Information
Rates
- Adults: $46
- Seniors: $41 (age 62 and over)
- Students: $41 (elementary to college)
- Military: $41 (with current ID)
- Group rates
Deposit
A deposit of $20 per person is required to hold your reservation. Failure to show for the program results in the loss of your deposit. A 48-hour minimum cancellation notice is required by calling 520-318-8726. There is no deposit charged if the program is cancelled for any reason.
Reservations
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Advance reservations are required and can be obtained DAILY in two ways:
- Call 520-318-8726 between the hours of 8:00am and 3:30pm or
- See the Visitor Center cashier between the hours of 9:00am and 3:45pm. Visitors without reservations must leave the mountain by 4:00pm.
- Due to the popularity of this program it is recommended that you make reservations 2 to 4 weeks prior to your visit.
- Email your questions to NOPRSVP@noao.edu.
- Once you have a reservation, you will be called on that day to confirm whether the program will be happening that night. It is imperative that we are able to reach you. Cell phone service is questionable on the drive to the moutain.
- Guests arrive before sunset. You will be given a specific arrival time when you make a reservation.
- Park at the Visitor Center (a map is here). The observatory grounds are closed after 4:00pm, so please stay near the Visitor Center!
- PLEASE DRESS WARMLY! Kitt Peak is at 7000 feet, and temperatures are 15-20 degrees cooler than in Tucson. Winter months bring freezing, windy conditions. Hats and gloves with heavy coats are highly recommended.
- Make sure your vehicle has enough fuel for the round trip up to Kitt Peak. The nearest 24-hour (credit card) gas station is approximately 30 miles from the Visitor Center.
- Summer brings monsoons, and the program is suspended from mid-July to the end of August. In addition, the mountain is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
- No alcohol is permitted on the mountain.
- For safety reasons, children MUST be age 8 or older to attend the Nightly Observing Program.
- Cell phone use is not allowed on the mountain.
- Due to extreme drought conditions, smoking is permitted only in your vehicle.
