Lowell Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Lowell Observatory was established in 1894, placing it among the oldest observatories in the United States, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965. In 2011, the Observatory was named one of "The World's 100 Most Important Places" by Time Magazine. It was at the Lowell Observatory that the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh.
The observatory was founded by astronomer Percival Lowell of Boston's Lowell family and is overseen by a sole trustee, a position historically handed down through the family. The first trustee was Lowell's third cousin Guy Lowell. Percival's nephew Roger Putnam served from 1927 to 1967, followed by Roger's son Michael, Michael's brother William Lowell Putnam III, and current trustee W. Lowell Putnam.
Multiple astronauts attended the Lowell Observatory in 1963 while the moon was being mapped for the Apollo Program.
The observatory operates several telescopes at three locations in the Flagstaff area.