# Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton > Place to go for families in the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara area (CA). Times are Pacific Time. - When: Select outdoor areas, parking and Shane Visitor's Gallery open daily 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m… - Where: Lick Observatory, 7281 Mount Hamilton Rd., Mount Hamilton, CA 95140 - Ages: All ages - Price: Free for all visitors - Schedule: Select outdoor areas, parking and Shane Visitor's Gallery open daily 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Gift shop (Historic Diner) Saturdays & Sundays 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., plus Thanksgiving Friday–Sunday and Dec 26–31; closed Thanksgiving Day. - Organizer: UC Observatories – Lick Observatory - Official page: https://www.lickobservatory.org/ - Last checked: Sat, Oct 24 Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Oct 24, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-10-24), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/san-jose/activities/lick-observatory-on-mount-hamilton--listing-4aaac5eb1e9b0d58f4622611 ## About Lick Observatory, the University of California's research observatory on the summit of Mount Hamilton east of San José, is free to visit during the day. While the historic Main Building stays closed for repairs after Christmas wind-storm damage, visitors can walk to the Shane dome and look at the 120-inch Shane reflector from the visitors' gallery, where displays explain how the telescope helped discover some of the first planets beyond our solar system. A self-guided walking tour covers the grounds (some stops are off limits during construction), and the East Grounds and the parking lot at 4,209 feet look out over the Santa Clara Valley. The gift shop, temporarily in the Historic Diner, sells astronomy toys, posters and photos on weekends. There is no food service: pack a lunch (vending machines are at the Shane site). The drive up Mount Hamilton Road is long and winding, so plan for it with young children. ## Similar picks in San Jose - [Science Fridays & Science Saturdays at the EcoCenter](https://grassyknees.com/san-jose/activities/science-fridays-and-science-saturdays-at-the-ecocenter--listing-28726cf98e800dad2a6afbe6) — Sat, Oct 24 (+8 more dates) · 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM · Environmental Volunteers EcoCenter, Palo Alto · All ages · Free · checked Oct 24. Environmental Volunteers opens its EcoCenter on the edge of the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve for free public science days on Friday and Saturday mornings. 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