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 web site .  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:
Private tours for Fall 2008  (mid September - mid December) will begin on September 8, 2008. 

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.  Campus map.

Wheelchair accessibility is available in the Planetarium and Lobby area only.   No elevator is available to the telescope viewing area.

last updated 07/29/2008