Elgin National Watch Company Observatory - Elgin, IL - Astronomical Observatories on Waymarking.com

In 1910, the Elgin National Watch Company designed and constructed this observatory near its factory to create a standard time for its watches.

The equipment within the observatory were all created to minimize the outside influences from disturbing the timekeeping instruments as well as the three-inch objective lens in the transit telescope.

Once the Elgin National Watch Company began to realize their business was floundering and a timekeeping observatory was obsolete, they turned the facility over to the Elgin School District for educational purposes in 1960.

To bring additional educational resources to the building, the Elgin School District added a planetarium to the rear in 1963.

The observatory was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

Observatory Purpose: Private Optical / Infrared Telescopes?: Yes Radio Telescopes?: No Solar Telescopes?: No Open to the Public?: No Is this a Club Observatory?: No Public Viewing Allowed?: No Active Observatory?: Retired Number of Telescopes or Antennas: 1 Site URL: [Web Link] Year Dedicated or Opened: 1910 Altitude (meters): 239

Visit Instructions:
Note the time of day of your visit, and your own photo of your favorite part of the observatory. This might be the view from the observatory, picture of your favorite building or favorite exhibit. (Be mindful of flash photography rules!)

If you participated in an observing session, let everyone know what you saw!

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