Visit the Observatory

Our Location on Earth
Latitude: 41 33' 18'' N (41.555° N)
Longitude: 4h 50m 38s W (72.66° W)
Altitude: 65m
Time Zone: 5 hours west

Google Maps

Wesleyan Campus Map

campus map (PDF)

Interior Observatory Map

Van Vleck Observatory Layout Map (PDF)

• From Washington Street (Route 66) turn onto Vine Street, which is at the end of Route 3.
• Take Vine Street south until it dead ends into Church St.
• Make a left on Church and drive to the first stop sign.
• Make a hard left and follow the campus road up to the Observatory.

Parking is available for guest speakers, faculty, and staff at the Observatory. Others should find street parking off campus or use the V lot on Vine Street.

Visitors without accessibility needs should park in V Lot, which is located on Vine Street near the Wesleyan tennis courts. This is a short walk to the Observatory either via stairs directly across the street, or by walking up Vine Street.

Those visitors that do have accessibility needs can park in O Lot, which is located right at Van Vleck Observatory. We currently have one ADA parking space which is located on the side of the building with our ramp, and nine regular parking spaces. Parking is not guaranteed in this lot.

We are committed to making Van Vleck Observatory more accessible. We unfortunately cannot make any structural changes to our historic building at this time, though we can make changes in how we offer events. If you're interested in coming to visit, please contact Stef Dinneen to discuss your accessibility needs.

Facility Information

The Observatory includes the following features:

• One ADA parking space in O Lot (lot closest to observatory)
• Ramped entry on one side
  • The ramp barrier does not extend the full length of the ramp, which can create confusion at night (we hope to correct this and add additional lighting in the future)
• Accessible entrance with power assist door
  • Other external doors can be heavy to open
• Accessible building 1st floor only (no elevators to travel to basement or telescopes)
• Red light switches inside with two red lights on either front entrance
• One single occupant ADA accessible/All Gender restroom on 1st floor (no automatic door)
• One single occupant All Gender Restroom on 1st floor (not ADA accessible)
• Video communication in the Library to the 20-inch Alvan Clark Great Refractor

Doorways
Doorway sizing is as follows:

• West main entrance - 31 inches
• East main entrance - 35 inches
• First floor classroom doors - 33 inches
• Library - 33.5 inches
• Hallway door to accessible bathroom - 34 inches
• Accessible All Gender bathroom door - 33 inches
• Hallway door to All Gender bathroom 29 inches
• All Gender bathroom door jamb to door jamb - 29 inches (clearance with door open 27 inches)

Stairs
Due to the nature of our setup, most of our events are not accessible without going up or down stairs. We have the capability to connect the telescopes to the media devices in the upstairs classroom and the library for research. We are working on translating this into a more accessible feature for our events. We do have a detailed map outlining locations, sizes, and photos for all of our facility stairwells.

Van Vleck Observatory Stair Map (PDF)

Hearing and Visual Support
At this time we do not offer hearing support for our events or exhibits. This is something that we are working on along with visual support (e.g., braille documents).

Neurodivergent Visitors
Some of our neurodivergent visitors may find our Observatory loud or overstimulating. We do our best to keep the noise level down, but we recommend bringing earplugs or headphones if you have them. If you don't, we can help you find a quiet space if you become overwhelmed. Our library is often a favorite spot because the lighting is not as bright, and we can close the door if needed.