The mission of Chabot Space & Science Center is to be a place for students of all ages to learn and be inspired about the Universe and our Planet Earth. Founded as an observatory in 1883, today Chabot offers visitors the very latest in hands-on, interactive exhibits, displays, and Planetarium shows that explore the mysteries of the universe and of life here on earth. Combined with a full program of activity-filled classes, workshops, summer camps, outreach programs and special events, Chabot Space & Science Center has become the Bay Area’s go to destination for visitors of all ages who want to discover and learn about space and earth sciences. Set amid beautiful redwood parkland in the hills above Oakland, yet just 2.5 miles off the freeway, Chabot is also home to Nellie, Rachel and Leah - our three magnificent telescopes and the largest public telescope facility in the country. Here visitors of all ages can experience for themselves the wonders of the cosmos as they gaze through the telescopes at distant stars and planets. Chabot Space & Science Center is extremely proud of its reputation as one of Northern California’s leading centers for informal science education. Each year we host literally thousands of students from throughout the Bay Area, visiting Chabot on field trips that can include curriculum-approved classes in subjects as diverse as chemistry, geology, space, biology, environmental science, and climate change.