Hisey Park, 5443 Middletown Road, Waynesville
Discover the night sky during stargazing events free to the public at the Fred Bay Observatory.
Warren County Astronomical Society (WCAS) members partnered with the Warren County Park District and multiple community groups and individuals to design, raise funds, and build the Fred Bay Observatory at Hisey Park.
The telescope was designed and constructed by Jeff Blazey of Lebanon,a park district commissioner and a WCAS founder.
The structure was primarily designed and constructed by Scott Norris of Lebanon with help from park district staff and WCAS members. The striking farm silo style fits in perfectly with the Hisey Park farm setting.
Jim Voorhis of VSWC Architects of Mason provided the construction drawings and donated the telescope.
- Opened in 2017, the Fred Bay Observatory features a 16-foot dome housing a nine-inch refracting telescope.
- The large telescope lets visitors view all the solar system planets and deep-space objects such as galaxies, nebulas, clusters, and stars.
- The state-of-the-art facility features a rotating dome, an outdoor education plaza, and indoor meeting spaces in Hisey Park’s other buildings so astronomy programs can be offered year-round.
Under an agreement with the Warren County Park District, WCAS provides stargazing activities and special events for the public at the Fred Bay Observatory.
The schedule for events open to the public free of charge is available online at wcas-oh.org/events.
Who Was Fred Bay?
The Fred Bay Observatory at Hisey Park is named in honor of the late Fred Bay, a long-time Warren County Park District commissioner and amateur astronomer. He spearheaded a community effort to add night sky viewing to the park district’s nature education programs.
Under Fred’s leadership, multiple community groups collaborated to raise funds and acquire equipment to build and operate the observatory.
