Entry No. 83 — the Des Moines file — filed under: after-dark
Ashton Observatory Public Saturday Nights
Run by the Des Moines Astronomical Society inside a dark-sky county park northeast of the metro, Ashton opens for free public stargazing every Saturday evening from April through October. Away from city light, the sky is dramatically darker than anything you'll see downtown, and on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays there's a classroom program before viewing. Telescopes and volunteers are on hand to help you find deep-sky objects.
The story
Drive forty minutes northeast out of Des Moines toward the intersection of Highway 330 and County Road F17, and the ambient glow of the metro begins to collapse into true rural darkness. Tucked inside the 113-acre Ashton Wildwood County Park near Baxter and Mingo sits Ashton Observatory—a joint operation between Jasper County and the volunteers of the Des Moines Astronomical Society dedicated to opening up the deep cosmos for anyone willing to make the trip.
Instead of peering through the smog and light pollution of downtown, you get a clean shot at deep-space targets. The society’s volunteer astronomers man the optics, pointing high-powered equipment at distant galaxies, star clusters, and planetary nebulae. On the second and fourth Saturdays of every month during their operating season, they run formal classroom sessions inside the building before opening up the telescopes to the dark night sky.
What it's like
Arrive right around the 8 p.m. start time on a clear Saturday evening between April and October. Park under the dark canopy, follow the low footpaths, and look for volunteers standing by the scopes. Two crucial rules to keep from ruining the night: bring bug spray for the county park timber, and pack a red flashlight (or cover your cell phone light in red cellophane) so you don't destroy everyone's night vision. Always check the sky and confirm conditions before driving out, because if the cloud cover locks in, the viewing is cancelled.
The move: Drive out to the dark-sky park for the 8 p.m. opening, lie back under a genuinely starry sky, and let the society's volunteers aim their telescopes at galaxies and nebulae for you.
📍 Before you go Free; Saturday public nights begin 8 p.m., April-October. Clear skies dependent, so confirm before driving out; bring bug spray and a red flashlight to preserve night vision.
- 📍 Baxter (Jasper County)
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Ashton Wildwood County Park, Jasper County, IA
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Valle Drive-In — Double down on open-sky nighttime viewing by stopping at Iowa's oldest operating drive-in theater in nearby Newton.
- Big Aluminum Bugs — Take a daylight detour into Newton to see giant insects welded from scrap hog feeders before headlining out to the dark-sky park.
- Joy the Movie Theater Pig (Capitol II Theatre) — Catch a movie matinee and meet a world-record mini pig in downtown Newton before heading north into Jasper County's dark timber.
Good to know
Is there an admission fee?
No, Saturday public stargazing nights at Ashton Observatory are completely free.
When is the observatory open to the public?
Public nights run every Saturday from April through October, starting at 8 p.m., assuming clear skies.
What happens during the classroom programs?
On the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, society volunteers host an indoor astronomical presentation before viewing begins.
Why do I need a red flashlight?
White light resets human eyes that have adjusted to the dark. A red lens preserves your night vision so you can actually see deep-sky objects through the optics.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: dmastronomy.com · Wikipedia · nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov · mycountyparks.com · Tripadvisor
last checked: 2026-06-23