Went there on a Thursday afternoon to see the mural painting on the planetarium and to check out the telescope platforms for setting up your own telescope. Ended up filming a time lapse video of the passing clouds.

Absolutely worth the drive. I took these photos on my S23 Ultra 10min exposure. We layed on our backs and looked at the stars for about 2 hours. It was magical and a great break from the chaos of life. I highly recommend coming up here. Advice. When you arrive after dark. Park your car and turn off all your lights. Sit and let your eyes adjust for about 5-10min before walking up. Please leave your flashlights in your car or keep them as dim as possible. It's so important to start watching.

We went to the moon madness event on a Friday night. It was lovely we were able to see Mars, Venus and so much more. We then went back on Sunday for the James Webb telescope exhibit. Such a memorable and spectacular place.

We purchased tickets to a viewing event in September for our son's birthday. The experience was amazing. We were able to clearly see the Milky Way just standing there along with The International Space Station fly by. They have two huge telescopes that they align with various ojects. We were able to see Saturn, Jupiter, several star clusters and nebulas. The two gentlemen did an excellent presentation and were very knowledgeable while engaging the group the entire time. They also have several pads set up if you would like to bring your own telescope but it is definitely worth buying tickets to a viewing event.

Great place - has plenty of events, sky is mostly unpolluted with light, and you can bring your own equipment to set up if you like. Really fun - I took this photo with my phone, it's reasonably representative of what you can expect. Bring a red flashlight if you can as to not ruin the night vision of other guests.

We purchased tickets to a viewing night at the observatory during the July new moon in hopes of seeing the Milky Way and other celestial wonders. Unfortunately, telescope viewing was rained out on the night we were there, but we were offered a planetarium show inside as an alternative, which we opted to do. The show was informative and interesting, and we were pleased with the show option as opposed to simply getting a refund. Our seven-year-old especially enjoyed the laser show add-on at the end of the program. The entire Burnsville area is a natural treasure, and we hope to return someday, so when we do, we hope to have a chance to return and finally see the night skies from the observatory.

An absolutely invaluable resource for our small community and anyone who wants access to a solid stargazing location, as well as a place to learn more about astronomy in a way that's easy to understand. The laser shows and planetarium are also worth experiencing!

Less than two miles off the four lane and you find yourself on a knob with wonderful gardens, native rock outcrops and a cool observatory when there is a public event. But even on non-event nights it's a grand sky. Parking areas are very small.