Pottawattamie Conservation to Host Perseids Night Sky Event at Crescent Hill at Hitchcock

Posted August 13, 2026
Posted by Conservation and Public Relations

Visitors are invited to join Pottawattamie Conservation for the Perseids Night Sky Event on Friday, August 14th from 8:00 p.m. to midnight at Crescent Hill at Hitchcock. The Omaha Astronomical Society will be present with telescopes to help guests get a close-up look at celestial bodies, and Kona Ice will be serving snow cones for purchase. Pottawattamie Conservation encourages families to bring blankets, chairs, telescopes, and flashlights with a red light setting, which is less disruptive to wildlife and other guests. Vehicles will be permitted into the area, spaces permitting, until 10:00 p.m.

A $5 per vehicle entrance fee (cash or check only) or Pottawattamie Conservation Foundation membership is required to enter the area.

Please note that this event is extremely dependent on the weather and cloud cover. Any cancellations or changes to the event will be posted to pottconservation.com and the Crescent Hill at Hitchcock Facebook page. We highly recommend checking either of these locations for any event updates prior to heading out for the evening. 

The annual Perseid meteor shower is considered the best meteor shower of the year, featuring as many as 50 to 100 meteors passing through per hour. Although the Perseids peaked in the early morning hours of August 13th, the show is not over, and the shower will continue through the end of the month. This nighttime astronomical event at Crescent Hill at Hitchcock, which is a part of the 1,500-acre Hitchcock Nature Center, gives visitors an opportunity to see the wonders of the night sky while experiencing Iowa’s globally significant Loess Hills after dark.

Please note, while the park will stay open until midnight, vehicles will not be permitted to enter the park after 10:00 p.m.