James Lick telescope

The James Lick telescope is a refracting telescope at Mount Hamilton with a 91-centimeter glass lens. The instrument sits in a dome at 1,283 meters elevation and can be adjusted to different viewing heights using a hydraulic system for the movable floor.

The telescope was built in 1888 and was the largest refracting telescope in the world at that time. Nine years later it lost this status when the Yerkes Observatory completed a larger instrument.

The telescope draws visitors interested in astronomy and science from around the world. The public sessions invite people to look through the eyepiece and experience how modern observers use this historic instrument.

The best time to visit is in the evening when the telescope opens for public sessions. The site sits high on a mountain, so plan for a drive to reach the observatory.

The founder James Lick donated the funds to build the observatory and his remains rest beneath the marble floor of the observation room. This makes the telescope itself a kind of memorial to the person whose money made astronomical research possible in California.

Operator: University of California

GPS coordinates: 37.34110,-121.64298

Latest update: December 10, 2025 15:49