How to Spend Halloween at Lowell Observatory

October 28 – 31

After meeting your ghoulish guide at the Saturn Gate next to the Steele Visitor Center, you will be taken on a spine-tingling tour of Lowell Observatory’s grounds while you hear stories of our spookiest tall tales and unexplained happenings. Who dwells in the collapsed remains of tunnels hidden beneath the observatory? What was the eerie red substance seen leaking from Percival’s final resting place some years ago? Walk through our creepy woods, explore our most legendary historic sites, and be ready for some startling scares! Are you brave enough to come face-to-face with the legends of Lowell’s past? What are those eyes glowing in the bushes? Watch your back—you never know who (or what) might be following!

Please Note: Tour includes content that may be disturbing to younger audiences. Requires long periods of standing and walking up and down hills. Some portions of the tour are not wheelchair accessible. It will be chilly, so be sure to dress warmly and wear comfortable walking shoes!

While Arizona is known for its dry desert vistas, Flagstaff experiences a full range of seasonal weather—that means blankets of snow in the winter, vibrant blooms in the spring, sunny days in the summer, and beautiful changing leaves in the fall. If you’re looking to take an autumnal retreat this fall season, Flagstaff is the perfect destination!

American businessman, author, mathematician, astronomer, and observatory founder Percival Lowell passed away on November 12, 1916, just 14 years before the fabled ‘Planet X’ he spent a portion of his life searching for would be discovered. His final resting place, a mausoleum, sits just a stone’s throw from the dome of the historic 24″ Clark Refractor that he used to scour the surface of Mars for signs of intelligent life. During a time in which true enjoyment of the sciences was a luxury often reserved for the academic elite, Percival sought to popularize astronomy and share the wonders of the cosmos with the world at large.
Today, the mausoleum stands as a tribute to Percival’s memory and makes for an excellent backdrop for Halloween photos!

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During the fall season, constellations like Cassiopeia, Aquarius, and Pisces come into viewing range. You can discover the legends of the autumn sky on a laser-guided constellation tour, given by one of our superstar Lowell educators!