Boyd Observatory - Aiken, South Carolina

Learn all about the Stars and the Sky at the Boyd Observatory in Aiken. The Boyd Observatory is located neat the city of Aiken, South Carolina and is the perfect place for youngsters who want to learn more about outer space. Aiken is known for having a plethora of interesting and historical places to visit, from the Carriage Museum and Whitehall to watching the steeplechases and visiting the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum.

However, visitors and locals will find that Aiken has a whole lot more to offer than just historical places and horses.

The Observatory is located in a small building housed with some of the most up to date equipment available, including a Newtonian telescope. The staff that operates the observatory is very knowledgeable and will be able to answer all questions that come to the youngsters' minds.

The programs put on by the observatory, while interesting for adults, are certainly geared toward a younger crowd. The programs teach some basic science and astronomy to give people a better idea of what they are looking at while looking through the telescope.

The observatory is a very popular place for groups of children from schools to visit. If planning to bring a group of children up to the observatory for an evening of learning about the stars, you should be aware that at least three adults must accompany the group.

The Boyd Observatory is open every Friday night, and the programs start promptly at 8PM, so guests are encouraged to arrive early. The observatory can hold a maximum of twelve people, so it is a good idea to make your reservations early.

While walk-ins are allowed, there is always a chance that the observatory will be full. This also means that if you don't sign up for a program you will have to wait until all of the registered participants have already had their turn to look through the telescope.

The programs on Friday night are completely free, and it makes a nice outing for the family and anyone who wants to learn more about the heavenly bodies in our sky. The only time that you will find the observatory closed on a Friday night is when the weather doesn't permit good viewing.

If you or anyone in the family has even a passing interest in astronomy and you are in the Aiken area, you should do yourself a favor and head up to the observatory on a Friday night. There are several hotel accommodations available in the area at HotelsCombined.com.

SC 302
SRS's Operations and Recreation Assn Complex
Aiken,SC 29802
Phone: (803) 642-0314