Chabot Space and Science Center

Chabot Space and Science Center sits high on Skyline Boulevard in the Oakland hills, about 1,500 feet above the bay and next to the redwoods of Redwood Regional Park. It mixes a planetarium, space and science galleries and hands-on exhibits with something no other Bay Area museum has: three historic telescopes that the public can look through. The NASA Ames Visitor Center is also housed here, as our research labs guide explains.

From Palo Alto it is about 40 miles by car. This guide covers Chabot's history, the hours and prices it posted for late 2026, how to get there, age fit, accessibility, food and good pairings in the East Bay hills.

An observatory older than most Bay Area towns

Chabot traces its roots to 1883, when Anthony Chabot gave the City of Oakland an observatory near downtown. The first telescope, an 8-inch refractor built by Alvan Clark and Sons, came with it.

City lights and congestion pushed the observatory to a new hillside site on Mountain Boulevard in 1915. A larger 20-inch refractor followed in the 1910s. In 1989 the City of Oakland, the Oakland Unified School District and the East Bay Regional Park District formed a joint powers agency to run the observatory, working with the Eastbay Astronomical Society.

The present science center opened on August 19, 2000, on a 13-acre site along the western edge of Redwood Regional Park. A 36-inch reflecting telescope opened in 2003. In 2026 Chabot named Rita Mukherjee as its new chief executive, starting June 1, after Adam Tobin stepped down following ten years in the role. Bay City News reported an annual budget of $6.4 million and 46 full-time staff.

The telescopes

Each of Chabot's three telescopes has a name:

• Leah. The 8-inch refractor from 1883, built by Alvan Clark and Sons.
• Rachel. A 20-inch refractor from the 1910s, made by Warner and Swasey with optics by John Brashear.
• Nellie. A 36-inch reflector that opened in 2003.

Chabot has long run free public telescope viewing on Friday and Saturday nights. A calendar listing in 2026 gave the hours as 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. on the observatory deck, weather permitting. We could not confirm the current schedule on the official visit page, so check Chabot's events calendar before you drive up. Fog and clouds often cancel viewing, especially in summer. Our stargazing guide covers other dark-sky options nearer Palo Alto.

Inside the center

Daytime visits focus on exhibits, planetarium shows and demonstrations. Wikipedia describes a planetarium with a 70-foot dome and about 250 seats and a Zeiss star projector. Special events add to the calendar. In December 2026 Chabot listed a Geminid meteor shower watch party on the night of December 13 to 14, a members-only sock skate preview with optional telescope viewing on the deck and a paint and sip evening on December 18. Check the events page for tickets.

Hours and tickets

The visit page listed these hours in late 2026:

The holiday section of that page still showed an old year, so treat its closure list as a guide. It marked Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day as closed. Confirm 2026 dates before you go.

Admission listed on the same page:

• Adults (12 and up): $24
• Children (2 to 12): $19
• Seniors (65 and up): $19
• Members: free
• Museums for All (EBT cardholders): $1 each for up to four people

The page lists ages 12 in both the adult and child rows, so ask at the box office if you have a 12-year-old. The page also asks visitors who have been sick within two weeks of a visit to contact the box office to reschedule.

Getting there from Palo Alto

By car

Cross the bay on the San Mateo Bridge (Highway 92) or the Dumbarton Bridge and head north on Interstate 880. Continue to Interstate 580 and Highway 13, exit at Joaquin Miller Road and climb to Skyline Boulevard. The trip is about 40 miles and takes 45 minutes to an hour in light traffic. The last stretch is a winding hill road. Bridge tolls are collected westbound, on your way home; see our bridges and tolls guide. Parking is free in Chabot's three-level structure.

By transit

AC Transit Line 31 serves Chabot's entrance with a stop on the hilltop campus. AC Transit said in July 2026 that it runs hourly on weekdays and about every half hour on weekends, connecting to Fruitvale BART. From Palo Alto, ride Caltrain to Millbrae, take BART into San Francisco and change to a train that stops at Fruitvale, then catch the 31. Allow about two hours each way and check BART's trip planner, since its line pattern changes on evenings and weekends. Late telescope nights are easier by car.

Who it suits

Chabot suits curious kids from about 5 to 14 and adults who like space. Younger children enjoy the hands-on exhibits but may not sit through a full planetarium show. Telescope nights are best for kids old enough to stay up late and wait their turn in line. A daytime visit usually takes two to three hours. If your family is mostly preschoolers, the Bay Area Discovery Museum is a better fit.

Accessibility and food

The visit page does not give detailed accessibility information. For accommodations, call (510) 336-7300 or email the visitor information address listed on the site. The parking structure sits next to the building.

The visit page does not describe a cafe either. Pack lunch and snacks, especially for an evening visit, since the nearest restaurants are back down the hill. Redwood Regional Park next door, run by the East Bay Regional Park District, is good for a walk under the trees before or after.

Tips and pairings

• Visit Wednesday to Sunday. Chabot is closed Monday and Tuesday.
• Bring layers. The ridge is often colder and windier than Palo Alto, especially after dark.
• Check the sky. Telescope viewing depends on the weather. Clear winter nights can be best.
• Combine with the zoo. Daytime zoo hours end early in fall, which leaves time for Chabot in the afternoon.

The Oakland Zoo is in the same hills and makes a strong morning stop before an afternoon here. The Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley is the other big hilltop science center. Our Oakland day trip covers Lake Merritt and downtown. Closer to home, Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton is another historic observatory, though its main building and Great Refractor have been closed since a December 2025 storm. If you stay for a late telescope night, you can compare hotels in Oakland and skip the drive home.

Frequently asked questions