It is located near the summit of Mount Blue Sky in the Arapaho National Forest approximately 60 kilometers (37 mi) west of Denver, Colorado (USA).

[1] Through a gift of $3.8 million from the estate of William Womble, construction of the facility began in 1995 and was completed in 1996.

Eric Meyer, M.D., an anesthesiologist who designed the dual-aperture 0.72 m (28 in) f/21 Ritchey-Chretien telescope, and his wife, Barbara, donated $1 million and brought the optical components personally from Chicago.

[3] During the 2011–12 winter, the dome over the telescope was damaged by high winds, allowing snow to enter the observing area.

Citing a lack of funds and interest, the University of Denver began decommissioning the observatory in 2018.