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Planning your visit

Open 7 days, 8:30am – 4:15pm, plus extended hours during the NSW school holidays. The centre is fully accessible. 

Entry is free

Address: 585 Telescope Road
Parkes NSW 2870
Wiradjuri Country

Phone: 02 6861 1777

Caravan, 4WD and RV parking available. No overnight camping.

Please note the café has closed and we apologise for any inconvenience. The nearest food and beverage can be found in the town of Parkes, approximately 20kms south of the Observatory.

Disconnect to protect our science

When approaching the observatory please turn off all mobile, WiFi and Bluetooth technology to help protect our telescope.

Our Parkes Observatory is a radio quiet site, operating 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Icons for enabling flight mode, turning off Bluetooth and turning off WiFi

A map of central NSW

Group bookings

Please use our booking form for school, senior and special interest group visits.

Group booking form

Things to see and do

Our Parkes Observatory Visitors Centre is the place to learn more about Australia’s role in radio astronomy. Discover what makes this part of the world a great place to explore the Universe!

See the iconic Murriyang, our Parkes radio telescope, plus interactive exhibits, out-of-this-world souvenirs, accessible playground and picnic area, and a ticketed 3D theatre. 

Murriyang operates every day, all day, capturing radio light from distant galaxies, pulsars and fast radio bursts. It even occasionally supports space missions, most famously the Apollo 11 Moon landing.

Regular upgrades means it is still one of the best telescopes in the world and the largest single-dish radio telescope in the southern hemisphere dedicated to astronomy research.

Space shopping

Forgot something? Visit the online Parkes Observatory Visitors Centre shop for a great variety of astronomy souvenirs, educational resources, clothing, books and more.

Shop online

Children point to a sign that says Parkes Observatory. A radio telescope can be seen in the background.

Planning your visit

Open 7 days, 8:30am – 4:15pm, plus extended hours during the NSW school holidays. The centre is fully accessible. 

Entry is free

Address: 585 Telescope Road
Parkes NSW 2870
Wiradjuri Country

Phone: 02 6861 1777

Caravan, 4WD and RV parking available. No overnight camping.

Please note the café has closed and we apologise for any inconvenience. The nearest food and beverage can be found in the town of Parkes, approximately 20kms south of the Observatory.

Disconnect to protect our science

When approaching the observatory please turn off all mobile, WiFi and Bluetooth technology to help protect our telescope.

Our Parkes Observatory is a radio quiet site, operating 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Please turn off all mobile, WiFi and Bluetooth technology to protect our telescopes

Parkes Observatory is owned and operated by CSIRO, Australia's national science agency.

Group bookings

Please use our booking form for school, senior and special interest group visits.

Group booking form

Things to see and do

Our Parkes Observatory Visitors Centre is the place to learn more about Australia’s role in radio astronomy. Discover what makes this part of the world a great place to explore the Universe!

See the iconic Murriyang, our Parkes radio telescope, plus interactive exhibits, out-of-this-world souvenirs, accessible playground and picnic area, and a ticketed 3D theatre. 

Murriyang operates every day, all day, capturing radio light from distant galaxies, pulsars and fast radio bursts. It even occasionally supports space missions, most famously the Apollo 11 Moon landing.

Regular upgrades means it is still one of the best telescopes in the world and the largest single-dish radio telescope in the southern hemisphere dedicated to astronomy research.

Space shopping

Forgot something? Visit the online Parkes Observatory Visitors Centre shop for a great variety of astronomy souvenirs, educational resources, clothing, books and more.

Shop online

The Parkes Observatory Visitors Centre ©  2024 Laura Jelbart Photography, all rights reserved.