Entry No. 7 — the Salt Lake City file — filed under: observatory

Willard Eccles Astronomy Observatory (WEAO)

A rotating-dome observatory sits on the roof of a University of Utah science building, run by physics grad students who point a 14-inch Meade LX200GPS and a row of 10- and 12-inch scopes at whatever's up — and who post real-time status updates like closing the dome for a week because they were 'traveling to the Badlands National Park Astrofest.'

The move: Show up right at sunset on a clear Wednesday (check the site's live open/closed status first), climb to the rooftop dome, and let a grad student walk you through Saturn's rings or a nebula for free — no ticket, no reservation, just clear sky.

• 📍 University of Utah campus, Salt Lake City
• 💸 $
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: 270 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (rooftop of the L.S. Skaggs Applied Science Building)

Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: physics.utah.edu

last checked: 2026-07-20