Events
Astronomy Evenings
Weekly Public Program
Astronomy Evening at the Cincinnati Observatory is the perfect program to get acquainted with all of the offerings of your local observatory. Located in picturesque Mount Lookout on the East Side of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Observatory is the oldest one of its kind in the country that still uses its original telescope from 1845, and now you too will get to participate.
This 90 minute long, family-friendly program features an Astronomy themed presentation on the different things you can experience in the night sky. Tours of our historic buildings and viewing through our telescope takes place during the second part of the evening (weather permitting).
Tickets: $15/adult, $7/child, FREE For Members. All March dates SOLD OUT.
Reservations required. Space is limited.
Eclipse Viewing 101
Are you planning to view the total solar eclipse on April 8th? Join us to learn how to safely view the Eclipse using basic items from around your house; no telescope required! We will help you experience this once-in-a-lifetime event from anywhere in the tristate. Great for all ages. Space is limited. The program will include solar viewing (weather permitting) and a tour of the Observatory.
Tickets - $20/person
History at Home
Online Class
Join Assistant Collections Manager, Mandy Askins for our History at Home series. These fun, online classes are about the history of astronomy and the Cincinnati Observatory. Best of all, you can take these from the comfort of your own home and will receive a copy of the recorded classes that you can watch again at your convenience.
Women Who Chase the Sun: Female Pioneers in Eclipse Science
Although not as celebrated as they rightfully deserve, women have been leading innovators in science for many centuries. They’ve always been there. This presentation, Women Who Chase the Sun: Female Pioneers in Eclipse Science, will cover numerous female scientists throughout history that have shaped how we understand and study eclipses. From Maria Mitchell, to Annie Jump Cannon and now to modern astronomers such as Wanda Diaz-Merced, a blind astronomer who discovered the sonification of an eclipse. Come learn how women truly do “hold up half the sky,” with Assistant Collections Manager, Mandy Askins.
Tickets: $10 per household
Solar Eclipse Celebration
The upcoming Total Solar Eclipse is a once in a lifetime opportunity! While we encourage everyone to head to totality if possible, we love that people want to be at the Cincinnati Observatory for out of this world events like this one. So, if you can’t head to totality, please join us at the Cincinnati Observatory on Monday, April 8, 2024 from 1pm - 4:30pm EDT to view the solar eclipse (weather permitting)!
The event will be family friendly including kids activities and crafts, games, sundial demonstrations and safe solar viewing. We’ll have food trucks on site but attendees are welcome to bring a picnic and enjoy the grounds. The eclipse begins at 1:52pm EDT, peaks at 3:09 pm EDT and ends at 4:24pm EDT. This event is open house style: attend for the entirety of the eclipse, or come by for a bit and be part of history!
The event will be rain or shine. Pre-registration is required so we can properly prepare for the crowd. As we anticipate high demand for this event, no refunds will be issued. We’re looking forward to seeing you on April 8!
Tickets: $10/adults, $5/kids, Observatory members $5.
All proceeds benefit the Cincinnati Observatory and our mission to educate, engage and inspire the community about astronomy and space science.
Late Night Date Night
At the Cincinnati Observatory
Looking for a romantic night out and under the stars? Come see what the Observatory is like after hours. You'll get to use telescopes to view astronomical objects that are not visible until late at night (weather permitting). Get a sneak preview of the next season's planets and stars a month or two ahead of everyone else.
The program runs rain or shine. If the weather does not permit viewing, we'll have fun showing you around the universe and behind the scenes at the Observatory.
Tickets: $30 per person
Space is limited to no more than 40 people. Adults Only. Singles welcome.
First Light Open House
Mitchel Telescope First Light Open House
On April 14, 1845, in the gray of a lingering twilight, Observatory founder Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel took his first look through the Great Cincinnati Telescope, the 3rd largest in the World. He saw the Moon, "her mountain heights, her rocky precipices and her dells", Jupiter, "globe of surpassing splendor", the Saturnian system, "the mind over whelmed in wonder and astonishment."
Join us to celebrate the telescopes’s birthday and look through the 179-year-old telescope at the Sun (weather permitting). Event also includes a telescope sale with used telescopes, eyepieces, and other viewing equipment.
It's an Open House style event so no reigstration is needed. Come for an hour stay for two!
History Bites at Night
Kristina Fox and George Ironstrack will share a Myaamia 'Miami Indian' view of the sky and delve into some of the stories and cultural activities associated with seasonal change.
George Ironstrack is a citizen of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and the Assistant Director of the Myaamia Center at Miami University. He has participated in Myaamia language renewal projects as both a student and a teacher since the mid-1990s. Examples of his work can be found on the Myaamia Community Blog: aacimotaatiiyankwi.org.
Kristina Fox, a citizen of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, is the Myaamia Education Coordinator for the Myaamia Center at Miami University. With a dedicated involvement in Myaamia revitalization projects and programs since 2009, Kristina holds an active role in preserving and promoting Myaamia culture. In addition to her ongoing contributions, she has earned two degrees from Miami University. Presently, Kristina collaborates with fellow Myaamia educators to develop content for Šaapohkaayoni: A Myaamia Education Portal.
Tickets are available for pre-registration and at the door.
Tickets $15/person, free for members
Family Astronomy Night
Tickets: $15/adult, $7/child, Free for Observatory Members
Space is limited. Sign up today.
Sunday History Tours
Stories From Our History
This special program offers those seeking to learn more about the Observatory’s history a more detailed, in-depth guided tour at Noon or 1:30pm. All the wonderful details covered in a Daytime Tour are included - as well as more stories of how the Observatory came to be (and almost didn’t!). You'll also discover the Observatory’s role in weather forecasting and timekeeping as well as visit our interactive Sundial, original 1843 cornerstone, and more! Tours last approximately one hour with plenty of time for questions and some behind-the-scenes fun! Perfect for local history, astronomy and science buffs ages 12 and up.
Tickets are $10/adult, $5/kids (recommended for kids 12+), $5/senior, $5/veteran and free for Observatory members
Space is limited. Advanced reservations are recommended.
Sights Before Sunrise
Join us for our new early-morning event in 2024, Sights Before Sunrise. These are clear-only events so we will let you know the day before if the event is a go. We will only use your email for the purposes of communication about the Sights Before Sunrise event. See more details below:
Please register for the email list here so that we can notify you if the event is go/no go.