2023 SETI TOUR

Spring Tour Dates Available Now!  Summer Dates Coming Soon!

It is extremely important that you read all of the following information before making your purchase.

Upon checkout, select "Pickup" as your shipping option. You will not collect your ticket until the day of your tour; Check in at Gift Shop or Front Desk area.  Ticket admits one; no discounts apply.

Cancellations and date change requests are accepted outside of one week from your purchased tour time. Inside of one week, refunds and date changes will not be issued.

The SETI Tour requires that a visitor registration form be submitted at least 48 Hours in advance.  The visitor registration form can be found at https://info.nrao.edu/oas/dpscompliance. This must be submitted after your purchase for your reservation to be confirmed. 

Ticket includes tour and access to our Science Center to visit the Exhibit Hall, Gift Shop, and Cafe. 

Our tour celebrates Green Bank's historic Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI). It begins with an exclusive presentation right in the control room of our 85-1 Telescope where the search began with Frank Drake's OZMA project. From there, guests enjoy rare admittance into the 140-Foot Telescope where Jill Tarter's Project Pheonix took place and then to the normally-restricted Green Bank Telescope (GBT) base. The tour ends in our Science Center auditorium where you will be greeted by one of our own astronomers and learn about the future of SETI and the role of the GBT in the Breakthrough Listen project. 

If you've ever wanted to be inside our operation control rooms or to speak to one of our radio astronomers in person, then this is THE opportunity of a lifetime!

Select Fridays; 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m; $40/person. Advance reservations required. 20 participants max.; 4 min. Ages 12 & up.

You will be required to turn off your phone and all electronics while touring most of the Observatory grounds. You may bring a non-battery-operated film camera or purchase a disposable camera in our Gift Shop to capture your experiences.

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.