The Lowell Observatory Lowell Observatory is located in Flagstaff, Arizona. It was established in 1894 by Dr. Percival Lowell. Dr. Percival borrowed several telescopes and managed to collect a small staff and began making observations of the sky. In 1896, Dr. Percival got a 24-inch Alvan Clark refracting telescope that was 32 feet long. Costing $20,000, it is housed in a dome made of Ponderosa pine, the dome was built in ten days with ten men, using no tools. To this day is still standing, and is recognized as a National Historic Landmark; it allows viewers to go in and look through the telescop