WORTHY GARDEN CLUB STRIVES TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY AND WORLD A BETTER PLACE THROUGH NUMEROUS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH INFLUENTIAL ORGANIZATIONS. EXPLORE ALL THE WAYS YOU CAN BECOME INVOLVED WITH OUR AWESOME CREW.
HOPSERVATORY
GARDENS
DARK SKIES
HOPSERVATORY
The Worthy Garden Club Hopservatory opened in May of 2017 with the goal of raising scientific literacy and educating our visitors about big and unwieldy concepts like scale, size, time, distance, and speed in our solar system and beyond. We want people to be amazed and humbled by the beauty and diversity of our galactic garden as well as inspired to take care of our own planet.
The Hopservatory is a part of the WORTHY BREWING facility, though it is maintained and operated by the Worthy Garden Club. Stop by during open viewing hours day or night, or book a private tour with our resident astronomer (school programs are available).
Worthy Brewing: 495 NE Bellevue Dr, Bend, OR 97701
Have questions? Interested in volunteering? Want to book a tour?
Email grant@worthygardenclub.com
We have reached our scheduling capacity for June, see night sky viewing below for further information.
Please email: if you have any questions. Clear skies!
See what the Central Oregon night
sky has to offer! Open house viewing includes a peek through our 16-inch research-grade telescope. You’ll have the opportunity to gaze upon galaxies, planets, star clusters, nebulae, and of course, the Moon, guided by our resident astronomer, Grant.
Schedule Updates
During July we will be expanding our program, no longer will you need to make a reservation! Social distancing and masks will still be required due to the size of our space.
We will be allowing groups of 5 or fewer at a time into the observatory from 9:30 pm to 10:45 pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. You may have to wait in a short line to enter the Observatory dome. We hope to see you all soon!
Night viewing too late for you? Come view our neighboring star - the Sun! Our mobile Hydrogen Alpha telescope has protective filters to keep us safe as we view details on the solar surface like sunspots, solar flares, prominences, and filaments. This filtering effect allows you to see only glowing hydrogen gas and gives you the contrast to see the Sun for what it really is: a dynamic, seething, and occasionally violent place where immense amounts of energy and hot gas are flung into space.
Follow our Instagram to keep up to date on local events we will be attending to showcase the beauty of our local star!
Want a more intimate experience
with the sky? Book a private tour for your friends, family, school group, or business associates.
(To accommodate our public program private tour availability is limited to select Wednesday & Sunday nights in spring/summer.)
$200/hour for 20 people
$50 extra/hour, per additional 10 people
Full coverage scholarships available for school groups
For more information or to schedule your private tour, please contact .
CHECK THE CLEAR SKY CLOCK NIGHTLY FORECAST
Interpreting the Clear Sky Clock:
In the rows labeled "cloud cover," find the column of blocks.
Darker blue = clear skies. White/gray blocks = cloudy.
THE
TRANSPORTER ROOM
Your journey to the great beyond begins here. Sitting at the base of the Hopservatory, the transporter room is decorated with beautiful mosaic tiling depicting the wonders of our universe: speeding comets, space ships, and planets. The center mosaic column (which actually supports the telescope two stories above) portrays the beauty of our planet as seen through the eyes of interstellar travelers. Marbleized Venetian plaster walls replicate a slice of Earth as it rises from the core up through the terrestrial strata towards the stars and beyond, inspired by Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
But what's it all about? The cosmos contain awe inspiring phenomena, but we want visitors to look out into that vast space and see just how cold, distant, and inhospitable it all is compared to our own planet. We want you to leave with the impression that our universe is beautiful, but our home planet is irreplaceable.
THE
DOME
Traverse two stories up the spiral staircase to the upper deck (handicap access via elevator) to see one of Bend's best views a stunning panorama from Mt. Bachelor to Mt. Hood.
Tours take you inside the 16-foot fully automatic, rotating Ash dome to view planets, galaxies, star clusters, nebulae, the moon and the sun through our reflecting and refracting telescopes. The sliding aperture is open only during tours to protect equipment inside, and the dome is not heated - as heat can alter telescope functions - so be sure to dress warmly during the winter months!
THE
TELESCOPES
Our pre-owned 16-inch reflecting Ritchey-Chretién telescope was restored by Optical Guidance Systems and installed on March 9, 2017 with help from the Oregon Observatory at Sunriver. Mounted on a pier to clear the height of the dome walls, visitors must scale a short ladder to an elevated platform to look directly through the eyepiece. And thanks to the wonders of technology, our telescope can automatically find and track almost any object in the night sky, so don't be shy about asking our sky guy for a special request! Viewable objects change seasonally.
To safely view the Sun, we use a Hydrogen Alpha solar telescope on a tripod. This telescope has protective filters to keep us safe as we view details on the solar surface like sun-spots, solar flares, prominences and filaments.
FAQS
Is there an entrance fee to visit the Hopservatory?
We don't charge admission but we do suggest a $5 donation per person for anyone over the age of 7. If you don't have cash, you can donate via PayPal at the top of our home page. All proceeds directly benefit Worthy Garden Club natural science literacy programs.
What if it's cloudy?
In the event of inclement weather, Hopservatory viewings may be canceled. Email for viewing updates. If the demand is present, guests can take a peek at the equipment in the dome but won't be able to view through the telescope. Private tours will be contacted directly in the event of cloudy conditions. Chances are, if it's cloudy outside your window, we'll have less-than-optimal viewing at the Hopservatory.
Can the Hopservatory be rented out for an event?
The Hopservatory is quite small, so we cannot host events inside the dome, but it is available as an add-on to any booked event in WORTHY BREWING'S HOP MAHAL and includes guided viewing. (availability limited in Spring and Summer) Rates start @ $200. Email for more information. Payment and scheduling are made through Worthy Garden Club.
Can you bring beer into the Hopservatory?
Yes, we are located at a brewery, but no, beer is not allowed in the dome. Telescopes are expensive! You are welcome to plan your viewing around beer and food at the pub.
What can you expect to see through the telescope?
The objects we view at the Hopservatory depend on the season, time of night, and weather conditions. We try our best to display "highlight" objects, and you can expect to view a few different objects throughout the night if you stick around for the entire program. These objects include but aren't limited to the Moon, planets within our solar system, binary stars, star clusters, nebulae, galaxies, and the occasional cosmic oddity.