At that precise moment, a time ball will be released from a mast on the roof of the Observatory's Main Building, signaling the official arrival of the new millennium in the United States. Enter the grounds on foot at the Gilliss Avenue gate at the corner of Observatory Circle and Massachusetts Avenue, NW, near the British Embassy. Coolers and packages will not be permitted on the grounds, and all persons must be prepared to submit to a security check.
Limited parking is available outside the grounds on Observatory Circle.
Once on the grounds, visitors may view the Observatory's telescopes , tour the Master Clock facility , visit displays of USNO activities, enjoy musical entertainment, and view celestial sights through the Observatory's 12-inch telescope and others provided by local amateur astronomers. Light refreshments will be available. The time ball drop will take place by order of the Secretary of the Navy , the Honorable Richard Danzig, to recreate a traditional Navy time signal to commemorate the beginning of the year 2001. As the ball descends, it will also trigger a cannon shot. The Naval Observatory dropped the first time ball in the United States in 1845, a tradition that continued until 1936.