In 2017, I visited Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California. Palomar Observatory is home to the 200 inch Hale Telescope, and a few others which are still used for research purposes by the California Institute of Technology (CalTech). The buildings all have a similar appearance. If I remember correctly, this was an intentional design of the architect. Inside the Palomar Observatory, the telescope in the middle was the focal point, but there were a number of exhibits around the inside of the spacious room. Outside, there are paths around the grounds, some of them beautifully landscaped for visitors.

In a separate building, a small museum and a gift shop was housed. In the museum area, there were videos and displays about the telescopes and space phenomena. I spent the most time there. The exhibits were fascinating. It was a reminder that our Earth is but a tiny speck in the Solar System, and an infinitesimally tiny bit in the Universe.