BOOK A PRIVATE TELESCOPE TOUR - It's like booking an entire restaurant for 1 table!
private TELESCOPE TOURs
Book an exclusive Telescope Tour at 2 different price levels depending on the size of your group (see pricing below). Regardless of your group size, when you book a Private Telescope Tour, you and your colleagues, family, or friends can determine exactly what happens on your private tour night.
While booking your private tour (after entering your credit card information), you will be presented with a questionnaire where you can request specifics like those in the list above to customize your private tour.
- Instead of the regular Telescope Tour, get 2-3 hrs of hands-on training about how to operate different kinds of telescopes and individual consultation on your next telescope purchase.
- Bring YOUR telescope and be taught how to use it better.
- Bring your DSLR an get an introductory lesson in astrophotography (Small Private Tour only)
- You could skip the multimedia show (though many say that's the best part) to maximize time with our telescopes. Bring a list of astronomical objects you'd like to see and we'll help you find them with our scopes.
- Request a longer Laser Constellation Tour.
- Learn how to use the best astronomy apps, and purchase a green laser, so you can impress friends and family with your own laser constellation tours and chase satellites through the night sky.
While booking your private tour (after entering your credit card information), you will be presented with a questionnaire where you can request specifics like those in the list above to customize your private tour.
Small Private Telescope Tours
Any night not already booked or blacked-out.
(Group Sizes 1-9) but with 4-ticket minimum*
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Book this type of private tour for:
- Family Groups who wish to go at their own speed - Couple(s) seeking a romantic experience - Astrophotographers seeking an introductory course in night sky imaging (see add-ons below) - Those considering buying a telescope or wanting help using one they already own (see add-on below) - Flexible start times, you decide as prompted by questionnaire after booking! - indoor multimedia show break between 2 sessions at the telescopes. Location: Dark Ranger Observatory's
'Dark Sky Site' Not far from our main public facility, we have hidden our Private Observatory where the sky is even darker. Look for a text message the afternoon of your scheduled private telescope tour with the additional driving directions NECESSARY for finding this secret location. *Share Your Small Private Tour & Save $
Would you consider sharing your Small Private Telescope Tour in exchange for a $100 rebate? Some people don't plan their entire vacation around visiting us. Can you imagine?! And when they discover we offer private tours they try to buy their way on to one. The questionnaire will ask you about your willingness to share your tour, if such an request is made. Any answer is fine, including "maybe?" That way you can decide after you find out more about who wants to join you.
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Ticket Prices (4-ticket min)*
NOTE: Pricing includes Utah sales tax. Because we are a small business another 6% will be charged for credit card transaction and booking fees.
* Actual group size is <4? Just book tickets for your imaginary friend(s). They won't get in the way. :-)
Improve your chances of avoiding a cloudy night by booking an Backup Night for $2/Ticket
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Small Private Telescope Tour Add-ons
Small Private Telescope Tours offer the widest variety of Add-ons (also see astrophotography related ones below). Look for these extras which you can include when finalizing your booking. Or contact us if you decide to add them at a later date.
TELESCOPE TEST DRIVE
Looking to buy a telescope? Try our best examples of the 3 main types of telescopes to help decide which kind would be right for you. Also select this add-on if you already have a telescope but you'd like help learning how to use it better (email make & model BEFORE you arrive.) |
Zero-gravity loungers are FREE for all people attending Small Private Telescope Tours (even the imaginary ones). |
Astrophotography Add-ons (Small Private Tours Only)
Here's an example of wide-angle (aka Milky Way) photography. This would be done with your wide-angle lens on your tripod.
Below are "thru the scope" images where our telescope(s) become your lens. You must bring a $15 Celestron "t-ring" specific to your brand of camera. Email us if you need help finding one.
These up to 3-hr long workshops (assuming you really want to spend the entire time doing astrophotography) have to be first booked above as a Small Private Telescope Tour. THEN while making that booking, you can add various astrophotography add-ons described below.
PORTRAITS UNDER STARS
Your Dark Ranger takes, edits, and emails (allow 1-2 weeks for delivery) portraits, of you and yours under our starry sky. We provide the camera. $21 add-on (Very Easy) 
Jupiter & Saturn ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY
Only these 2 planets are photogenic enough to create satisfying images. Do your homework and find out if they are in the night sky during your booking. We provide the MallinCam planetary camera. $42 add-on (Very Difficult) |
A wise man once said "Astrophotography is a good way to lose your job, get a no-fault divorce, and withdrawal from society as a whole." However, with the advent of DSLRs, and state-of-the-art image enhancing software, photographing the night sky is not nearly the anti-social, soul-crushing, time-suck of hobby it once was.
Most Dark Rangers still keep a safe distance from the event horizon of astrophotography. Yet, some of us are already in so deep, we are always happy for some companionship inside the abyss, and so we will eagerly teach you the basics of ALL the different kinds of astrophotography as additional add-ons to your Small Private Telescope Tour. We KNOW that some photographers are lucky enough to be allowed to travel with normal humans. And so, out of admiration for the "normals", your Astrophotography Dark Ranger will simultaneously entertain the normal(s) with an entirely different telescope, while you ignore your companions, due to the greater love (or at least "focus") you may have for your camera. 
ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY (Deep Space)
Deep space imagery is done by attaching YOUR 12800+ ISO DSLR/mirrorless camera to our telescope as if it were a lens. Learn & practice your manual settings! $21 add-on (Difficult) 
ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY (Wide-field)
This is imaging the Milky Way and Constellations. You will get 1 on 1 instruction and good shots with YOUR 6400+ ISO DSLR/mirrorless camera at our observatory. Then take those new skills to successfully image the night sky from any good dark sky location. $21 add-on (Moderately Easy) |
The night I want is already full! Is their a waiting list?
Pssst! Here's our little secret: We actually have TWO private observatories. So, YES! We do keep a waiting list for Small Private Telescope Tours.
Follow these steps for getting on the Small Private Tour waiting list, and we will try to get you into our secret 2nd Private Observatory.
1. Return to booking system (pages with white background instead of grey) by clicking the "book now" button above.
2. Click on the "full/not offered" night you want.
3. Confirm the start time (a little bubble that pops up under the calendar)
4. Enter your contact info.
5. Hope for good luck without wishing misfortune on others who might actually cancel.
Note: If you later realize you no longer want to be on the waitlist please contact us ASAP by sending an email or text message.
Did you notice we call this a "waiting list" and not a "trying to decide if this is something we REALLY, wanna' actually do... er something...? List" (it's funnier if you re-read that with your best So Cal, Kardashian, baby-talk voice). If you are not sure what the difference implies you might be part of problem that explains why so few businesses, including restaurants, keep a waiting list anymore. The newer technology is more conducive to the win-win goals of a waitlist, but sadly the newer humans seem less so.
Follow these steps for getting on the Small Private Tour waiting list, and we will try to get you into our secret 2nd Private Observatory.
1. Return to booking system (pages with white background instead of grey) by clicking the "book now" button above.
2. Click on the "full/not offered" night you want.
3. Confirm the start time (a little bubble that pops up under the calendar)
4. Enter your contact info.
5. Hope for good luck without wishing misfortune on others who might actually cancel.
Note: If you later realize you no longer want to be on the waitlist please contact us ASAP by sending an email or text message.
Did you notice we call this a "waiting list" and not a "trying to decide if this is something we REALLY, wanna' actually do... er something...? List" (it's funnier if you re-read that with your best So Cal, Kardashian, baby-talk voice). If you are not sure what the difference implies you might be part of problem that explains why so few businesses, including restaurants, keep a waiting list anymore. The newer technology is more conducive to the win-win goals of a waitlist, but sadly the newer humans seem less so.
Large Private Telescope Tours
Any night, not already booked
(Group sizes 10 - 42+)
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Book this type of private tour for:
- Company retreats - Tour companies - Family reunions - Wedding receptions (Yes, we can come to you!) - Science-supporting, government & non-profits - Educational / scouts Location: Dark Ranger Observatory
(adjacent, but NOT inside Bryce Canyon Natl. Park). Start Time: You decide as prompted by questionnaire after booking! Ticket Prices (10-ticket min*)
NOTE: Pricing includes Utah sales tax Because we are a small business another 6% will be charged for credit card transaction and booking fees.
Very large groups >84 can get up to a 21% discount
* Actual group size is <10? Just book tickets for your imaginary friend(s). They won't get in the way. :-) Indeed! They might save you money vs booking a Small Private Telescope Tour for more than 7 adults.
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With 42-ish days advanced notice (call or email) we can handle groups up to 150 people by supplying up to 10 telescopes operated by our 5 best Dark Rangers.
NOTE: Backup night bookings are NOT Available for Large Private Telescope Tours. Due to the logistical costs of accommodating large private tours, we only offer cloudy night refund or price-locked store credit.
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Science/Conservation Government & Non-profits
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Most of the Dark Rangers are scientists, and all of us conservationists. So, if your science/conservation promoting governmental institution or non-profit organization is looking to re-inspire your employees to continue their important work thru a company retreat, we would be honored to offer them a transformational evening under the stars. And, we'd insist on doing so with a 42% discount -- it's our way of saying thanks and an opportunity to rub elbows in solidarity.
Pricing is as above for Large Group Private Tour, but ask about a coupon code to get a 42% discount!
Organizers & Drivers = FREE |
Yep! The Dark Rangers are "planet-huggers!" AND you would be too, if you spent as much time using telescopes to confirm there's no place like home. :-)
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Accredited School Large PRIVATE TELESCOPE TOUR
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Where do talented Dark Rangers come from? Some of us are educators and ALL of us can thank at least one talented teacher who positively shaped our lives. So we are eager to not only give back but to also pay it forward in hopes we can help inspire the next generation of astronomers, astronauts, scientists in general... or even Dark Rangers.
Pricing is as above for Large Group Private Tour but ask about a coupon code to get a 42% discount for pubic schools or 21% discount for private schools!
Teachers/Chaperones/Drivers = FREE We know all too well that education is often an afterthought when it comes to public funding, so our prices, as low as they are, may STILL be negotiable! All that we ask is that you give us plenty of time (42 days advanced notice) so that we can plan and negotiate astro-memories of a lifetime for you and your students.
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Shelby, using Marvin, shows students a partial solar eclipse as part of a daytime-only discount tour.
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Service Project Discounts
For those booking a large private telescope tours we might be able to negotiate a discount for a service project? For example if your Scout Troop, Company Retreat, Religious Group wants to provide ~33 service hours we would happily offer a 33% discount in return. It could be 11 people for 3 hours, 66 people for 0.5 hrs or 21 people for 1.57148 hrs. All that matters is the product = 33 hours. If said people are students attending an accredited private school we could even partially combine discounts up 42%.
Service projects vary with the season but might include: - litter pick-up - pruning brush - painting / staining - raking and leveling gravel - fence work, - etc. We'll provide the supplies and some of the tools if your group can can also bring some tools and equip everybody with work clothes and ESPECIALLY work gloves. We want to share the wonders of the Universe with you and your volunteers. Email us at darkrangertelescopetours@gmail.com and let's see if we can work out a deal. |
Scouts! We'll help you earn your Space Exploration (Model Rockets) Merit Badge!
And / or your Astronomy Merit Badge!
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Private Tour Cancellation Policy
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Because financial institutions are allowed to do volume based pricing, they put small businesses at a disadvantage. This mean we only get 94% of the money you see on your bank statement. We also have to pay an additional 1.9% for our transaction fees.
If guest(s) cancels more than 14 days in advance 92% is refunded. Obviously we can't refund more money than we receive, so a 92% refund is where we barely break even, retaining 0.1% of your money. If notification of cancellation is sent between 14 and 4 days prior to start time, 50% is refund. With that short of notice we are lucky if we can rebook 50% of cancelled Private Telescope Tours. Rescheduling, or store credit is always an option, but there can be no refunds after the 14 to 4-day, 50%-refund window closes, except due to cloudy or dangerous weather. We need to be able to put our Private Observatory (Small Private Tours), and especially our Public Observatory (Large Private Tours) back into booking availability status as soon as possible. |
