geneva observatory visit

Inside the 124-year-old observatory that birthed modern astrophysics

Home to the world’s largest refracting telescope, the Yerkes Observatory in Wisconsin was so influential that Albert Einstein insisted on visiting. Now you can too.

Inside the dome of Yerkes Observatory, tucked along the shore of Wisconsin’s Geneva Lake, in the town of Williams Bay, it is emphatically 1897. The still-rotating metal half sphere is dominated by an enormous, lovingly polished refracting telescope—a 60-foot-long, six-ton contraption with two 40-inch lenses at one end and an eyepiece at the other. The thing is almost ridiculously fanciful.

If an astronomer or a visitor wants to look through that eyepiece, an operator flips an ancient switch and the dome’s entire circular floor—at 75 feet in diameter, one of the world’s largest elevators—rises 23 feet to give the person access. Then, in a maneuver familiar to any backyard stargazer, the viewer takes hold of the massive telescope with two hands and physically shifts the impeccably balanced device toward the desired point of light.

Ironically, the cost of maintaining all this low-tech equipment is dauntingly high. Today, as tour groups shuffle through Yerkes, it’s easy to forget that the observatory nearly met with a wrecking ball after the University of Chicago closed it in 2018.

They call Yerkes the birthplace of modern astrophysics, but when I visited the facility about two years ago, it looked more like a place teetering on extinction. The monumental telescope was draped in thick, clouded plastic sheeting that movie gangsters tend to use to wrap the bodies of their victims. It was a humbling state for a precision device that was once a magnet for the elite of astrophysicists and theoretical astronomers—Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble, Gerard Kuiper, and Carl Sagan among them.

But even as I tried to make out the telescope above, Yerkes was being reborn thanks to a $15 million facelift—inside and out—financed by a nonprofit group that took possession of the building in 2020. For the first time in more than a century, the observatory—including its 50-acre grounds—is open for public tours of its working space-science facility.

Over the past few years, Yerkes staff have been preparing for what they expect to be one of the busiest days the institution has ever seen: North America’s total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Williams Bay will see 90.2 percent totality, and Wisconsinites who don’t want to drive hundreds of miles to witness complete darkness could find no more compelling a setting for near totality than here beneath these storied domes.

( The best places to see the 2024 total solar eclipse. )

But the glories of Yerkes are not confined to the heavens: The building itself is a thing of beauty. Festooned with elaborate Victorian-era stone carvings, Romanesque arches, and terra-cotta figures, the landmark observatory was created by George Ellery Hale and Charles Tyson Yerkes—two men with very different agendas.

Hale, an astrophysicist, had the then revolutionary notion to establish a facility that housed both an observatory and an academic institution at which physicists and chemists applied their discoveries to new theories about astrophysics. Financier Yerkes, on the other hand, was one of Chicago’s most hated businessmen. He poured money into the observatory to rehabilitate his image, but it didn’t work—and he ended up moving to New York.

Yerkes’s face, however, is depicted on the observatory’s exterior columns—albeit with a sinister smile and devilish horns. “The artists had fun with that,” notes Dennis Kois, executive director of the Yerkes Future Foundation, which inherited the observatory from the university. “Nobody liked Yerkes.” The telescope’s 500-pound lens—cast in France, ground in Massachusetts—made the instrument the biggest ever version of the handheld, two-lens, direct-view telescope used by Galileo in 1609. Because Yerkes’s was one of the first large telescopes designed for photography, its tube needed to rotate with absolute precision to follow star tracks—a feat accomplished by a team of men who turned the gargantuan device one click at a time.

Even after reflector telescopes, which use mirrors to collect and focus light, became the favored tool for space studies, Yerkes’s staff continued to publish influential papers. Its archives hold thousands of research works—including Hubble’s original 1920 doctoral thesis.

In 2018 the university began winding down its Yerkes presence. Astronomers comparing present-day star positions with where they were a century ago still referenced Yerkes’s 175,000 photographic plates, but the halls, once bustling with scientists, fell silent. When the call went out to support the restoration project, the influx of cash from astronomy and architecture enthusiasts across the United States, including many from the neighboring town of Lake Geneva—for nearly 200 years a playground of the Chicago rich—was overwhelming.

“People have always wanted to visit here,” Kois says. That almost mystical appeal persists today, whether visitors are star buffs or not. “There’s something about looking directly into a beam of light that has traveled millions of light-years just to end up at the back of your eyeball.”

Travel tips

Free bonus issue, related topics.

• OBSERVATORIES
• SPACE EXPLORATION
• ASTROPHYSICS

You May Also Like

The 11 most astonishing scientific discoveries of 2023

NASA just found a question mark in space. What exactly is it?

A glass revolution is underway. Spoiler alert: it bends and bounces

How fast is the universe really expanding? The mystery deepens.

This supermassive black hole was formed when the universe was a toddler

• Environment
• Perpetual Planet
• History & Culture

History & Culture

• History Magazine
• Mind, Body, Wonder
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your US State Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
• Nat Geo Home
• Attend a Live Event
• Book a Trip
• Inspire Your Kids
• Shop Nat Geo
• Visit the D.C. Museum
• Learn About Our Impact
• Support Our Mission
• Advertise With Us
• Customer Service
• Renew Subscription
• Manage Your Subscription
• Work at Nat Geo
• Sign Up for Our Newsletters
• Contribute to Protect the Planet

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved

• Search Search Please fill out this field.
• Current Issue
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Manage Your Subscription
• Sweepstakes
• Destinations

America's Most Historic Observatory Is Reborn—And Open for Tours

Yerkes Observatory, home to the largest refracting telescope in the world, was almost lost for good. Saved by its Wisconsin community, its second life is a must-see.

Jacqueline Kehoe of Madison, Wisconsin, works as a freelance journalist, editor and photographer. Her work has appeared in publications like National Geographic, Travel + Leisure, Afar, Lonely Planet, Sierra, Backpacker and Thrillist.

Edwin Hubble and Carl Sagan lived in the same attic. Forty-three years apart, they worked and studied a floor below, in the same rooms where Nancy Grace Roman, NASA's first chief of astronomy, studied the motion of stars; where Gerard Kuiper figured out the other side of Neptune; where William Morgan discovered the shape of the Milky Way.

Like binary stars, these stories orbit around Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, about 6 miles east of Lake Geneva. Widely regarded as the most historic observatory in America—and home to the largest refracting telescope in the world—this forgotten masterpiece was almost demolished. The local community gathered to save it, and today, it's inviting all of us to visit and interact with history, art and space.

A Midwestern—and Global—Icon Reborn

Yerkes Observatory, property of The University of Chicago, was the first astrophysics school in the nation. But by 2005, the 1897 Beaux Arts masterpiece had gotten too expensive to maintain, and the university wanted the property off its hands. There were proposals to turn it into a resort, a spa, a subdivision—and then locals intervened.

"The community raised a fuss," says Walt Chadick, the observatory's director of programs and external affairs. "A lot of people stood up and said, 'Hold on. This is America's most historic, most celebrated observatory. We need to protect this heralded place.'"

The university donated the facility to a community-led nonprofit, Yerkes Future Foundation , in 2020—books, slides, telescopes, trash and all. It was an archaeological site: Rummaging through the attic, YFF staff found relics like Hubble's dissertation and Gerard Kuiper's lunar sphere. In the basement, yellowing dark rooms reeked of hydroquinone and acetic acid, and Reagan's "Star Wars" lasers sat gathering dust.

By 2022, the foundation had raised roughly $14 million for renovation, and the public was invited inside—in small, reserved groups—to wander the halls of Hubble, to gaze upon the Great Refractor, to thumb through books with famous autographs on library cards. "We began with just me," says Chadick, "taking people through construction sites, through those stuck-in-amber places." While certain areas will remain in amber—like the first computers used in 1973—the majority of the facility will be fully restored over the coming years.

"We don't want to be a dusty relic," Chadick explains. "We want to be a forward-thinking modern maker of things."

A New Era for Yerkes

Don't call it a "museum," says Chadick—the observatory's doors are locked, and timed tours can only be reserved online. The classic tour explores the "big dome" with the Great Refractor, the rotunda, and the building's architectural highlights; the "Hidden Spaces" tour ventures into the smaller domes with smaller telescopes, the old darkrooms, and dormitories where the PhD students lived; and the landscape tour explores the grounds (designed by John Charles Olmsted, son of Frederick Law Olmsted) and Yerkes' new status as an internationally accredited arboretum. Five miles of newly blazed woodland trails maze throughout the property for extra exploration.

Special events, though, are where the observatory—which is still functioning, Chadick adds—shines like a supernova. Star parties pepper the calendar, telescope viewing nights bring the public to the Great Refractor, and artistic collaborations turn the facility into an innovations incubator. Thirty musicians from the Blackbird Creative Lab wrote and performed a symphony onsite, composed from interpreted astronomical images; U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith was featured in the Summer Speaker Series; and Ashley Zelinskie, the official sculptor for the James Webb Space Telescope, built a black hole space-time continuum sculpture in the side yard.

"I don't know anywhere on Earth where astronomers collaborate this closely with artists," says Chadick. "We want artists to be illuminated, astronomers to have the chance to work with and teach diverse thinkers and creators, and people to leave filled with joy."

Book tours in advance at yerkesobservatory.org .

More Out-of-This-World Experiences in the Midwest

Adler planetarium, chicago.

The Midwest has another astronomic first: Adler Planetarium , the first planetarium in the country. See Chicago's night sky as it appeared more than 100 years ago via the Atwood Sphere, catch sky shows in one of two dome theaters, and gaze through the city's largest publicly accessible telescope at the Doane Observatory.

Cosmosphere, Hutchinson, Kansas

Partspace museum, part STEM education center, Cosmosphere —roughly an hour northwest of Wichita —brings its visitors a chance to live out their astronaut dreams. Try on a space suit, hop in a cockpit, scope out Russian space artifacts and catch a show in the Justice Planetarium.

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

The only dark sky–designated national park in the Midwest, Voyageurs National Park —a forested, lake-filled expanse just south of the Canadian border—offers designated night-sky programs as well as opportunities, night after night, to stargaze, count flying meteors, and witness the spectacular northern lights .

Yerkes Observatory

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Yerkes Observatory - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• Thu - Mon 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
• (0.34 mi) Bailey House Bed & Breakfast
• (0.35 mi) 3 BR/2 BA House just steps from Lake Geneva
• (0.65 mi) Lazy Cloud Lodge Bed and Breakfast
• (0.49 mi) Williams Bay Retreat: Walk to Lake Geneva & Town!
• (6.64 mi) Seven Oaks Bed & Breakfast
• (0.98 mi) Cafe Calamari
• (0.86 mi) PIER 290
• (0.99 mi) Harpoon Willie's
• (0.96 mi) Dip in the Bay
• (0.87 mi) Frosty Moose

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. A modi corrupti hic numquam, consectetur delectus ipsam inventore magnam sed in dicta quia velit nostrum dolor fuga ad corporis facilis, optio earum cumque reiciendis error atque odit. Impedit non eius quibusdam. Quasi porro ipsa, aliquam commodi vitae dicta. Neque, soluta placeat?

262.245.7000

Yerkes Observatory

<< Back to Things to Do

Follow in the Steps of Albert Einstein

You can count your lucky stars, because Yerkes Observatory is just four miles from Geneva National, allowing visitors the opportunity to test their celestial vision and marvel at the Roman brick-and-terracotta building’s late 19th century architecture and mythological ornamentation. Founded in 1897, the astronomical observatory is home to the world’s largest refracting telescope, a 24-inch and 40-inch reflecting telescope and more than 170,000 photographic plates precisely detailing star locations. Known to this day for its research and popular for its educational tours, star parties and summer day camps, Yerkes also attracts building and landscape architects as well as photographers to its 77 acres designed by John Olmsted, whose brother was the landscape architect for New York's Central Park. Visit the website for up-to-date tour times, special events and to make reservations for an observing session.

373 W. Geneva St, Williams Bay WI

Visit Website

Yerkes Observatory Features

Space & Spaces Tour

Director's Hidden Spaces

Visit of the Geneva Observatory with Michel Mayor

8 February 2022, 18:30 to 20:00

18:30 Welcoming remarks by:

• Yves Flückiger , Rector, University of Geneva
• Francesco Pepe , Director, Geneva Observatory
• Raymond Loretan , President, Diplomatic Club of Geneva

18:40 Presentation by  Michel Mayor , 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics and Q&A session with the audience

19:00 Visit of the Geneva Observatory

19:45 “Friendship” drink

Event organized in partnership with the University of Geneva.

FPG Network

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

TravelAwaits

Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list.

23 Reasons This Lakeside Resort City In The Midwest Is The Perfect Holiday Getaway

• Activities and Interests
• Destinations
• Holiday Travel
• Seasonal Travel
• United States

One of the most popular destinations in the Midwest, Lake Geneva , a small Wisconsin lakeside resort town, is bursting at the seams with ways to celebrate the holidays. Families have been creating memories here for generations after discovering this quaint small town following the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. Since then, visitors have discovered festive shopping adventures and a winter wonderland of activities that rival many big cities. This town is a dream come true for those who love the Christmas season.

From a classic boat cruise finding Santa’s Hideaway, watching the World’s Tallest Glass Tree being built, one glowing strand at a time, to eloquent dancing horses, here are some of the top things to do for the holidays in this Midwest winter playground. 

Best Holiday Experiences In Downtown Lake Geneva

Lake geneva cruise line’s santa cruise.

The Lake Geneva Cruise Line has a deep history of providing lake transportation since the late 1800s, including its famous summer mail boat route . For the holidays (November 25 to December 30), enjoy a trip to Santa’s Hideaway on a delightful forty-minute cruise featuring lighted displays on the shoreline. When the boat arrives at Santa’s Hideaway, the jolly bearded man greets guests and reads off the attending children’s names from the “nice list” from shore. Although Santa does not board the boat, it’s an experience to remember.

Lake Geneva Electric Christmas Parade

The theme for this year’s parade is “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” On December 3, watch over eighty entries requiring holiday lighting, including floats, horses, and bands. Start the day by having breakfast with Santa, then enjoy shopping locally-owned businesses to find the perfect gifts before the parade begins at 5 p.m.

Holiday Window Display Competition

Window shopping in Chicago is a favorite holiday activity. However, for a new experience without the hustle and bustle, check out Lake Geneva’s Holiday Window Display Competition from November 19 to December 30. Whether window shopping or finding the perfect gift, enjoy the entire town’s shops, then vote for your favorite. 

Holiday Lights Throughout Flat Iron Park

Revel in light displays at Flat Iron Park this holiday season and the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony held at 5 p.m. on December 2. Instead of cutting down a tree for the ceremony, lighted trees near the Andy Gump statue, decorated lamp posts, and wreaths create a charming outdoor scene. Take the perfect holiday photo with the lit “JOY” sign in the background.

Geneva Lake Museum’s Parade Of Trees

Local participants decorate Christmas trees throughout Geneva Lake Museum from November 19 to January 2. Visitors and volunteers vote on their favorite presentations.

Best Holiday Experiences Near Lake Geneva

World’s tallest glass tree at yerkes observatory.

New this year is the building of the World’s Tallest Glass Tree at Yerkes Observatory . Watch glassblowers construct a thirty-five-foot-tall glass Christmas tree from an onsite oven, then top it off with a four-and-a-half-foot-tall star. Also, watch glassblowing, steel sculpting, and woodworking demonstrations in person, in addition to a Winter Maker Market featuring local artisans and craftspeople. The event is open the first three weekends in December, from Friday to Sunday.

Furthermore, take a Space and Spaces Tour of Yerkes Observatory, home to three telescopes, including the largest refracting telescope in the world. 

East Troy Electric Railroad Museum Christmas Train

It’s one of the most popular holiday events, thanks to its vintage electric train. However, it’s more than a train ride. This event running from November 25 to December 18 includes crafts, hot chocolate, cookies, and a visit with Santa at the Elegant Farmer country store. Board the Christmas Train at the East Troy Electric Railroad Museum for a two-hour excursion with various daily departure times. 

Let It Glow

Drive through Let It Glow ; a free holiday light display from December 2-4 at the Walworth County Fairgrounds.

The Dancing Horses Theatre Holiday Show

Catch a performance at The Dancing Horses Theatre for a one-of-a-kind holiday experience. Horses in Christmas costumes perform to holiday music in a Vegas-style show with plenty of glitz and glamor. This extraordinary family Christmas show provides equestrian artistry in an intimate setting.

Tristan Crist Magic Theatre

Warm up inside the state-of-the-art Tristan Crist Magic Theatre for an evening of Vegas-style magic, comedy, and illusion. Tristan Crist performed at Circus Circus in Las Vegas. Also, he made a circus wagon appear out of thin air at the Circus World Museum in the Wisconsin Dells. 

Holiday Arts And Crafts Fair

Attend the Lake Geneva Annual Arts & Crafts Fair on December 3 at the Hawk’s View Golf Club. The event is free and is open from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. 

Lake Geneva Outdoor Activities

Visitors can enjoy skiing at either Grand Geneva Mountain Top or Wilmot Mountain Ski Resort . If you’re looking for great hiking and snowshoeing locations, try these. Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy , Big Foot Beach State Park , Four Seasons Nature Preserve , or Linn Nature Park.

Grand Geneva Resort And Spa Holiday Events

Grand Geneva Resort & Spa is well known for its festive holiday spirit, but it has many attractions worth experiencing. Plus, you don’t need to be a guest to enjoy them. The six-week-long “Christmas in the Country” celebration has many activities throughout the 1,300-acre property. Over two million lights are displayed inside and out.

For instance, take a horse-drawn sleigh ride from Dan Patch Stables or ride a trolley throughout the property on its long winding road for holiday light viewing. Meander through the Gingerbread House Walk after breakfast with Santa, or roam around to find the perfect holiday photo. Make no mistake; there are plenty of holiday festivities at the Grand Geneva.

Best Restaurants In Lake Geneva

• Pier 290 : Lake Geneva’s only lakeside restaurant
• 1878 on the Lake : Known for steaks, seafood, chops, and stand out.
• Fireside Dinner Theatre : Offers live performances of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, which stars Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Rosemary Clooney from November 3rd to December 23rd, 2022. The menu includes a classic Wisconsin fish fry, among many other choices.
• Igloo dining : Great for a memorable dinner and cocktail outdoor winter experience.

Best Hotels And Resorts In Lake Geneva

Main street loft.

Does winter camping in Wisconsin sound exciting? How about an indoor glamping experience? At Main Street Loft , guests have the luxury of a large, fully furnished rental unit in the heart of downtown and close to Geneva Lake. Main Street Loft has room for twelve guests with two baths. Indeed, a unique opportunity for groups such as families, reunions, and bachelorette parties.

Grand Geneva Resort And Spa

Grand Geneva Resort & Spa sits within gently sloping hills on 1,300 wooded acres on the edge of town. There’s plenty to do if not outside on the family-friendly slopes or playing indoors. But, of course, taking a “you” day at the spa and salon remains a guest favorite. 

Timber Ridge Lodge And Waterpark

Celebrating the holidays and kids go hand in hand. In this case, Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark offers an alternative way to stay warm. 

The Abbey Resort

Overlooking Abbey Harbor and Fontana Beach, The Abbey Resort has lake-inspired guest rooms and a full-service spa. During the holidays, enjoy a weekly Sunday brunch with Santa, along with a Christmas Eve dinner buffet and Christmas day dinner.

Lake Lawn Resort

Full-service Lake Lawn Resort offers impressive lake views on 250 acres on the Delevan Lake shoreline. Guests can dine at 1878 On The Lake, in addition to Christmas Eve Dinner and Christmas day buffet. You could also have breakfast with Santa in the Courtyard Garden.

Geneva National Resort And Club

At Geneva National Resort & Club , explore one of five ice castles in the United States, outdoor ice skating, candlelight snowshoeing, and the sled hill. Then, when it’s time for food and drink, choose between nine excellent venues.

For more information on traveling to Wisconsin, check out these articles:

• 8 Amazing Experiences In Lovely Beloit, Wisconsin
• 11 Amazing Things To Do During A Long Weekend In Charming Manitowoc, The Maritime Capital Of Wisconsin
• 10 Historic Hidden-Gem Towns To Explore In Wisconsin

Tom and Kristi Flick Manus are small-town travel specialists from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. They enjoy road trips through and around small towns looking for plus-size adventures. They find it intriguing to explore small towns for unique attractions, local shops, profound history, expressive culture, and celebrated heritage. They are always searching for extraordinary and overlooked ideas, along with popular experiences, to give people different options for travel. Tom and Kristi show how easy it is to find fun, accessible, beautiful, and captivating places on their website Small Town Plus Size .

• Opportunities

Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) logo

Tassos fragkos.

Fragkos , Tassos

Assistant Professor at the Geneva Observatory

Dr. Tassos Fragkos was a CIERA Postdoc 2014 – 2018.

Following his time at CIERA, Dr. Fragkos became an SNSF Ambizione Fellow at the Geneva Observatory.

Visit Website

• Visitors Guide & Map
• Order a Guide
• Special Offers
• Photo & Video Gallery
• Our Communities
• E-News Sign Up
• Visitor Info Center
• Geneva Lake Shore Path
• Outdoor Activities
• Tours & Sightseeing
• Arts & Entertainment
• Museums & History
• Spas & Salons
• Lessons, Classes & DIY
• Fall Activities
• Winter Activities
• Itinerary: Donald Driver's Must See Lake Geneva Spots
• Event Calendar
• Concerts in the Park
• Restaurant Week
• Electric Christmas Parade
• Hotels & Resorts
• Vacation Rentals
• Bed & Breakfasts
• Campgrounds
• Food & Drink
• Wineries, Breweries, & Distilleries
• Bars, Taverns, & Cocktail Lounges
• Bakeries, Coffee & Sweets
• Dining Experiences
• Fish Fry Fridays
• Submit an RFP
• Venues Full Service Hotels & Resorts Alternative Venues Banquet Space
• Team Building & Group Bonding
• Things to Do
• Motorcoach & Group Tours
• Meeting Support Services
• Summer Savings: Meeting Specials
• Services Wedding Planners Photographers Florists Caterers, Chefs & Bakers Bachelor & Bachelorette Parties Churches/Ministers/Law Dresses/Tuxedos Entertainment Invitations & Accessories Salons & Spas Transportation
• Local Services

Yerkes Observatory

Tours available Thursdays-Mondays from May till October and two to three days a week during the shoulder seasons. Tickets available ONLINE ONLY . Click HERE for more information and to reserve your tour or event. 

Hello, 2024! WE ARE OPEN! Yerkes Observatory, the birthplace of modern astrophysics, is an architectural masterpiece on fifty acres of Olmsted-designed ecological splendor. Since 1897, Yerkes has been the home and school to famous astronomers, Nobel prize winners, and renowned scientists but we're now open for public tours, observing nights, star parties, weddings, exhibits, trail walks, and more. The world-famous Observatory's beautiful location in Williams Bay, Wisconsin is only twelve minutes from downtown Lake Geneva. We are on a new voyage under the stewardship of Yerkes Future Foundation, a nonprofit 501c3. All proceeds go to the restoration, preservation, and programs of this international landmark of astronomy, architecture, and landscape design. Don't miss these behind-the-scenes, out of this world, restoration tours! For further information,  please visit our website.

• Number of Meeting Rooms: 4
• Price Range: $$
• Level of Difficulty: Medium
• Largest Group Capacity: 100 indoor and 300 outdoor

Facility Info

• Reception Capacity 150
• Banquet Capacity 150
• Number of Rooms 5
• Classroom Capacity 130

Yerkes Observatory Presents: Sci-Fi Film Series

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more about our privacy policies .

Historic Geneva is a history museum in the Finger Lakes region of New York State which focuses on the history of Geneva, NY, historic architecture, genealogy, and the area's industry and agriculture. The Society maintains four historic 19th century properties, an archive and library, a museum and runs programs and events related to the history of Geneva and the Finger Lakes area.

• Renovation Project at the Geneva History Museum
• Hours and Admission
• Carriage House Visitor Center and Gift Shop
• Group Tours
• Tourism Links
• Calendar of Events
• History At Home
• Current Exhibits
• Past Exhibits
• Sign Up for Updates
• Research Room
• Geneva’s Diverse Communities Online Resources
• Make A Way Somehow Project
• COVID 19 Experience in Geneva
• Digital Collection
• Online Auction
• Sponsorships
• Support Campaigns
• The 1883 Society
• Travel with Historic Geneva
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement
• Accessibility Statement
• Opportunities
• Staff and Board of Trustees
• Rose Hill Mansion Tickets
• Books and Other Items
• Event Tickets

Home » Blog » “Eclipse Was On Time:” 1900 Solar Eclipse

“Eclipse Was On Time:” 1900 Solar Eclipse

On April 8 there will be a total eclipse of the sun and Geneva will be in the path of totality .  Over the past 124 years Genevans have experienced a total solar eclipse only two other times  – May 28, 1900, and January 24, 1925.

Below is a newspaper account of the 1900 eclipse. Astronomer Dr. William Brooks   lived and worked in Geneva from 1887 until his death in 1921. In 1900 he viewed and documented the solar eclipse.

(From the Geneva Daily Times, May 28, 1900)

Eclipse Was On Time

Many Genevans Viewed the Phenomenon.

Dr. William R. Brook Tells of the Results of His Observations Today.

The eclipse in Geneva was on time.  It was viewed by hundreds of persons through smoked glass and Dr. William R. Brooks and a few others through the big telescope at Smith observatory.

Several amusing incidents occurred here during the eclipse, which serve to further illustrate the superstitions still entertained by persons of a low order of intellect concerning an eclipse, as told of in a Madrid dispatch today.  Several Italians at work along the Lehigh tracks when the greatest obscuration took place were badly scared.  They knelt on the ground and bowed their heads.  Another Italian well known in this city went to the rear of a peanut shop and knelt in prayer.  He said the eclipse was a manifestation of the devil.

Dr. William R. Brooks successfully observed the phenomenon and secured some excellent photographs.  He said to a TIMES reporter this afternoon:

Eclipse of the Sun May 28th, 1900. Greatest obscuration at Geneva New York. Photographed by William Brooks at the Smith Observatory

“The weather conditions were very good, the air being still, giving remarkably good telescopic images.  Very light clouds occasionally passed before the sun, but at the time of first and last contacts, the sky in the region of the sun was free from clouds and good observations were made, the contacts being quite close to the predicted times.  The moment of greatest obscuration was estimated to be at 9h, 2m, 46s., and for some time before and after this period, the light was peculiar – sufficiently so to attract the attention of almost every person.  The landscape had a weird, yellowish-green appearance and the sky had changed from blue to the color of pale smoked glass.”

A valuable series of photographs of the eclipse in all its phases was secured with the fine telescope of the Smith observatory, with photographic attachments invented and constructed by Dr. Brooks.  By means of an additional eclipse lens placed over the visual objective and by attachments to the eye-end of the tube, the telescope is converted into an immense photographic camera over 12 feet in length.

“The diameter of the sun’s image first formed by the objective is one inch,” said Dr. Brooks,” but this primary image is enlarged by an achromatic lens, to four and one half inches in diameter upon the photographic plate.  In photographing the sun very short exposures have to be made.  The shutter has a narrow slit, about the width of a visiting card in thickness and this narrow slit is flashed across the focal plane in a about one one-hundredth of a second.”

An ingenious plan is used by Dr. Brooks to release this shutter without jarring the telescope.  The shutter is held back an by a strong thread, and this is cut, or better, burned in two, when the exposure is made.

“Sometimes,” said the doctor, “I make the sun burn the thread through a burning glass so that the sun makes the exposure that photographs its own image.”

An attempt was made by Dr. Brooks to photograph the corona by a method devised by him some time age.  It is well known that this has only been done where the eclipse was total.  The astronomer placed an artificial moon close to the focal plane, with the purpose of cutting off the small remaining crescent of the sun as seen here.  Unfortunately the sun was surrounded by light clouds during the time of the greatest eclipse.  At some future time it is believed that an image of the corona may be secured in this manner.

Explore Dr. Brooks’ life and career further through Comet Finder: Dr. William R. Brooks,  now on view at the Geneva History Museum through April 13 . 

2 responses to ““Eclipse Was On Time:” 1900 Solar Eclipse”

Thank you, John. Dr Brooks was a true genius and the article is amazing and very interesting thinking of what was available 124 years ago.

Thanks John, How timely. Learned more about Dr. Brooks. He was a real asset to the colleges and the Geneva community.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• February 2024
• January 2024
• December 2023
• November 2023
• October 2023
• September 2023
• August 2023
• February 2023
• January 2023
• December 2022
• November 2022
• October 2022
• September 2022
• August 2022
• February 2022
• January 2022
• December 2021
• November 2021
• October 2021
• September 2021
• August 2021
• February 2021
• January 2021
• December 2020
• November 2020
• October 2020
• September 2020
• August 2020
• February 2020
• January 2020
• December 2019
• November 2019
• October 2019
• September 2019
• August 2019
• February 2019
• January 2019
• December 2018
• November 2018
• October 2018
• September 2018
• August 2018
• February 2018
• January 2018
• December 2017
• November 2017
• October 2017
• September 2017
• August 2017
• February 2017
• January 2017
• December 2016
• November 2016
• October 2016
• September 2016
• August 2016
• February 2016
• January 2016
• December 2015
• November 2015
• October 2015
• September 2015
• August 2015
• February 2015
• January 2015
• December 2014
• November 2014
• October 2014
• September 2014
• August 2014
• February 2014
• January 2014
• December 2013
• November 2013
• October 2013
• September 2013
• August 2013
• February 2013
• January 2013
• Buildings and Places (75)
• Business and Labor (24)
• Communication and Technology (18)
• Fashion and Clothing (13)
• Food and Cooking (15)
• General (2)
• Historic Geneva (95)
• Medicine (13)
• Museum Work (102)
• Organizations (61)
• People (106)
• Recreation (59)
• Transportation (10)

• Motorcycles
• Car of the Month
• Destinations
• Men’s Fashion
• Watch Collector
• Art & Collectibles
• Vacation Homes
• Celebrity Homes
• New Construction
• Home Design
• Electronics
• Fine Dining
• Aston Martin
• L’Atelier
• Les Marquables de Martell
• Reynolds Lake Oconee
• 672 Wine Club
• Sports & Leisure
• Health & Wellness
• Best of the Best
• The Ultimate Gift Guide
• 3 Watch-World Powerhouses Teamed Up on a Gorgeous New Vintage-Inspired Timepiece

The 1952 Observatory Dial Limited Edition is the brainchild of Phillips, Massena LAB, and renowned designer Raúl Pagès.

Cait bazemore, cait bazemore's most recent stories.

• De Bethune Debuts a Purple Titanium Marvel That’s Fit for a Prince
• De Bethune Packs 8 Complications Into a New Double-Sided Masterpiece
• Share This Article

Related Stories

• Miu Miu Is the World’s Hottest Fashion Brand Once Again: Report
• One of the U.K.’s Coolest Eyewear Makers Is Bringing Its Custom Frames to N.Y.C.
• Two of the Most Respected Luxury Watch Databases Are Merging

“We loved the Magraph that William had launched using a proprietary movement developed by the great Raúl Pagès and a tribute to the beautiful vintage Audemars Piguet VZS calibers,” shared Bacs and Ghotbi. This went on to lay the foundation for the 1952 Observatory Dial Limited Edition. This model houses the manual-wind, proprietary caliber M690 from the 2022 Magraph Limited Edition, marking its first-ever appearance in a publicly released wristwatch. “The movement is a nod to the JB champion chronometer,” William Messena told us today when asked about the inspiration for the project. “We love these movements that were made for precision timing like some cars were made for racing.”

The 1952 Observatory Dial is available today in a limited run of just 99 pieces, priced at 8,000 CHF (around $8,762 USD) and can be purchased exclusively through Phillips.

Read More On:

More watch collector.

Gen Zers Are Spending Like Maniacs on Watches: Report

Tom Brady Added a Platinum Cartier Crash to His Bonkers Watch Collection

This Ultra-Rare Rolex Split-Seconds Just Sold for a Record $3.5 Million at Auction

Forget Suits and Furs. Collectors of Iconic ’80s Piagets Are Styling Them With Jeans and Nikes.

Culinary Masters 2024

MAY 17 - 19 Join us for extraordinary meals from the nation’s brightest culinary minds.

Give the Gift of Luxury

Latest Galleries in Watch Collector

The 25 Best James Bond Watches, Ranked

10 New Watches That Prove Rose Gold Is the Metal of the Moment

More from our brands, queen mary of denmark makes her sparkling debut in danish crown jewels for first official portrait as monarch with king frederik x, nfl stadium naming rights help brands half the time, study says, amazon mgm studios’ sue kroll on selling ‘saltburn’ as a ‘guilty pleasure,’ going with gut instinct and listening to fans, impressionism, reexamined: how one of art history’s most controversial movements finally got respect, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors.

• Side Hustles
• Power Players
• Young Success
• Save and Invest
• Become Debt-Free
• Land the Job
• Closing the Gap
• Science of Success
• Pop Culture and Media
• Psychology and Relationships
• Health and Wellness
• Real Estate
• Most Popular

Related Stories

• Food, Travel and Tech These are the 10 most welcoming cities   for 2024—only 1 is in the U.S.
• Food, Travel and Tech New report: Top 10 destinations for   international travel in 2023
• Life 10 most-sustainable U.S.   cities—they're almost all on the West Coast
• Life This is the happiest country in Asia,   according to the World Happiness Report
• Life The 10 best places in the U.S. to raise a   family—California didn't make the list

Here are the top 10 smartest cities in the world — and none are in the U.S.

Smart cities in Europe and Asia are gaining ground globally while North American cities have fallen down the ranks, according to the 2024 Smart City Index released April.

Of the top 10 smart cities on the list, seven were in Europe.

This year's index was produced by the IMD World Competitiveness Center's Smart City Observatory in collaboration with the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO) that's based in Seoul, South Korea.

The report ranks 142 smart cities worldwide based on data analyzed by researchers, as well as survey responses of 120 residents in each city. The study captures an overview of how the infrastructure and technology available in a city impacts the city's performance and the quality of life of its inhabitants.

So, what is a smart city?

According to the IMD , a smart city is defined as "an urban setting that applies technology to enhance the benefits and diminish the shortcomings of urbanization for its citizens."

With very few exceptions, cities in the top 20 are geographically located in areas where social and economic environments are relatively predictable, even against the overall climate of global uncertainties. IMD Smart City Index 2024

The cities that perform well on the list have also developed initiatives that cater to their citizens' overall quality of life.

"Such initiatives have focused on developing green spaces and broadening opportunities for cultural events and social bonding, for example," according to the report.

"In the majority of these leading cities, such efforts have been combined with innovative strategies to attract and retain talent, foster investment in a selective fashion [e.g. pro-sustainability], and tackle long standing issues regarding geographical inequalities and inclusion," the report said.

Here are the top 10 smart cities, according to the 2024 Smart City Index.

• Zurich, Switzerland
• Oslo, Norway
• Canberra, Australia
• Geneva, Switzerland
• Copenhagen, Denmark
• Lausanne, Switzerland
• London, England
• Helsinki, Finland
• Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Notably, for the first time since the index's inception in 2019, there is an absence of North American cities in the top 20.

"Using three year moving averages (i.e. comparing a city's average ranking for the period 2021-24 to that of the period 2020-23), a significant number of US cities have been losing ground," according to the report.

"This is the case in particular for Washington DC, Denver, and Los Angeles (-12, -12, and -11 respectively), but also for San Francisco (-9), New York City (-7), and Chicago (-4)."

The highest ranking U.S. city this year is New York City which ranked 34th, followed by Boston at 36th and Washington DC, coming in at 50th place.

While European cities dominated the list, Asian cities are gaining ground too.

Here are the top 5 smart cities in Asia:

• Singapore (5th)
• Beijing (13th)
• Taipei City (16th)
• Seoul (17th)
• Shanghai (19th)

Singapore has consistently ranked among the top 10 positions since the index's inception in 2019. It ranked 7th from 2020 to 2023 — except in 2022 when no rankings were released, and jumped up two positions this year.

Taipei City has also jumped 13 positions over the last year, from 29th in 2023 to 16th this year.

"Cities must design and adopt strategies that can resist the test of a future plagued with growing uncertainties, " said Bruno Lanvin, president of the Smart City Observatory.

"Health-related concerns remain high, while climate-related ones grow even larger; a mix complicated by renewed international tensions. Trust and good governance are growing in importance, and the significance of Al in city design and management is set to increase," he said in the report.

"Counterintuitive as it may sound, Al can help cities to become more human-centric," Lanvin added.

Want to make extra money outside of your day job?  Sign up for  CNBC's new online course How to Earn Passive Income Online  to learn about common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories. Register today and save 50% with discount code EARLYBIRD.

Plus,  sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter  to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.