The McDonald Observatory is a must see for all star lovers. Operated by the University of Texas at Austin, the observatory has three large telescopes and hosts visiting astronomers from around the world and more than 130,000 tourists every year.

Guided tours of the McDonald Observatory are offered every morning at 11:30am and afternoon at 2:00pm. Day visitors to the observatory may also take a detailed look at the sun. Solar viewing sessions are conducted twice daily in the Visitor's center theater. A telescope equipped with a filter and video camera provides live video of our sun, its turbulent atmosphere, and sunspots. The observatory's evening Star Parties should not be missed. Beginning just after dark, experts train several smaller (but still powerful) telescopes at interesting stars, planets, passing satellites and other astral features. An explanation of the constellations and stars of note is also presented by a resident astronomer, and explanatory videos are shown in the Visitor Center.