Off the Beaten Path - Columbus Travel Guide

Perkins Observatory

10 miles north of I-270 on route 23 is the former home of the third largest telescope in the world. In the 19th century, crotchety old Ohio Weslyan University professor Hiram Perkins made a fortune in livestock with which he later built a lovely old observatory in one of the worst places in the world for astronomical observation- cloudy, hazy, Central Ohio.
Ground was broken in 1923- in an era when the elegance and beauty of construction was paramount- and the telscope, the final part of the project, was completed in 1931. For a brief time, the observatory's 69-inch scope was the third largest in the world.
After a while, however, it became clear to Astronomers that Columbus, Ohio- with city lights nearby and humid, hazy weather- was not the ideal location for a world class observatory. So, in 1961, the scope was moved out to a far more suitable location in Flagstaff AZ. The building, however, remained.
Today, still a functioning observatory thanks to the donation of a massive 32-inch telescope, Perkins has been turned into a delightful Astronomy musuem and library. There's an interesting assortment of displays and old astrononical knick-knacks to peruse. Director Tom Burns gives lively and captivating talks that miraculously hold the attention of both kids and adults. In all, more than 20,000 people, mostly children and familes, visit each year. On clear nights, members of the Columbus Astronomical Society set up telescops on the front lawn and show visitors the heavens. You can also stand under the massive observatory dome and look through the 32-inch (that's the diameter of the mirror) 'Schottland' telescope.
Skies have degraded in recent years due to our ever encroaching civilizations' fear of the dark, but on dry nights, one can still see the Milky Way from the grounds of this venerated old facility.
Public programs are held on Friday and Saturday most weeks. Though they do sell tickets at the door when space permits (no pun intended), visitors are requested to call ahead for reservations ($5.00) to ensure a spot and prevent getting turned away at the door: (740) 363-1257.
http://www.perkins-observatory.org/

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