Building a College or School Observatory

An astronomical observatory at a college or high school can greatly enhance astronomy, physics, and earth science programs. It offers a way for scientists to reach out to the public, and bring visibility and excitement to science. We've recently built an astronomical observatory at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, with a generous gift from the Robert Mehalso family. Our experience may be useful to others who are considering construction of astronomical facilities. We will discuss choice of telescopes and observatory dome, selection of an observatory site, cameras, costs, and outreach opportunities.