Comet Hyakutake over Yerkes Observatory

The birthplace of modern astrophysics

Yerkes Observatory is a facility of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics of the University of Chicago. It was established in 1897 on Geneva Lake in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. Until the mid-1960's, Yerkes Observatory housed all of the Department's activities. Today the 77-acre, park-like site in southeast Wisconsin provides laboratory space and access to telescopes for research and instruction. A substantial fraction of the University's library holdings in astronomy are housed at Yerkes.

Recent News and Events

Yerkes Study Group (YSG)

The Yerkes Study Group was formed to explore the best use of Yerkes Observatory as a future site for a regional center for science education. To download the final report (pdf file) of the YSG click here