strong like extinguished fire months after it was put out. Better water. Use restrooms at Joseph D. Grant Park.

Well worth half a Saturday to visit. One lane roads with "100" switchbacks are not for the squeamish. Tour gives a very interesting history lesson. Hard to believe this event is free. Parking seems like it could quickly run out. The tour gives a very interesting historical lesson and makes you appreciate the founder. Even by modern standards the telescope is a very impressively large piece of equipment. They also offer some opportunities to sign up to actually look through the scope at night. Hard to get tickets.

Open Thursday to Sunday for public. Nice drive around curves from San Jose. Staff do a good job I explaining about telescope. There is telescope show each hour from 12:30 till 4:30. Have good old photographs for display. Limited parking around observatory.

Very scary drive up to the Observatory, so please, take your time and be aware of the cyclists sharing the road. It can be chilly up at the Observatory, so dressing in layers is advised. On a clear day you can see the Bay Bridge, San Francisco and the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge Be sure and take the tour to see the telescopes- it's a short talk but very interesting.

>:( eXTremely upset with my experienc e here!!!!!!!! security did not let me lick anything on the premises i was hoping to at least let my taste buds experience the unique flavor of the telescope lense for old time's sake (rumor has it old glass tastes quite zesty) but no I was flat out denied, no, FORBIDDEN to set foot on lick observatory grounds ever again!!!!!!! you heard it here folks!!!! the name is a lie!!!!!! get your lickings elsewhere i guess!!!!!!! or join me friday night for a mass licking!!! there is power in numbers!!!!!! if there are more of us than them than how could they ever stop us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! mwahahahhahahhahhahahhahahahAAAaHAa

We met the San Jose Indian Motorcycle Riders Group here for a tour and really enjoyed the facilities, the history, the science, the spring water, and wish to thank Joe for taking time to give us all a decent behind-the-scenes look at this fantastic place. All Californians should make a point to visit here and see some great usage of our tax dollars.

The Observatory is open from 12 noon to 5pm but has limited parking. It is free to visit here. It has a gift shop and a coffee machine. When it snows here, the observatory will be closed and there will be no parking anywhere so call and check before coming. Also, State park ranger might block the road going up when it snows even if Caltrans info says it is open. The road is winding so drive carefully, note that bicyclist also use this road and if you have a fender-bender, police will take a while to show up if they ever respond. If you see a spot to pull over to see the view when going up, take it because you will not get that chance when going down. There might be only 2 chances you could safely pull over and get a good view when going back west from the observatory.

Definitely worth a visit if you have some curiosity about space & how people explored the space in early days! One can surely amazed by history and one man ambition (& $$$$$$$$$) to turn this mountain into great observatory! Summer time events are good for kids where you can actually get to see celestial objects thru those huge telescopes. But winters you can find a snow up here! & if you are just looking for some adventure drive then be ready to take those hairpin 360 bends all the way up! All in all, definitely recommended place if you are in Bay Area!

The road to the Lick observatory has many twists and turns. if you haven’t been there before, you should leave some time for driving. Lick Observatory gave me an excellent experience for astronomy and stargazing - I joined “Public Evening Tours at Lick Observatory” event. The astronomers guided us to visit Visitor Center, given lectures for telescopes’ structures, history and functions. After seeing around tool setting and different buildings, they delivered a short history lecture of Lick Observatory, with some hot chocolate and tea - that’s lovely! In the final round, they showed all participants the amazing amounts of stars in the thousands miles away dark sky through a huge, historical telescope, may over hundred years, the stars looked so surreal close. Great place for chilling, sunset and gaining some knowledge, will visit again for sure!

The observatory was closed to the public, but there were a lot of people milling around anyway. The weather was perfect. You can see the burn areas.

Truly Wonderful and Awe Inspiring! I went for a putt up to Lick years ago. A couple was just leaving and a docent (?) approached me and asked if I’d like a tour. She was so friendly and helpful. I got a personal tour of the facility, including the history, how it was built (an amazing feat of precision engineering) and how it was being used today ( >20 yrs ago). I was so lucky to have had this experience. It is mind boggling to think that this piece of precision optical and horological instrument was contrived and created without the aid of computers. Hand built out of wood, metal, glass and plaster the telescope is still a modern marvel over a century ago! What a fascinating place! Don’t miss it.

Situated on top of Mount Hamilton is the Lick observatory. I must say what a beautiful place it is! Standing there you have an unobstructed view of the South bay, and on a good nite you can actually see the Milky Way! Granted the drive is a little hard given all the turns, but once you are there you will be greatly rewarded!

We had such a great "Evening with the Stars for Google" at Lick Observatory! First a history lecture, followed by a science lecture by Dr. Alex Filippenko. Then ample viewing opportunities through the 36-inch Great Refractor and the 40-inch Nickel Telescope with volunteers giving interesting background information. The evening ended with stargazing in the backyard where amateur astronomers had set up ground telescopes to view various cosmic objects. Truly an amazing night!

Best place at altitude ~4200 Ft. to experience awesome sunset in mountains. It’s about an hour drive from San Jose with super winding but so well built and maintained mountain road! So many valley sides are without guard rails so one has to be super careful while driving! While on downhill after sunset you can view the whole silicon valley so mesmerizingly lit up with night lights, it’s beautiful and only to be experienced, words are not enough to describe the scene!

Great place to visit. Beware of the tricky drive but the views of the Bay Area are well worth it! Check out the concert series and telescope viewing opportunities - wonderful evening.

Beautiful panoramas of the bay and a great place to look at telescopes if you're a nerd like me. Sunset is especially awesome.

This observatory was the dream of Lick, who financed and is actually buried under the telescope. I heard that another observatory structure will be built adjacent to and connected with the original building, like two giant balls. Lick will never enjoy these unfortunately.

Good place to visit and watch the clear skies. Easy to spot the milky way from here and take photos of milkyway with mobile phone camera.

It is opened for public., so I am able to climb all the way to the top.

Place was closed so I can't comment on the place inside. The drive to here needs your full attention and very mind full of the blind corners. There is limited parking onsite and Google open hours was wrong for today. About 5 miles to the place they had signs telling you that it is closed to the public. Phone signal is very very limited so if you are using maps, download it first.

Awesome place to ride to. Loved the twisties. Views are breathtaking and you can do the mini tour inside. Check out the gift shop. Plenty of bicycles too and people came in a couple sports cars. The rest rooms are clean and there is water which helps after a ride to rehydrate. The history of the place is amazing considering that a moon of Jupiter was discovered from here. Highly recommend it as a quick stop over.

Here on Feb 21 2019 and it was freezing cold and plenty of snow left from the recent storm. Visitor was open so we had a chance to see many interesting photos and facts about this place. Prepare to deal with very winding and narrow road.

This drive definitely isn’t for the faint of heart! Super winding roads with really steep inclines at times, and it does get a bit treacherous towards the end. The drive is beautiful (if you are able to look away for one second), and the views from the observatory parking lot are great. The observatory itself is interesting (probably more so if you’re an astronomy fan), but we didn’t spend more than about 30 minutes browsing the information on the inside. There is a pretty courtyard and some other outdoor areas, so it’d be nice to pack a picnic to have when you reach the observatory. Otherwise, there are only a couple basic vending machines for food up there.

The observatory is located on top of Mt. Hamilton with amazing view of the valley. This place is visible from South Bay but not many people come up here due to the challenging drive. Be sure to visit during the summer series in the evening to view the night sky through the telescopes.

Beautiful and fun drive up the hill. Views from the top are great. Tour of the telescope is excellent. Would love to book a slot to use telescope. They also have a nice souvenir shop. They have a vending machine for water and snacks. Decent parking.

It’s always a breath taking adventure when I’m way up at Lick Observatory! I had an amazing voyage through the fierce canyons of the Diablo Mountain Range on highway 130 to the top of Mount Hamilton and I am proud to say that I visited the legendary James Lick Observatory at the very top and explored the universe and world from up there. The observatory was constructed between 1876 and 1887, from a bequest from James Lick of $700,000 (approximately $22.5 million in 2018 US dollars today!) Lick, who was originally a carpenter and piano maker, chose the site atop Mount Hamilton and was buried there in 1887 under the site of what is now today known as The Great Lick 91-centimeter (36-inch) refractor, with a brass tablet bearing the inscription, "Here lies the body of James Lick". It’s also the highest point in the entire Bay Area, making it truly a gem! I highly recommend anyone to come to Mount Hamilton. It is the best and greatest astronomical observatory, owned and operated by the University of California. You will honestly forget about visiting the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. Unlike LA, the James Lick Observatory sits at an altitude much higher than of Griffith’s, so therefor there is absolutely no air pollution and nothing but Mother Nature’s beauty and pure fresh air, high above the nasty layer of air quality above Silicon Valley. May this place go on for eternity and bless other people’s lives as it did to mine. Cheers🍻 Sincerely, Omaid

Visited this place on New year's day. The drive up was beautiful. We were able to see the telescope. The story of this observatory was fascinating. It was below zero Celsius when we went .By the time we left , ice had formed on the tree leaves and was falling out. Saw a deer and a coyote on the way back. Will visit again in summer to see through the telescope. Wasn't able to do it this time. During summer we can get appointments to use the telescope. On a clear day this is an amazing place to see stars.

As if the sweeping views of the South Bay weren't enough from the doorstep of the observatory, inside are some great displays on the history of the observatory and changes in technology since its opening. The campus is really impressive and the staff is super helpful. There are also displays on the type of research done with the scopes such a searching for exoplanets and supernovae.

This is a gorgeous little spot and a fun historical/scientific find. Parking can be tricky, but it is worth the drive. Views of sunset are stunning and the astronomers working the telescopes are so helpful. The story of James Lick is intriguing, and the telescopes are such a treat to use. Often the amateur folks set up smaller scopes in the courtyard outside. There are multiple telescopes housed across the mountains as part of the UCal research.

A long trip, 1h, from San Jose in a road not recommended for motion sickness sensible persons. You have access to two telescope domes for free. Nice gift shop and remarcable views to Sierra Nevada and the valley. Any tour should stop by this place.

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 :)

Very cool piece of history. It is awesome that this place is free to visit. Well worth the drive.

I love coming up here to meditate, the vibe is unreal, its very nice to get away and only an hour away from the bustle