The Grand Rapids Public Museum and the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association are partnering to bring the community a season of stargazing and space history.
The observatory, located at 3308 Kissing Rock Ave. in Lowell Township, will be open on selected Saturday evenings through October for viewing celestial objects, weather permitting. Multiple permanently mounted telescopes are available, supplemented by member-owned instruments set up on the observatory grounds. Visitors can also watch an audio-visual presentation highlighting objects currently visible in the sky.
Subsequent public nights will be canceled in the event of cloud cover. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 3–17, and free for children under 5. GRPM and GRAAA members receive free admission. Updates on event status are available at graaa.org or by calling 616-897-7065 no later than 6:30 p.m. on event nights.
In addition, the museum will host a screening of Apollo 1: A Feature Documentary at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, in its Meijer Theater. The film tells the story of astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Grand Rapids native Roger Chaffee, who died in the 1967 Apollo 1 spacecraft fire. British filmmaker Mark Craig, who produced and directed the documentary, will introduce the screening and share insights from archival research and interviews with family and colleagues of the astronauts. Admission is free, and tickets can be reserved at grpm.org.
The Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association is a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the study of astronomy and promoting science education in West Michigan. The Grand Rapids Public Museum, a 170-year-old institution, provides administrative and financial support for the observatory and maintains exhibits, a planetarium, and the National Historic Landmark known as The Mounds.
For more information, visit graaa.org or grpm.org.
