Private Tour Information
Private Tours and Fees
If you are interested in scheduling a private tour please call
the observatory reservation line at (317) 940-8333. Private group
tours can be scheduled at selected times during weekdays and
weekends. Adequate adult supervision is required to maintain
quietness during the tour. We prefer a 10 to 1 student to adult
ratio. The cost is $2.00 per person with a minimum of $50.00.
Seating is limited to 60 people in the planetarium. For larger
groups it may be possible to split the group into
two so that one group can visit the telescope room while the other
group is in the planetarium. Please note that this option
depends on the availability of our guides. Reservations
are required for all private group visits. Usually we are closed
during academic breaks at Butler University. Please contact the
office immediately if it becomes necessary to cancel
reservations.
What to Expect
Visitors will enjoy an hour-long show consisting of a multimedia
presentation covering the current night sky, a seasonal star show,
with visits to the clock room, space gallery, and telescope dome.
In the telescope dome the guide will explain and demonstrate the
operation of the Holcomb Robotic Telescope. If weather permits we
will open the telescope dome for star gazing during evening tours.
Anyone can come back on Friday or Saturday evening public nights to
look through the telescope at no cost.
Preparing for the Tour
To prepare for the tour we suggest you look at other information
on our web site. To learn about our telescopes look at our telescopes and instruments links. Planets are usually
included in our planetarium presentation. To learn more about the
planets visit the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
website. To prepare yourself for a the planetarium star show we
suggest you look and our star
chart and current night sky links.
More Information
Tour reservations will be held up to 20 minutes after your
prescheduled tour time (your tour will be shortened if another tour
is schedule after you). Following that your reservation is subject
to cancellation and you will be charged a service fee of $25.00 per
tour. If the need arises and you must cancel your tour reservation,
please call (317) 940-8333 at least two business
days in advance to avoid the service fee. Returned checks
will be charged a service fee of $20.00. Group leaders should
collect the appropriate admission fee from the group members in
advance. Payment can be made either by cash or a check made out to
J. I. Holcomb Observatory. The cash or check should be given to the
planetarium personnel upon entry. It is recommended that you arrive
10 minutes before your tour so that you may be seated.
Available Dates
Autumn private tours (mid September - mid December)
generally begin during the first week of September.
Holcomb Observatory and Planetarium is located on the north end
of the Butler University campus and can be reached by heading west
on 46th Street from N. Meridian Street and then turning north once
at the center of campus. Download the
campus map (PDF).
Wheelchair accessibility is available in the Planetarium and
Lobby area only. No elevator is available to the telescope viewing
area.