The Ball State Observatory contains telescopes of various sizes that can provide views of the moon, bright planets, nebulae and stars. Public nighttime open house visits to the observatory are scheduled two to four times a year. These are announced in the local newspapers and by planetarium mailings. Daytime visits are often scheduled by school groups, although the stars are not visible during the day. The observatory holds only thirty people at a time, and, at present, is not accessible to people with disabilities. Please dress appropriately; the temperature of the observatory is the same as that outside.

School groups often schedule daytime visits, although the stars are not visible during the day. However, the students can see telescopes of different types and how they operate. This relates directly to Indiana State Education Science Standards (4.1.5), (5.1.4), (5.3.1), (6.1.5) and (6.1.7).

A portable telescope can be used for demonstrations in the planetarium in those cases where an observatory visit is not practical. Please request this in advance.