Garvey Ranch Observatory in Monterey Park: A Brief History

Nestled in the hills of Monterey Park is Garvey Ranch park. Nestled in the east end of the park, at the end of the parking lot, is Garvey Ranch Observatory.

By David Nakamoto

Richard Garvey Sr., an immigrant from Ireland, came to the area in 1858, and bought up much of the land that is now the City of Monterey Park.  His son, Richard Garvey, Jr., started building the ranch house & observatory during the 1930s, but he died in a car accident in Mexico in 1948, and never finished the observatory.  It’s thought that the original dome was installed in 1963, although the dedication plaque on the building is dated 1965. The Monterey Park Astronomical Society was co-founded by Leonard Normand, who was the director of parks & recreation for the city. They finished the observatory and operated it through the Monterey Park Astronomy Club until the LAAS (Los Angeles Astronomical Society) took over in 1987.

The photo shows the exterior of the current building.  The dome is to the right, the workshop area is to the left. The building and concrete pillar in the center of the observatory dates from 1965, but the telescopes and mount are far more recent.

The original dome was made of wood, and the termites got to it. A new metal dome was installed in 2014, thanks to a generous donation of $120,000 from Metabolic Studio.

The telescopes and associated equipment were donated by LAAS members. One is an 8-inch aperture f/12 refractor used exclusively for visual.  A smaller scope is a 4.7 inch aperture f/8 refractor used for imaging objects.

Garvey Ranch observatory is operated by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society. It is open to the public Wednesday nights from 7:30 pm to 9:45 pm.  View through the scope are offered on those nights that are mainly cloudless.  There is no charge to visit the observatory or view through the telescope.

David Nakamoto is planetarium tech/engineer at Griffith Observatory.