National Radio Astronomy Observatory - Green Bank, West Virginia

Did you know that there's a place in West Virginia where no cell phones work and no radio stations broadcast? No, it's not because there's a secret FBI monitoring station nearby. Instead, there's a fascinating scientific research operation, and it's open to the public.

The National Radio Astronomic Observatory (NRAO), in Green Bank, West Virginia, isn't the sort of place you stumble upon while taking a typical road trip. It's too far off the main highways for that. If you visit, it's because you planned to go there. NRAO is worth a detour, even a long one, if you are visiting other parts of West Virginia.

NRAO sits in a landscape of deep green forests and gently curving mountains. When you pull into the parking area, you'll see a small museum and what appear to be some large satellite dishes. In reality, you're seeing radio telescopes, which scan the depths of space.

When we arrived at the museum, we had just missed the introductory film. Museum staffers recommend that you first watch the film, take the facility bus tour and, finally, visit the museum. We hit the museum first, which worked out just fine. The museum packs a lot of information into a small space. Exhibits explain what radio telescopes do and show visitors how scientists use radio telescopes to learn more about the universe. Some of the exhibits are hands-on, and there are lots of stunning images of galaxies and stars to admire.

It's the bus tour, though, that makes a visit to NRAO unique. You line up in a hallway, clamber aboard a decrepit-looking school bus, and head out. As you pass an amazing array of radio telescopes, your narrator will explain which agency or university uses each one and tell you something about the research these groups conduct.

The pièce de résistance is the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope. By the time you finally see it, you will have learned about its size. The telescope's 2.3-acre collecting area looks quite a bit larger in person than it does in a photograph. The driver will stop so that you can get a good look at this scientific wonder.

I've been to more science museums than the average person, but NRAO is in a class by itself. There are larger museums and museums with more information or more hands-on exhibits, but this is the only place I've visited where you can see the huge radio telescopes as they're at work, learn who uses them and see how their research has advanced science, all in one place.

NRAO is obviously geared up for school field trips, so you might want to call ahead if you're visiting on a weekday. Museum hours and tour times vary by season. The museum has a gift counter and a small snack bar. You could also bring along a picnic and eat outdoors. The scenery can't be beat, and it might be the only time you ever eat lunch at a scientific research station.