Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
30 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
about 1 month ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
about 1 month ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
about 1 month ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Vermont Stellafane Observatory

Stellafane Observatory

An amateur telescope-making club has been gathering at this Vermont site for more than a century.

Springfield, Vermont

Added By
emgoldfine
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The Pink Clubhouse and the Porter-Turret Telescope   Tkeator / CC BY-SA 2.0
The Pink Clubhouse and the Porter-Turret Telescope   Tkeator / CC BY-SA 2.0
Pink Clubhouse at the Stellafane Observatory   BM6 / CC BY-SA 4.0
Simoni Spectrohelioscope   BM6 / CC BY-SA 4.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Stellafane is the home of the Springfield Telescope Makers, the oldest and most active telescope-making club in the world. The club was founded by the brilliant polymath Russell W. Porter in 1920, and the pink clubhouse was built at this Vermont site in 1923.

Porter suggested the name Stellafane, which combines the Latin words stella and fanum to mean "Shrine to the Stars." It's the site of the annual Stellafane Convention, a gathering of the nation’s amateur astronomy community. It's the longest-running astronomical convention in the United States, drawing thousands of amateur telescope makers to share their work, join in competitions, and enjoy the night sky together.

Multiple telescopes are spread throughout Stellafane's 3.5-acre campus, as well as an amphitheater, a bunkhouse, and radio communication equipment.

Related Tags

Science Observatories Clubs Astronomy Telescopes

Community Contributors

Added By

emgoldfine

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

May 29, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/butowsky5/astro4n.htm
  • https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/club-view.cfm?Club_ID=1778
Stellafane Observatory
211 Jordan Rd
Springfield, Vermont, 05156
United States
43.276772, -72.516567
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Phineas Gage Memorial

Cavendish, Vermont

miles away

The Nature Museum Feejee Mermaid

Grafton, Vermont

miles away

Bellows Falls Petroglyphs

Bellows Falls, Vermont

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Vermont

Vermont

United States

Places 82
Stories 16

Nearby Places

Phineas Gage Memorial

Cavendish, Vermont

miles away

The Nature Museum Feejee Mermaid

Grafton, Vermont

miles away

Bellows Falls Petroglyphs

Bellows Falls, Vermont

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Vermont

Vermont

United States

Places 82
Stories 16

Related Places

  • Radio telescopes.

    Cawston, British Columbia

    Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory

    One of Canada's premier radio observatories sits in a radio-quiet valley outside Penticton.

  • Telescope domes at Pine Mountain Observatory.

    Millican, Oregon

    Pine Mountain Observatory

    In the high desert east of Bend, the University of Oregon maintains a research observatory on a remote mountain peak.

  • The 65-cm Telescope within the Observatory History Museum.

    Mitaka, Japan

    National Astronomy Observatory Japan Mitaka Campus

    The headquarters of one of Japan’s leading astronomy research institutions features several historic observatory facilities and a 2,000-year-old burial mound.

  • Ladd Observatory

    Providence, Rhode Island

    Ladd Observatory

    A 132-year-old telescope continues to keep watch over the night skies above Providence.

  • The cupola- the telescope is not the original one used to observe the transit

    London, England

    King’s Observatory

    Built by George III to observe the transit of Venus, this Georgian gem is a unique survivor in the Arcadian landscape of Richmond upon Thames.

  • The Grande Lunette at Meudon Observatory

    Meudon, France

    The Grande Lunette

    The largest refracting telescope in Europe is housed on the grounds of a former French castle.

  • ALMA.

    San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

    Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA)

    One of the world's most advanced radio observatories sprawls across the Atacama Desert.

  • La Silla during the 2019 eclipse.

    Chile

    La Silla Observatory

    The Chilean mountain is freckled with (relatively) small European telescopes.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.