Whether looking up into the heavens or down into the valley below, the views from the high point of Lick Observatory can't be beat on a clear day or night. Its overlook from the south end of the valley boasts views to the San Francisco Bay and beyond (some say they can see Mount Shasta). Lick Observatory was built in 1888 by the philanthropist James Lick, a Pennsylvania native who originally came to the valley to start a mill and wound up owning much of downtown San Francisco after the gold rush. In its early days, Lick Observatory and the spectacular 27-mile winding roadway leading up to it was a huge tourist attraction heralded for offering the "most advanced astronomy appliances in the world." University of California Santa Cruz scientists still monitor the observatory's updated, world-class telescopes around the clock.

Valley cities use of orange-hued Low Pressure Sodium (LPS) lamps for most street lighting and parking lot illumination in deference to the observatory. Bright urban lighting impedes the ability to view faint distant objects, and the low freqency light waves can be more easily filtered.

Founded in 1888 with funding from the eccentric millionaire James Lick, the Lick Observatory is a world-class research institution, a leader in developing new instruments and observation techniques, and a center of learning. Located at Mt. Hamilton's 4200 foot mark, 14 miles east of San Jose, the facility has nine research-grade telescopes is its Shane 3-meter Reflector that University of California astronomers use to view the solar system and distant galaxies.

James Lick originally wanted to memorialize his life by constructing a pyramid on a block that he owned in downtown San Francisco. His astronomer friend, George Davidson, president of the California Academy of Sciences, made frequent visits to the ailing Lick's bedside and persuaded him that a telescope would be a more useful monument to his accomplishments. Lick died 12 years before his dream of building the world's greatest telescope was realized. He is buried at the base of the large reflector.

The observatory is open for public tours every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas eve and Christmas day. Weekday hours are12:30pm to 5pm; weekends from10am to 5pm. The observatory is a 20-mile drive from downtown San Jose, up a long, winding road that is sometimes covered in snow in the winter. Night visits are not allowed, except for events such as the Music of the Spheres concert series.