headquarters during a solar eclipse which occurred on February 26, 1979, six years after the observatory opened. Approximately 15,000 people came to the town of Goldendale on that date to observe the total eclipse. The Observatory, its lands, and its debt were acquired by the state government in 1980, after being operated by the Goldendale Observatory Corporation since its dedication. The park received its designation as a "state park heritage site" in 2014. Dark sky status and upgrades In 2010, the Goldendale Observatory State Park, with the support of Steven Stout who directed the observatory for 32 years and the non-profit Friends of Goldendale Observatory, became the sixth International Dark Sky Park in the world. It was also the second state park in the United States to receive this designation by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). In late 2016, the IDA suspended the park for lack of compliance with their requirements. The IDA removed the dark-sky designation in 2017, the only time they have decertified a site. In the spring of 2017 the reconstruction of the observatory, with new lighting and signs, was expected to be completed by the fall of 2017 and dark sky status restored. Beginning in 2013, a multi-phase facility improvement project began at Goldendale Observatory using $6 million in funding allocated from the state government. Due to a state budget freeze the project was not funded until a new budget was passed in February 2018. Demolition of the old building took place that October, removing all structures except the south dome building housing the 24-inch telescope. In 2019, a spokesman for Washington State Parks said they had worked with the IDA on the lighting plan for the renovated observatory and, working with the local community, plan to apply for dark sky status when the new observatory is completed. The upgraded observatory opened on February 28, 2020, but closed less than a month later due to the COVID-19 pandemic. See also List of astronomical observatories References External links Goldendale Observatory Website Goldendale Observatory State Park Heritage Site Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Goldendale Observatory Parks Foundation Page Goldendale Observatory Clear Sky Chart State parks of Washington (state) Parks in Klickitat County, Washington Protected areas established in 1980 Astronomical observatories in Washington (state) Buildings and structures in Klickitat County, Washington Tourist attractions in Klickitat County, Washington Dark-sky preserves in the United States