Lake Afton Public Observatory

"The Observatory is located 20 miles southwest of downtown Wichita at MacArthur Road (39th Street South) and 247th Street West in Lake Afton County Park. It is immediately north of the lake, just off MacArthur Road.Lake Afton Public Observatory is one of the few publicly accessible observatories in the nation, run by the local Wichita State University’s Fairmount Center for Science and Mathematics Education.  Throughout the year, this small publicly-funded observatory provides regular observations of the night sky with a different program according to what’s visible in the night sky on any given evening.  In addition to telescope viewing with their domed 16” reflector telescope, they also have a small exhibit room with rotating exhibits that allow children and adults alike to learn a little more about things like comets, meteors, light manipulation, ongoing space initiatives, and telescope design.  There’s a line of small telescopes outside for people to test out themselves, and if asked, volunteers will take you on a constellation tour outside using a green laser pointer to help you get more familiar with the night sky.  There’s a small offering of souvenirs in the lobby for those interested in taking a little piece of the observatory with them on the road."