National Center for Atmospheric Research - NCAR
National Center for Atmospheric Research - NCAR
National Center for Atmospheric Research - NCAR
4.5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Explore hands-on exhibits about weather, climate, the Sun, the atmosphere, and art-science connections in this famous I.M. Pei-designed building. Other options: a wheelchair-accessible outdoor weather trail, guided tours for the public at noon on Monday/Wednesday/Friday except holidays, and a Guide-By-Cell audio tour (using your phone). Free admission, open 363 days a year. Hours: M-F 8am-5pm; Weekends & holidays 9am-4pm. Visit our website for information about your visit, including organized group tours and to find out about our two annual maintenance closure dates.
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4.5
316 reviews
Excellent
173
Very good
114
Average
23
Poor
3
Terrible
3
readingdancer
Reading9 contributions
Mar 2023 • Family
On the website it said they were open, we drove up, parked and walked to the front door, only to find it locked. We were not the only ones there, so I called and selected the option to speak to security, it seems on a Sunday he was the only person there and he had forgotten to unlock the inner door.
Within a minute he unlocked the door for us all and my children and I enjoyed spending an hour or so exploring the exhibits.
If it had been a warmer day we probably would have gone for a hike too as a lot of others seemed to be starting a hike from a trail head next to the center.
Within a minute he unlocked the door for us all and my children and I enjoyed spending an hour or so exploring the exhibits.
If it had been a warmer day we probably would have gone for a hike too as a lot of others seemed to be starting a hike from a trail head next to the center.
Written 26 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ken D
Beavercreek, OH124 contributions
Apr 2019
This is a great place to come, park the car and take in the vista across the city of Boulder below. Think twice about coming here during a wind event. There's a reason the government placed this facility here to study atmospheric properties.
Written 9 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KimmyG
Fort Smith, AR1,490 contributions
July 2023 • Couples
Fun exhibits to explore related to the atmosphere and the Earth's climate. No gift shop or merchandise stand. Clean restrooms and a small cafeteria. Be careful when leaving the bldg to the west side as there is no way to enter the bldg again without hiking around.
Written 9 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bama77
Rochester, NY81 contributions
July 2022 • Couples
Facility has been closed since the beginning of COVID and remains so. Unfortunately, I didn’t check their website before planning to visit. The short “weather trail” remains open and is interesting. And the location affords a great view.
Written 16 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tony M
Epsom, UK92 contributions
Mar 2022
Lovely position on a high point above Boulder. Very scenic drive up to the center, through open countryside with deer grazing. We didn't go into the center, but enjoyed the location - some short hikes from the extensive car parking.
Written 6 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nowincolorado
Colorado Springs, CO2,905 contributions
We planned a day trip to Boulder and drove 2 hrs to get there. I had been to NCAR's Website - they are open every day of the year for tours - even Christmas! You can go on a self-guided tour or take a guided tour at 12noon.
We planned our trip to make it there at 12noon. We actually arrived early 11:30am but figured we'd go and see some of their displays before going on the guided tour.
We walked up the stairs to find a sign taped on the glass door "Closed April 8, 2006 for Mesa Lab Maintenance". There were four other families there standing around trying to figure out why they just drove up a very windy mountain road to get to a place that is SUPPOSE to be open but is closed without warning.
Plus it was a Saturday - why couldn't they do their maintenance on a weekday when kids are in school and parents working - not on a weekend. Or even better - schedule their maintenance for an evening AFTER tour times!
We were so very, very disappointed!
We planned our trip to make it there at 12noon. We actually arrived early 11:30am but figured we'd go and see some of their displays before going on the guided tour.
We walked up the stairs to find a sign taped on the glass door "Closed April 8, 2006 for Mesa Lab Maintenance". There were four other families there standing around trying to figure out why they just drove up a very windy mountain road to get to a place that is SUPPOSE to be open but is closed without warning.
Plus it was a Saturday - why couldn't they do their maintenance on a weekday when kids are in school and parents working - not on a weekend. Or even better - schedule their maintenance for an evening AFTER tour times!
We were so very, very disappointed!
Written 9 April 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We're sorry this traveler made the trip to Boulder on one of the two days a year we schedule for maintenance of our supercomputers. We can imagine the disappointment.
The review prompted us to update our website and provide more information on our planned closures. We hope the reviewer and others who visit our website now have the information they need to plan a trip to our Visitor Center, where our high-performance supercomputers are one of the exhibits on display.
We close twice a year to maintain our supercomputers, which are at the heart of our research. These complex machines have dedicated electrical and cooling systems, and it takes a full day to put all that infrastructure through testing to assure that everything runs smoothly and 24/7 the other 363 days of the year.
Written 3 May 2010
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
860SusanB860
Rockwall, TX2,976 contributions
Oct 2014 • Friends
I am not a big science or weather enthusiast, but have been intrigued by this huge building that sits overlooking Boulder. We drove up on a Sunday morning (it opens at 9 a.m.) and had a wonderful visit! The drive up was quite scenic and the building itself is unique (designed by I.M. Pei). There are walking and biking trails all around the area as well. The exhibits themselves were quite interesting - though we did not spend a lot of time reading every word on every display. The cloud machine, the tornado exhibit and photos for around the world were very interesting. We probably spent 20 minutes inside the exhibit and 40 minutes walking around outside on all the patios and scenic areas. Well worth a visit - if just for the view!
Written 20 October 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TooMuch2Do
Laguna Niguel, CA471 contributions
Sept 2014 • Family
If you’ve arrived in Boulder via Highway 36 and seen the sand colored stone towers midway up the Flatirons, you’ve seen the National Center for Atmospheric Research, NCAR. When the CU Parent Weekend bus to visit was full, we learned that you can drive up and visit on your own—it’s only a few minutes away. The website provides driving directions, and there is a large parking lot. When you approach you’ll see the striking angles of the I. M. Pei designed building, great for photos with the mountains peeking through. There’s no admission charge and inside there are two corridors of displays, one upstairs and one downstairs, that initially don’t seem like much to see. If you arrive when there’s a guided tour, it’s worth listening for highlights of interesting facts on the cloud, weather, and climate forensic work that goes on that you might not get from reading the detailed displays, operating the weather exhibits, or listening to the cell phone tour. There’s also a short movie for an overview. Don’t miss the exhibit on I. M. Pei detailing the approvals needed for construction of the building—inspired by Mesa Verde and Stonehenge and likewise designed to last 1000 years. If you’re interested in computer history, don’t miss the Cray computer on the lower level and the ghost town of a data center downstairs below the Pei exhibit. The cafeteria has the best value lunch with the greatest view in Boulder. There’s a salad bar, soups, entrees, and made-to-order sandwiches—three of us ate for under $20. Make sure to save time to walk at least the nature trail behind the building. Those with more energy can tackle 50 miles of walking only trails—no bikes or dogs.
Written 27 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rugbyjello
Denver, CO217 contributions
Mar 2018 • Solo
I M Pei designed building in the heart of the Flat Irons. Beautiful views and a great hiking trail outside. Inside there is two floors of interactive displays about weather and climate change. However, it left me wondering why you don’t see any solar panels or wind turbines on their building.
Written 9 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the review! NCAR/UCAR are committed to sustainability and we do utilize solar energy. We currently have 1,012 solar panels on our FLA and FL4 buildings! NCAR/UCAR also recycles or composts 68% of all waste generated by our buildings, and donates unwanted office supplies to local schools rather than throwing those resources away. We hold ourselves to a high standard of sustainability and we're glad that our exhibits provoke thoughts related to sustainability and energy use. Come see us again soon!
Written 28 March 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
daboha
Erie, CO33 contributions
Jan 2017 • Family
My family and I have been visiting NCAR for some years now. We enjoy the hike on the trails behind the main building and the exhibits on the latest in climate research. However, we have only recently discovered Mesa Cafeteria, the cafe tucked away in the back of the building, which is open to the public. I decided to write this review to get the word out about it to others who enjoy the facility and its surroundings.
I don't know why NCAR staff decided to strategically hide this great little venue from view - I found it by accident when I was walking my kids to the bathroom on the first floor. The cafeteria happened to be open at the time and we decided to give it a shot. We were all very much impressed with the fare they served, and their prices were great too. (I had a tasty Cubano sandwich with pickles made in-house and chips on the side for $5.95.) The seating area is spacious and comfortable with a rotating art exhibit, and the view can't be beat. Gotta love NCAR.
I don't know why NCAR staff decided to strategically hide this great little venue from view - I found it by accident when I was walking my kids to the bathroom on the first floor. The cafeteria happened to be open at the time and we decided to give it a shot. We were all very much impressed with the fare they served, and their prices were great too. (I had a tasty Cubano sandwich with pickles made in-house and chips on the side for $5.95.) The seating area is spacious and comfortable with a rotating art exhibit, and the view can't be beat. Gotta love NCAR.
Written 11 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review! We're glad you enjoyed the exhibits and surrounding hiking trails! And yes, we have a spacious cafeteria located on the first floor of the Mesa Lab. The cafeteria is open on weekdays, for anyone else interested in checking it out!
Written 7 June 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
When will the sink hole be ready to see the one being build in pinellas FL ?
Written 18 January 2016
Lili E F
Boulder, Colorado
Hi Kathleen,
Thank you for your interest in visiting NCAR. Our public tours are MWF at noon. You can find out more about visiting NCAR by calling 303.497.1000. Sorry we can't include URLs in these messages but there is a Visitor page on the NCAR site.
Hope you enjoy the visit!
Lili
Written 30 June 2015
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