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 or book a private tour with our resident astronomer (school programs also available).
Worthy Brewing: 495 NE Bellevue Dr, Bend, OR 97701
Have questions? Interested in volunteering? Want to book a tour?
Email grant@worthygardenclub.com
HOPSERVATORY
we may cancel viewings due to cloudy weather. BEFORE CALLing or Emailing TO ASK...
To interpret, find the row labeled "cloud cover." Darker blue = clear skies. White/gray blocks = cloudy.
We are open on a first-come, first-serve basis. No reservation is required. Due to limited capacity inside the dome, we are currently allowing groups of 10 or fewer at a time. You may have to wait in a short line before entering.
-OPEN-
WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY
9-10PM
FRIDAY, SATURDAY
9-11PM
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. The Hopservatory is great for kids and adults alike – everyone is awed by the stars!
Follow our INSTAGRAM, or shoot us a message to keep up to date on local solar viewing events and viewings.
H-alpha solar telescopes work by allowing hydrogen-alpha light to pass through while rejecting all other wavelengths. 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.
Our mobile Hydrogen Alpha telescope has protective filters to keep us safe as we view features such as sunspots, solar flares, prominences, and filaments.
Want a more intimate experience
with the sky? Book a private tour for your friends, family, school group, or business associates! Private tours allow you to experience a one-on-one program with our telescope and knowledgeable astronomy docent.
To accommodate our busy public programs, private tours are limited to select Tuesday & Sunday nights in the spring and summer. Programs fees starting at $300/hour minimum for groups up to 20 people, $50 extra/hour, per additional 10 people.
Full coverage scholarships are available for school groups!
For more information or to schedule your private tour, contact
What's Up: August 2022 Skywatching Tips from NASA
Interested in Dark Skies? Check out this Dark Skies Toolkit put together by Travel Oregon. Our own Worthy Hopservatory is one of the noteworthy (pun intended) places to visit!
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 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.
Traverse two stories up the beautiful 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 programs to protect equipment inside, and the dome is not heated - as heat and heatwaves can alter telescope functions - be sure to dress warmly during the winter months!
THE
DOME
THE
TELESCOPES
Our main telescope is a 16-inch Ritchey-Chretién reflector, the same type as the Hubble space telescope. The large aperture allows us to gather plenty of light to see very faint and very distant objects. 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. We also have a 4-inch refracting telescope mounted to the side of our main telescope that gives more crisp & wider fields of view. 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 sunspots, solar flares, prominences, and filaments.
Take a virtual tour
FAQS
What can you expect to see through the telescope?
Depending on the time of year and the level of visibility, you’ll be able to see specific planets, the Moon, stars, nebulae, and even the occasional galaxy! The beauty of the galaxy paired with the mountainous views make for an incredible sight. Join us at our own little slice of the universe at our observatory in Bend, Oregon to appreciate the views with us! While visiting an observatory in Bend, Oregon might not be the most obvious activity, previous visitors will tell you it’s a can’t miss. Talk with our knowledgeable manager and feel free to make a special request to turn the telescope and see something specific. Day or night, our observatory offers you views of the stars and planets, as well as solar viewing.
What if it's cloudy?
In the event of inclement weather, Hopservatory viewings may be canceled. Email grant@worthygardenclub.com 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, please reference the CLEAR SKY CHART.
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 at $200. Email events@worthybrewing.com for more information about Worthy's event space.
(Hopservatory payment and scheduling are made through Worthy Garden Club.)
Is there an entrance fee to visit the Hopservatory?
We don't charge admission on public viewing nights, but we do suggest a $5 donation per person for anyone over the age of 5. If you don't have cash, we have a square reader for card payments, or you can donate via PayPal at the top of our home page. All proceeds directly benefit Worthy Garden Club's science programs and incentives.
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.