Monthly Public Tours
Next Second Saturday Tour Date: February 8th 2025
There will not be a Second Saturday Tour Date in January
To join a Second Saturday tour, you must first register using the button below. Registration is free.
Tours depart from the new LIGO Exploration Center (LExC). Please park first in LExC's parking lot/overflow lot.
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Please note the following:
Thank you in advance. We look forward to seeing you!
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Additional information about tours. Please read:
- Visitors do not require any special badging to visit LIGO.
- The walking tour is just under a mile and takes about an hour. It includes indoor and outdoor locations, so guests should wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. Note that there is no seating along the way. Please contact us if you think you may need assistance. We're happy to help make your visit comfortable and enjoyable!
- The tour path meets all ADA guidelines and is wheelchair accessible.
- There are no food services on site. Feel free to bring your own food with you and enjoy the outdoor patio seating.
- Photographs are welcome, but we kindly request that you do not record/video staff members without their permission.
- LIGO tours are suitable for all ages. The talks are appropriate for visitors aged 12 and up, but all ages are welcome to attend.
- No pets are allowed on Department of Energy land, which includes the LIGO Hanford Observatory. Exceptions are made for service animals. (What is a service animal?)
What will I see?
During your visit you will have a chance to explore many interactive and static exhibits now housed in LHO's LIGO Exploration Center (LExC). Many artifacts from LIGO's history are housed in LExC, in addition to the historic Weber Bar (one of the earliest devices designed to detect gravitational waves). You will also visit the one point on the site where you can see both of the interferometer's 4km-long arms reaching into the Eastern Washington shrub steppe. A highlight for many guests is the interferometer's control room, where you will learn even more about LIGO directly from the people who maintain and operate the world's most sensitive measuring device. In addition to the tour, a fun and hands-on STEM challenge will be available in the LExC classroom. Questions are welcomed and encouraged anywhere along your tour!
