2023 SETI TOUR

$40.00

Limited Availability...book today!

Please read the following information carefully before making your purchase.

This tour has high demand and very limited capacity. Because of the additional time required for clearance, we cannot offer refunds or exchanges with less than 1 full week’s notice. Requests must be made no later than the Friday before your scheduled tour.

Celebrate Green Bank’s historic role in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence! We begin where it all started, in the control room of the 85-ft Telescope used by Frank Drake in the original search, "Project Ozma”. From there, enjoy rare admittance to the 140-foot telescope, where Jill Tarter’s Project Phoenix took place, and then to restricted GBT access points. The tour concludes with a conversation in the historic Drake Lounge with a staff astronomer about the future of SETI and the role of the GBT in the Breakthrough Listen project. If you've ever wanted to take a peek inside our historic telescopes or speak with one of our radio astronomers in person, then this is THE opportunity of a lifetime!

SETI Tours are offered select Fridays from 1:00-3:45 PM. $40/person. Advance reservations required; 21 participants max, ages 12 & up.

Select "Pickup" as your shipping option at checkout. No tickets will be issued. Check in at the Gift Shop or Front Desk upon arrival.
Ticket admits one; no discounts apply.
A clearance check is required. Submit your Visitor Registration Form at least 72 hours in advance to allow ample time for your clearance to come through. https://info.nrao.edu/oas/dpscompliance
You will be required to turn off your phone and all electronics while touring most of the Observatory grounds. Digital cameras are not allowed near the telescopes. You may bring a film camera to capture your experiences.

Accessibility Note: access to some of the historical sites visited on this tour does require the use of stairs. Accommodations can be made for parts of the tour with advance notice. Please call 304-456-2150 or email us at visit@gbobservatory.org at least a week in advance of your tour if you need to request an accommodation.

In the event of severe weather conditions, the Green Bank Observatory site and Science Center could close. We will make every attempt to notify ticket holders about closures. Feel free to call us at 304-456-2150 before departing on your trip to our site if you have any concerns.