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Baker Observatory

Art & landmarks
In Fair Grove, Missouri
7.1 mi from Route 66

Directions OpenStreetMap

Baker Observatory, named for William G. Baker and Retha Stone Baker, is a sky-watching facility near Fair Grove, MO, in the Marshfield area. Missouri State University owns it and runs it. It sits just off the Route 66 corridor, which makes it an unusual science stop on a trip otherwise filled with motels, diners and old storefronts. It is listed as wheelchair accessible and family friendly, with parking on site.

What is Baker Observatory?

This is a university observatory, named for the Bakers, William G. and Retha Stone. It is a place built for watching the sky, run by a school rather than a tourist business, which makes it a different kind of Route 66 stop.

Visiting Baker Observatory: tips

Public viewing times are not listed in the facts here, so check with Missouri State University before you plan a visit. Parking is on site, and the grounds are listed as accessible and good for kids.

The Hosmer Dairy Farm Historic District is under 3 miles away. The old Boegel and Hine mill in Fair Grove is about 6 miles, and the Holman ghost town site is under 9.

Because it lies so close to the highway, it slots easily between the Springfield stops and the Lebanon area. An observatory is a place of work, so follow any posted rules.

Practical info

Address: 1766 Old Hillcrest Road, Fair Grove, MO 65648
Phone: +1 417-836-5131
Website: physics.missouristate.edu/NASAObservingNight.htm
Hours: Mon–Fri 10 pm–5 am
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

On the map

Baker Observatory with the 6 closest stops. Tap a marker for details.

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Stops near Baker Observatory

All of Missouri

Hosmer Dairy Farm Historic District

Marshfield, Missouri · 4.2 mi from Route 66

A turn-of-the-century Ozark dairy farm near Marshfield, with a stone-footed bank barn and twin silos.

Historic district

2.8 mi from Baker Observatory

Boegel and Hine Flour Mill-Wommack Mill in Fair Grove, MO

Boegel and Hine Flour Mill-Wommack Mill

Fair Grove, Missouri · 8.1 mi from Route 66

An 1883 timber-frame grist mill in Fair Grove that ground grain until 1969, with twin gravel-concrete silos.

Historic buildingPhoto credit

6.1 mi from Baker Observatory

Holman

Holman, Missouri · on Route 66

A short-lived Webster County post-office town that once had its own schoolhouse, northeast of Springfield.

8.7 mi from Baker Observatory

Sampson

Sampson, Missouri · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A tiny crossroads community in Webster County, between Niangua and Conway, northeast of Marshfield.

11.3 mi from Baker Observatory

Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, MO

Dickerson Park Zoo

Springfield, Missouri · 1.0 mi from Route 66

Springfield's zoo, founded in 1922, with more than 500 animals from about 160 species.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

17.7 mi from Baker Observatory

Rail Haven Motel in Springfield, MO

Rail Haven Motel

Springfield, Missouri · 1.1 mi from Route 66

A 1938 Springfield motor court, grown into an L-shaped complex, where you can still spend the night.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit

17.8 mi from Baker Observatory

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