The Class of 1951 Observatory is located near the eastern edge of the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, on Vassar College's campus. The observatory was built in 1997 and sponsored by the Vassar class of 1951 who donated funds for its construction on the occasion of their forty-fifth reunion. The new observatory replaced the Maria Mitchell Observatory, the first building completed on the college's campus. Roth and Moore Architects designed the new building which consists of three distinct segments: a central connecting area with a half round roof oriented southward, and two domes (one east and one west) that house the telescopes. The observatory facility that houses two main telescopes: one 20-inch reflector used primarily for public outreach, and a 32-inch reflector used for teaching and res