James Lick telescope, Refracting telescope at Mount Hamilton Observatory, California.
The James Lick telescope is a refracting telescope at Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, California, with a glass lens 36 inches (91 cm) across. The telescope sits inside a dome, and the floor of the observation room can be raised or lowered by a hydraulic system so that visitors of any height can reach the eyepiece.
The telescope was completed in 1888 and held the record as the largest refracting telescope in the world for about nine years. It lost that position when the Yerkes Observatory in Wisconsin put a larger instrument into service.
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 observatory sits on top of Mount Hamilton, reached by a winding mountain road that takes longer to drive than the distance suggests. Public viewing nights are offered on a regular schedule, and booking a spot in advance is a good idea since space is limited.
James Lick, the businessman who funded the observatory, is buried beneath the marble floor of the observation room, directly under the telescope. Visitors standing at the eyepiece are essentially standing above his grave.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
