Star Party

Experience the park after dark on September 19, 2026.

This free, annual event is supported by volunteers from the Springfield Telescope Makers of the Stellafane Observatory. Attend any or all of the activities listed below. Registration is not required.

Planning ahead is important to ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all. Bringing a flashlight is recommended, but please avoid using white light in the astronomy viewing area. Red plastic will be available to filter white light. Be sure to wear appropriate footwear and watch your step over uneven ground. Review the Stargazing Ettiquette below for more information about enjoying the event safely.

 

Activity Schedule

Ravine Trail Dusk Hike
6:30pm - 7:30pm
Explore the woodland landscape that inspired Francis Grimes, one of Augustus Saint-Gaudens' sculptural assistants, on this one-hour ranger-guided hike. Wander through park grounds in the evening light before descending along the Ravine Trail to hear the experiences of Francis Grimes through her own words. Guided by history and the natural world, let the forest surrounding Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park inspire you. This program requires hiking approximately 1 mile across unpaved, forest terrain with steep elevation gains and losses. Lanterns are provided. Meet at the visitor center.

Junior Ranger Night Explorer
7pm - 9:30pm
This National Park Service program encourages young park visitors to explore the starry side of their national parks. Children can learn how to find the North Star, write their own creative mythology about the constellations, track the phases of the moon, learn about stars and galaxies, and use all their senses to explore the night environment. Rangers will be on hand to distribute this activity booklet and provide a special Junior Ranger patch upon completion.

Astronomy Presentation
7:30pm - 8:15pm
Learn about astronomy with volunteers from the Springfield Telescope Makers while waiting for darkness to fall and the stars to appear. Meet at the Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial.

Night Sky Viewing with Telescopes
8:15pm to 9:30pm
Look deep into the night sky with the help of numerous telescopes built and operated by volunteers from the Springfield Telescope Makers.

 

NPS/Eli Burakian

Stargazing Etiquette

Attending a night sky viewing event comes with some etiquette conventions that may be unfamiliar to first-time attendees but which enhance viewing conditions for everyone. Most importantly, bright, white lights are discouraged at night sky viewing events; bright lights ruin your night vision and the night vision of those around you. Attendees are encouraged to acquire and bring a red-light flashlight or a flashlight with a red lens or with a red piece of plastic covering the bulb. The park will have a limited number of red glow sticks for those without a red flashlight. Even with red lenses, use your light sparingly; on a clear night, your eyes will adjust quickly to the dark conditions. It is also important to remember that telescopes are expensive and that many of the telescopes at this event are hand-crafted and difficult to replace. Please follow the instructions of the STM member staffing the scope you are looking through. And finally, ask lots of questions. The amateur astronomers who are bringing their telescopes to this event love the night sky and sharing it with others.

About the Springfield Telescope Makers

The Springfield Telescope Makers is a club founded by amateur telescope maker Russell Porter in 1923. The club is devoted to promoting the practice of crafting high-quality telescopes by amateur astronomers. The club owns and maintains the Stellafane Observatory on Breezy Hill in Springfield, Vermont, at which it offers free mirror-grinding workshops in the winter months and hosts the annual Stellafane Convention of amateur telescope builders and night sky enthusiasts in the summer.

 

Night Skies in Your National Parks