Located within the Worthy Brewing Co. (yes, there is giant telescope above this brewery and restaurant), families can spend some time looking at the stars, moon and planets. The Hopservatory (in partnership with the Oregon Observatory) is an extension of Brewery Owner Roger Worthington’s nonprofit organization, the Worthy Garden Club, which allowed Worthington to merge the ground and the sky for learning and discovery.

Walk through the restaurant and space lovers will arrive in the colorful Transporter Room, which starts everyone off with a short film and features a colorful concrete pier in the center. After making a pit stop at the control room, families can enter the dome room and see the giant, 16-inch reflector telescope, which is controlled through a computer system that allows you to choose your space destination and the telescope will automatically find the spot. Saturn, star clusters and the moon are just some of the out-of-this-world, lightyears away, galactic anomalies that people can view through the Hopservatory telescope.

Hours

Public, open viewings take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Sunday and from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Solar viewings during the day (eyes are completely protected by solar filters on the telescope) take place from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Private tours can always be arranged, as well, and viewings are always weather dependent, of course.

Cost

$5 donation is suggested for ages 7 and up. Free for children under 7. No need for reservations for public viewings.

Dining

Below the Hopservatory sits Worthy Brewing Co., which is also a full-service restaurant.

Parking: Free parking surrounds the area.