To find out how people reach for the stars first you must climb 4,209 feet.
You’ll find more bicyclists — and motorcyclists — journeying up Highway 130 from the Alum Rock district of San Jose or from Livermore via San Antonio Road on weekends to reach the lofty summit of Mt. Hamilton than you will vehicles.
But if you don’t mind sharing the narrow, windy road with bicyclists and you have patience to make the hour drive up from San Jose, spectacular vistas and a bit of uniquely California history await you at the summit.
Mt. Hamilton is where the University of California operates the James Lick Observatory.
This is where in 1888 astronomers first peered through what was then the world’s largest refractor telescope at 36-inches to scan the heavens. Today, there is only one refractor telescope larger in the world at 40 inches — the ultimate size and corresponding weight of the required mirror that can be held in place on the edges.
Lick Observatory actually has eight telescopes today, including one of the world’s largest reflectors at 120 inches.
One of the hottest tickets in the Bay Area isn’t to a rock concert but to the summer evening visitors program dubbed “Music of the Spheres” that includes a live musical program, world-renown lecturers, plus the chance to look through the 36-inch refractor and a nearby 40-inch reflector.
The only problem is the summer series — that is finished for 2025 —sells out quickly, often within hours, when the tickets become available.
That said, a day trip to the Lick Observatory is a pleasant, low-key diversion with a healthy serving of science.
First — and for some people foremost — are the unparalleled views of downtown San Jose, the Silicon Valley and the South San Francisco Bay that unfold as you ascend the narrow, windy road.
Once to the top, there is the observatory itself that was built as the result of a $700,000 bequest left by James Lick.
Lick was a Pennsylvania woodworker who made his wealth that he would parlay into a massive fortune making pianos in Lima, Peru.
Lick arrived in San Francisco in 1848 with his tools, $30,000 in Peruvian gold coins and 600 pounds of chocolate purchased from a neighbor —Domingo Ghirardelli. The chocolate sold quickly and Lick convinced Ghirardelli to move to San Francisco.
Lick made his real fortune buying real estate at depressed prices in San Francisco when people were heading to the gold fields in 1849 and were trying to raise cash to buy mining equipment and supplies. Lick later resold land at boom prices.
The idea to fund the observatory was to leave a lasting monument to himself.
The research center that Lick’s fortune helped create has a visitors center and gift shop open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free as are the talks and tours.
You can:
*View exhibits in the main historic observatory building, built in 1888. Note the original oak and marble interior.
*Enjoy a short informal talk about James Lick and Lick Observatory history while taking a look at the Great Lick Refractor in the 36-inch telescope dome (no charge). Talks begin at the gift shop, throughout the afternoon starting hourly at 12:30 p.m. continuing until 4:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
*At the gift shop check out Lick Observatory sweatshirts, T-shirts, mugs, astronomical photos, posters, educational toys, and other astronomy-related goodies.
*Take a short walk to the Shane dome to view the 120-inch reflector from the visitors’ gallery (open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Displays at the Shane dome explain the Shane reflector, one of the major telescopes used to first discover extrasolar planets.
*Take the self-guided walking tour.
*Enjoy the view of the Santa Clara Valley from the parking lot at 4,209 feet. Bring a picnic lunch to eat, or grab a snack or beverage from vending machines.
The views from the summit are spectacular.
The best way to enjoy Mt. Hamilton is to drive up the windy road from San Jose and then head back via San Antonio Road that brings you to Livermore near the Wente Winery.
It gives you a chance to take in the lightly developed Diablo Range of the Coastal Range.
You can also turn off before Livermore and take Del Puerto Canyon Road down to Patterson and Interstate 5.
For more information, go to lickobservatory.com; the website has a wealth of information about the eight telescopes.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
