Stargazers are flocking to AZ's 22 Dark Sky Places — and putting astrotourism on the map
Arizona is home to around 22 officially designated Dark Sky Places, making it one of the best spots in the country to look up and get lost in the night sky; however, that accomplishment didn't happen overnight.
Flagstaff began safeguarding its skies in 1958 with outdoor lighting ordinances, setting the global standard for how to care for our skies. In 2023, Arizona received 45.7 million overnight visitors, according to the Arizona Office of Tourism. Since then, those numbers have continued to trend upward with the growing popularity of dark sky tourism, commonly known as astrotourism.
Adding to its celestial reputation, Flagstaff's Lowell Observatory was recently named one of TIME's World's Greatest Places of 2025 after its expansion with the addition of the Marley Foundation Astronomy Discovery Center.
This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, Christian Luginbuhl, board president of the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition, and Josh Coddington, director of communications at the Arizona Office of Tourism, answer the question: How did Flagstaff become the world's first international dark sky city?
Listen to Valley 101 on your favorite podcast app or stream the full episode below.
Submit your questions to us about metro Phoenix and Arizona for a chance to be chosen for the podcast.
Note: Valley 101 is intended to be heard, but we offer an AI transcript of the episode script. There may be slight deviations from the podcast audio.
Subscribe to Valley 101 : Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher
Follow Valley 101 and all azcentral podcasts on X, formerly Twitter, and on Instagram.
Reach producer Abby Bessinger at abby.bessinger@gannett.com or follow her on X, formerly Twitter @abby_bessinger
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona's 22 Dark Sky Places is driving an astrotourism boom
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