Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay

The Yerkes Observatory is determined to explore as much of outer space as possible from here on Earth. The 77-acre observatory, built in the 19th century and considered the birthplace of modern astrophysics, sits in a park-like setting near Geneva Lake in the village of Williams Bay, Wisconsin and is owned by the University of Chicago. The Observatory continues to be a center for scientific and engineering research, teaching, and public outreach. The Yerkes Tours staff hosts daytime building tours for all ages along with evening observing tours where visitors aged 10 and up can view celestial objects with the facility's 24-inch reflector or 40-inch refractor.