Fun! We love having the world-famous Yerkes Observatory as neighbor and community partner. Einstein visited here, and brilliant astronomers like Edwin Hubble, Carl Sagan, and Nancy Grace Roman all conducted valuable research at Yerkes. It’s been rightly called “the birthplace of modern astrophysics.” Now, after three years of painstaking restoration, this landmark institution has reopened to the public—and to rave reviews.
We share Yerkes’ passion for celebrating curiosity, exploration, and bold ideas. Historians are also just now discovering and documenting the important role women played in the early work of the observatory. Please visit if you get a chance and take one of their marvelous tours.
Yerkes recently announced plans for an innovative, astronomy-inspired playground, which will be an amazing educational and accessible STEM play space for youth. They’ve launched a crowdfunding campaign to construct Play/Space, a unique 7,000 square foot, 26’ tall playground inspired by a supernova!
Yerkes hosts exceptional events such as a sci-fi film series, a solar eclipse open house, and, this summer, the Grammy Award-winning ensemble called Eighth Blackbird is returning to Yerkes to host their Creative Lab at the Observatory, a two-week residency for young musicians. If you go in December sometime, you might get to see their spectacular glass Christmas tree—a glassblowing extravaganza using donated recycled glass to create an extraordinary piece of community art. Yerkes is also emerging as a magnet for visiting professors and their astronomy interns. We are thrilled to be part of the creative community that’s taking shape in this corner of the world!