This work is part of a multi-year repainting effort designed to protect this national scientific asset from the elements and extend the NSF GBT’s working life for future generations of researchers.
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NSF NRAO to Host Spring 2026 VLA Open House
Image credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF
The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) invites the public to the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array (NSF VLA) for its annual Spring Open House on Saturday, April 18, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This free, family-friendly event offers a rare chance to explore one of the world’s most iconic astronomical observatories through guided tours, talks by experts, hands-on learning activities, and more.
Advance entry tickets are required. Reserve tickets online.
Visitors will enjoy guided tours from NSF NRAO scientists and engineers, offered every half hour between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Educational activities include crowd favorites from past years along with new experiences such as a gravity well demonstration and a scavenger hunt for special open house stickers—available only to those who complete the challenge. Children and adults alike will have the opportunity to learn about radio astronomy directly from the people building and operating the NSF VLA and its next-generation projects.
In addition to tours, guests can attend science talks held throughout the day in the NSF VLA Visitor Center auditorium:
- Pieter Kotze, Systems Engineer Sr. (10:00 a.m.) – The Next Generation Very Large Array
- Joe McMullin, Assistant Director, New Mexico Operations (11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.) – “Radio Astronomy in New Mexico.”
- Jill Malusky, News & Public Information Manager, (12:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m.) – ‘The Very Large Co‑Star: NRAO Telescopes on Screen”
Several food trucks will be on-site throughout the day:
Portable restrooms will also be available on-site for visitor convenience.
Event Details:
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, 50 miles west of Socorro, NM (off U.S. Route 60)
Cost: Free admission with advance ticket reservation
This year, the VLA Spring Open House also happens to fall on “Velociraptor Awareness Day.” 
Dino fans welcome!
About NRAO
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a major facility of the U.S. National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
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This work is part of a multi-year repainting effort designed to protect this national scientific asset from the elements and extend the NSF GBT’s working life for future generations of researchers.
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The NRAO Jansky Fellowship Program is designed to support outstanding early-career scientists and engineers in conducting independent research related to the mission of the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO).