RIP AreciboI visited the observatory in 1996 - so long time ago, yet I still remember how excited I was as a teen, for having the opportunity to visit there after seeing it in Goldeneye. It was an iconic building of our technological capabilities, such a shame that it was left unattended in terms of maintenance, which led to its ultimate demise a few days ago.

So sad to see this great scientific instrument collapse basically due to old age. As a child growing up in the 60s and 70s, Arecibo represented a wonderous and mysterious world of deep-space exploration that sparked the imagination. We were fortunate to visit the impressive site in February 2020 during a vacation in Puerto Rico, and indeed, it stood as majestic and proud as I had imagined. May this be a lesson for the state of much of our modern infrastructure, which we all take for granted. Best wishes to all the scientists and researches who have relied on this instrument for their livelihood and to farther human knowledge for decades past.

RIP Arecibo radio telescope. The years of memories and knowledge you helped humanity gain will be cherished. You will be dearly missed by science. You were the largest radio telescope until just a few years ago and soon you will be no more. I will think of you the next time I am in Puerto Rico.

The Observatorio has collapsed but the memories will last forever. I was fascinated with telescopes when I was in my teens, so my middle school field trip there was really a mind blowing experience for me. This was back in 2006.

My deepest condolences to everyone involved.Woke up to seeing this masterpiece of engineering destroyed by gravity.I am sorry. Truly.

Would not recommend; was under that bad boy when she fell. Im good, but it seriously hurt really bad. 1 star.Rip though arecibo.

Great experience. Loved the radar! Amazing engineering feat. And the science was fascinating - lots of gadgets for kids (young & old) to play with and learn. The guides were all super helpful and friendly too! Id give it 7 stars if I could!

REST IN PEACE ARECIBO.....TAKE MY HAND AND WALK WITH THE REAPER BACK TO THE SEA OF STARS FROM WHENCE YOU CAME

The best place in Puerto Rico to learn about science and cultivate astronomy passion! Truly an Icon!

The Arecibo Radio Telescope is an extraordinary place, the museum shows in an interactive way how many of the experiments that are carried out today work. On each visit you discover additional things that demonstrate the worldwide importance of this laboratory, which competes with the best in the world.

Its sad for Astro world. One of Greatest Radio Telescopes of all times. Thank you for Discoveries and Building of this magnificent Human creation!

If you are even remotely interested in science, astronomy, James Bond, science fiction, etc. this world famous dish is a must visit. However, be sure to ensure it is still open for tours as a main support cable recently broke. Also, be aware of steep walk from parking to facility.

0 stars for the management. They let this amazing telescope rot and now theyre going to dismantle it for a damage caused by their negligence in maintenance. Today its a sad day for science

Id give it 5 stars, but I died here a few times playing the N64 game Goldeneye.

I was here on 07/03/2016 i love it thanks you so much !

I was there 2years ago great experience at the telescope this is big loss

Ive been to this dish numerous times throughout my life. Its discoveries and a symbol for science in Puerto Rico are something I will always remember. RIP big old dish. Siempre serás parte de nosotros.

Im so missing arecibo.Goodbye for my memory, goldeneye007 and BF412/1I heard arecibo falled and crashed yesterday.,,,,,,,,,,,,

Very interesting and educational experience. Staff and director are outstanding. Very accommodating when we got lost and arrived late for our reservation. Highly recommend!

Its a perfect place for the kids and families to enjoy science, technology and nature at the same time.

Perfect place for nerd and astronomy and ciences people. Family visit a plus. World recognition

One of my very favorite places to see in PR. The VIP tour was very worth the extra fee for me. We got to see the control room and the scientists doing their work. The museum was really neat.The staff and guides were very friendly and very knowledgeable.It’s a bit of a walk uphill from the parking lot to the observatory. It gets hot up there so drink lots of water.I was really enjoying my nerd day out but it’s not required to be a card-carrying geek to enjoy this achievement of humanity.

Thoroughly enjoyed the observatory! Theres a decent walk uphill, but you get to enjoy the planetary signs, describing the planets of the solar systems. The employees are great, and bilingual. Learned quite a bit on my visit. My whole family enjoyed it

RIP. I really wanted to see this live after watching Goldeneye.

Amazing to see this gigantic satellite. If you are really into science, the stars and planets, you will love this experience. Then I would suggest the VIP tour where they take you into the labs where you can see the equipment, as well as a closer look at the dish. Be prepared for a walk up the mountain side including a few flights of stairs. They do offer shuttle service on a schedule if this is a problem.

The Observatory is a must see for anyone visiting, especially if science interests you. Understanding the work that has gone into this place and the scale of the telescopes size are both awe inspiring.

RIP Arecibo Observatory. It is now completely destroyed, but it served well the interests of humankind.

R.I.P. you beautiful thing

Terribly dangerous roads leading to the Observatory, especially if coming from the south of the island. Once at the Observatory parking, visitors must walk up a steep hill to the building, making it impossible for people with physical or heart conditions to climb; no shuttle service here. Once in the building, visitors are shown a short video on the history of the Observatory. Afterwards, a guide takes you outside to see the radar and practically repeats what was in the video. Then youre on your own to see the few exhibits available and visit the shop. The radar is impressive, but I wouldnt recommend this place unless you are extremely interested in astronomy.

Nice place for science lovers, the visitors area is short but unforgettable. I reccomend it.

I have visited multiple times. Always impressed by it. Built over 50 years ago and continues to make discoveries. Impressive to see up close.

Definitely worth the trip! Free parking. Security at bottom of the stairs is there if you require additional assistance with the trip up to the observatory, just ask they will provide shuttle service from bottom parking lot. The admission was under $10. They have vip tours for $15 extra, that takes you down to the edge of the dish. Very informative movie presentation, personal guided tour, guides are bilingual. Mine was working on her third language (French). Very good experience. A must go! Check hours before you go! 10a-3p.

Fantastic stop, the VIP tour is worth the money and takes you on a behind the scene walk through. Our guide was great and the views were spectacular.

Absolutely amazing! It’s just as great in the movies also. The size of it doesn’t really come to mind until you see it in person. It’s worth it to go there and see the place. The tour was nice and so were the tour guides. They gave us all the information we really needed to know about the place. I would come back and experience it again

Family enjoyed it. Enroute one can still we the damage from the Hurricane. My wife and son enjoyed it, their first trip to Puerto Rico. Wife found it educational. Been there before, over a decade ago with my daughter, she enjoyed it as well, back then.

So long old friend, you are in our hearts and among our stars now.

Worth the trek into the hills!We parked and hiked up the stairs to the dish, after declining to ride in the suv they were using to shuttle people up the steep hill. From the parking lot (the sun) was a scale model of the solar system along the steps. Pretty neat feature. Right after paying you walk through a neat little hands on physics, space, type learning center. Mostly kid oriented, but I had fun with some of the contraptions as well. There was an auditorium, but we skipped it since we had the baby with us. You then walk out to a guy making hot dogs, and a giant crater in the mountains filled with concrete panels that make up the reflector of a massive radio telescope.This device is how we know definitively the Earth is flat.

Its truly inspiring been in a place where so many discoveries were made, we took the private tour and the guide was very nice and knowledgeable

LOVED the Observatory!! So cool!There were lots of schoolchildren there when we went during the weekday. But it was fine. they have a moon rock and a meteorite from Mars. Its well worth it to take the VIP tour and look behind the scenes. One of the best things we did in Puerto Rico.

Fantastic place to visit! Its a fun drive getting out to the observatory, thats half the fun! Its $12 a person for the info center and $25 for the VIP tour.The info center is a bit small but well worth it since you get semi up close to the dish. There is also a well put together history video you watch in both Spanish and English.

When it is repaired it will become the World Record holder for Largest Bowl of Rice Krispies and 2% Milk.

It was worth the visit to see the this large telescope. We had to turn off the cellphones when we entered the parking lot area and had to walk up the hills to get to the visitor center..The introductory movie did a good job of explaining the history and the functions of the telescope. After the movie, the guide took us to the view point where she explained more about the telescope and answered questions. They also had small exhibits about the space, galaxy, and telescopes.

Awesome place to visit. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable and the exhibit is cool and interactive for anyone of any age. It’s a bit of a hike up a hill from the parking lot if you need to know but well worth it.

Great place to take kids, you can learn a lot about space here. The radar is breathtaking.

Great place for every age! Extremely educational, staff is very caring for those with limitations. Great place to educate a little bit about science and space in PR

Only one word describing this is WOW! If you go to Pureto Rico this is a must see but drive up there with caution, the roads are full of alot of sharp turns and steep hills that you cant see over the top of.

RIP to one of the man made wonders of the world. Feeling sad for the loss.

Very cool to see this still active radio telescope. Beautiful and huge in size. Historical discoveries, and still working on new research.

Very interesting place to visit. The staff are great, mostly students assisting with the tours. You can pay extra and go to the operations center and control room to speak with the scientists and ask questions about the over all processes.

Wasnt that great of a tour for the money. Could have been longer. Maybe more on the history. Overall it was good though. Fun time, and the tour guide was pleasant.

The only interesting thing is the giant dish itself. This is the only reason why people come here.The documentary was just ok. Small museum area. Really feel like they just added these parts so they can charge more $$$.

Very interesting story. Amazing place to visit. Unique experience.

I blame 2020 for its demise.

One of my favorite places in the world. Amazing scientists, amazing tour guides, amazing visitor center. This place has so much history and science discoveries.

Well it certainly isnt gonna be open anymore

Old and dangerous. Being torn down as of November 19, 2020.

Good place for visiting to enjoy nature and technology and to walk off some of the extra calories

It’s a bit of a drive from San Juan but well worth it.

A great place to visit if you have any interest in astronomy or scientific research.

Very informative. Starts with a movie that goes into detail about the observatory and then someone guides you to the beautiful view of the observatory. There is a little gallery that you can walk through that has some exhibits. I wanted to see where the scientist do there experiments or where they actually work and that was a separate fee and I was told is just the scientist on a bunch of computers.

Impeccable facilities, bilingual and professional personnel, children booths, nightly sky observation activities. Place is magical!

A great place to visit, the site has a very nice set of meteors, labs with lots of information and the radio telescope is really impressive. Guided tours are on both English and Spanish.

A very educational experience! I also found it relaxing looking out over the surounding mountains and looking at the beautiful plants.

Absolutely fantastic facility. Many interactive displays in the learning area, and our tour guide Melissa was informative and polite. She answered all of our questions, even going out of her way to get answers to things she didnt know for certain.It was interesting to get to see the dome in the process of being pressure washed. Its currently half silver and half black from tarnish. They explained that the fully does not affect operation, it just looks nicer when it is clean.

Just a short steep walk from the parking lot to the visitor center. Super cool interactive observatory with presentations in both English and Spanish as well as hands on learning experiences. My family and I really enjoyed our visit and I recommend it for both young and old.

Excelent destination, well worth the drive and climb up the hill.

Amazing visit. The staff was super friendly, the exhibits were very interactive. Took the VIP tour and enjoyed a personal tour of the control room and a different perspective on the dish. The drive was totally worth the experience.

Its ok, the history was nice, but the tour was just so so. I think the biggest thing about seeing it was knowing a movie had been based off the facility and seeing it in person. If I was a kid I dont think I would get that excited about it except for maybe the history movie and the gift shop, but thats just my opinion.

This is an extraordinary place which IRS contributions have impact the scientific community. It is known by the world.

Great little museum. Interesting place. Even my wife and teenage kids liked it.

Great experience, we took VIP tour to control room. Nice tourguide, he was informed well

An informative and educational experience. The observatory site itself is massive but the areas in which you would walk around isnt.A recommended visit nonetheless! Perfect for those that display interest in the field.

Worth the drive. Call to see what the hours are. I found the public hours different than what the website said. There is a nice museum, a 17 minute video and a presentation outside overlooking the antenna and reflector. Otherwise an amazing and large scientific instrument!

Always a fan of this place hope someone fix it.

Very cool place. Pretty neat information. Definitely worth a visit.

James Bond - GoldenEye 1995 :-(

It was a hard climb up the hill, the Observatory and its staff were excellent.

Really worth the visit to see a big part of science here in the Caribbean. We did the two-part VIP tour. For only $35 a person it was worth it for two science lovers.

Impressive collector dish. Pictures do not do the size of this dish justice. Beautiful scenery and very impressive center with informational movies playing in both Spanish and English. Plenty of hands on activities. Finger foods snack bar with extremely reasonable food prices.One point of advice, the walk to the dish may be too challenging for those in poor to fair cardio health. They do have a free ride to the top if you ask. Parking is down on lower level and it is more than 500 steps to the dish.

How can buy a piece of metal from destroyed Arecibo?

Was very interesting and enjoyed the VIP tour inside the facilities, slightly geared towards children but we all enjoyed and the Telescope is a sight to behold, come see...

Beautiful place that still carry an important scientific legacy. Worth visiting if you are into science. VIP tour was the best

Realy realy good organised! Cool palce for an short tour/stop

Pretty spectacular view of the satellite. The VIP tour for an additional $15 didnt offer much except for the chance to see the control room. The view of the satellite dish was better at the observation center.

Shhh. I am listening for Outer Stella communications :)

Its a giant colander.

We did the basic tour. Very nice museum, with many exhibits for young and old. There is a video about the telescope followed by a short walk outside to see the telescope itself. You get a nice view from the observation area. We spent maybe 45 minutes there. They also sell some snacks. You can take pictures, but they tell you your cell phone needs to be in airplane mode or it will be destroyed. Apparently something to do with the radio waves. Quite few steps up from the parking lot.

Interesting and educational. Also bigger than I thought. If your a daring person try the VIP tour ;) youll like it...

This was my first time using a car service. It was with the money! About $40 from JFK to Brooklyn. Waaaaaaay better service than Lyft and much cheaper too! My flight was almost an hour early and they didn’t give me a hard time about picking me up early. I simply emailed them while I was on the plane. Driver called and told me right where to meet him. They text you the driver’s name and car info. My driver was nice enough to make a quick stop for me as well. Great customer service. Which is a surprise in NYC.

This place is just amazing. A huge, 1,000 ft diameter spherical (as opposed to parabolic) antenna, basically in the middle of the jungle, located within the karst mountains of Puerto Rico, a very distinct looking area, reminiscent of a smaller version of the mountains of Guangxi in China. A major feat of engineering from the early sixties, this place has lost none of its relevance for science and none of its coolness factors. No wonder it was chosen as a bad guy lair in the James Bond movie Goldeneye, and also appeared in Contact. I especially enjoyed two VIP tours, one to see the control center, which I would almost describe as quaint, as it still has some decades-old equipment (or at least rackmounts), combined with modern linux, windows and apple workstations. The other tour leads down directly to the antenna that was built in an existing sinkhole, which is constantly monitored for activity. This place is well worth the approximately one hour drive from San Juan.

Very interesting. Learned a lot of new info. The hike up the stairs was a little rough but worth it.

Made sure to call ahead of time to be sure theyre open. I think its weds through sun. Really nice place, a lot of history and they explain WHY this observatory is SO important to the science/space community. Driving there is a bit of a trek but definitely well worth it!

If there is no close parking its a 7 minute walk up to a 500 step stair case up to the visitors center / museum. If you cant make the walk they have a van drive you up the road from parking.The museum does a presentation every 30 mins in English or Spanish. Then they take you out to the observation deck where you can see the dish.

I am a nerd for space and movies. The fact that this observatory meets both of my nerdy requirements is outstanding. First of this place is simply amazing in that it helps in the study of space and our atmosphere. Science it is fact. Secondly, this place was used in the James Bond Movie Golden Eye. Great movie and great use of a natural location. I suggest coming here just to see the beautiful mountains that surround the dish built of a natural sink hole.

Awesome research and investigation facility. In other words Reach for the Stars ,the space is the limit.

This place has been a favorite of mine since I was s little kid. It recently got renovated and its even better. Might not be the biggest anymore in the world, but its still an architectural and technological marvel.

Spoiler alert!!! Nice little road trip that you can knock out under an hour but make sure you have more stuff planed. Places closest around 5ish. Before viewing the satellite you need to see a quick little 15-minute film.. oh yeah something they have a surprisingly inexpensive snack where you can buy empanadas and coffee

Why is it closed? We can build it, we can fix it

A great place to go if youre interested in astronomy or science in general. Offers very informative tours around the facility and about its operations.

Very informative & neat.