Explore the real-world places that appear in Contact by Carl Sagan. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Very Large Array (Argus), Arecibo Observatory, Wyoming Childhood Home Region (Ellie's Roots), Harvard University, The White House (Washington, D.C.) and 9 more.
Radio telescope array on the Plains of San Agustin, New Mexico
Ellie Arroway and her team scan the skies for signals. Ellie first detects the Vega Message here, with Willie Drumlin, Kitz, and others assisting as the signal is verified.
The VLA was built in the 1970s and dedicated in 1980. It is operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and has produced major discoveries in astrophysics.
The VLA is an active radio observatory with a visitor center and self-guided walking tours. Visitors can see the 27 dishes in a Y-shaped array.
Giant radio telescope in Puerto Rico where Ellie studies
Ellie conducts early SETI observations at the huge dish in Puerto Rico. She builds her career here before the Vega signal and faces skepticism about her search.
Arecibo was completed in 1963 and was the world's largest single-aperture radio telescope for decades. It collapsed in December 2020 after cable failures.
The telescope was destroyed, but the site retains a science education center and visitor facilities. It remains a symbol of radio astronomy.
Ellie's Midwestern childhood and her father Ted's store
Ellie learns about radio from her father Ted Arroway, who dies of a heart attack when she is young. She builds ham radio contacts and discovers her love for distant voices.
Chicago grew explosively in the 19th century as a rail and trade hub. It became a center of American commerce and architecture.
Chicago is a major metropolis with world-class museums, including the Adler Planetarium. Visitors can explore astronomy exhibits.
Setting for Ellie's graduate-level scientific training
Ellie trains in astronomy and encounters the establishment's skepticism of SETI. Her mentor figures and rivals, including David Drumlin, shape her early career.
Harvard was founded in 1636 and is the oldest university in the United States. Its observatory has long contributed to astronomy.
Harvard is an Ivy League university with museums such as the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the Center for Astrophysics nearby.
Center of U.S. government response to the message
Government officials, including Presidential science adviser Ken der Heer, debate how to respond to the Message. Ellie is questioned and the Machine's construction is authorized.
The White House has been the residence of U.S. presidents since 1800. It has hosted countless historic decisions.
The White House is the official residence of the president. Public tours require advance arrangements, and the White House Visitor Center is open.
Florida space coast associated with launch and aerospace activity
The world of rockets and space engineering looms behind the Machine's construction. Characters debate the technological challenges of an unprecedented build.
Cape Canaveral has been central to U.S. rocket launches since the 1950s. It hosted Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions.
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers exhibits, rocket displays, and tours.
Location of the American Machine
The five travelers, including Ellie, Vaygay Lunacharsky, Abonnema, Xi, and Devi Sukhavati, enter the pod. The Machine spins, and they are transported through wormholes to a station near the galactic center.
Wyoming's high plains were shaped by Native American cultures and later by ranching and energy development. The state has vast open land and sparse population.
Wyoming offers national parks and open landscapes. Devils Tower National Monument is a notable site connected to contact-themed popular culture.
Japanese Machine construction location
A second Machine is built by Japan after global cooperation. When the first attempt fails, the sabotage or failure fuels tension and international anxiety.
Hokkaido developed rapidly in the Meiji era and is known for rugged landscapes and Ainu heritage. Sapporo became its main city.
Hokkaido is a popular tourist destination with national parks and the Sapporo Snow Festival. It offers museums on Ainu culture.
Site of the Soviet-bloc Machine in Central Asia
The Soviet team, including Vaygay Lunacharsky, builds and operates their version of the Machine. Their cooperation with the U.S. becomes a crucial element of the project.
Tashkent was a major Silk Road center and later a Soviet industrial hub. A 1966 earthquake devastated the city and prompted massive reconstruction.
Tashkent is Uzbekistan's capital and has museums, Soviet-era architecture, and Islamic monuments such as Khast Imam.
Soviet scientific and political center
Soviet and American scientists communicate and negotiate access to the Message's data. Lunacharsky emerges as a key ally to Ellie.
Moscow has been the capital of Russia for centuries and the Soviet Union's capital from 1918 to 1991. It is a center of science, art, and politics.
Moscow has major museums such as the Cosmonautics Museum, a tribute to Soviet space history.
Southern Hemisphere radio astronomy connection
Global observatories confirm the signal's persistence. Scientists in the southern hemisphere collaborate to track the source.
Buenos Aires was founded in 1536 and grew into a major cultural capital. Argentina operates astronomical facilities such as the Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía.
Buenos Aires offers museums, observatories, and planetarium visits. The Galileo Galilei Planetarium is a popular attraction.
Pacific location tied to the book's Machine-related travel and the Pacific beach scene
After the Machine journey, the travelers confront the strange reality that no time seems to have passed. The Pacific setting evokes the beach where Ellie meets a figure resembling her father.
Hawaii was settled by Polynesian voyagers and later became a U.S. state in 1959. Mauna Kea became a world-class astronomical site.
Mauna Kea hosts major observatories and visitor information stations. Visitors can stargaze from the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station.
Alien transit hub reached via wormholes
The travelers arrive at a vast station near the galactic center, where they meet aliens who take familiar forms. Ellie speaks with a being in her father's likeness and learns that the universe is full of connections.
Mauna Kea's summit has hosted telescopes since the 1960s and is among the best sites on Earth for astronomy. It is also sacred to Native Hawaiians.
Mauna Kea hosts international observatories and is a site of cultural and scientific debate. Visitors can access the Visitor Information Station.
Origin point of the Message
The signal appears to originate from Vega, about 26 light years away. It contains prime-number pulses, a broadcast of early television, and a vast set of Machine blueprints.
The VLA, where the signal is received, has been a cornerstone of radio astronomy for decades. It has helped map galaxies and study black holes.
The VLA continues active research and welcomes visitors to its visitor center. Walking tours provide close views of the dishes.
More by Carl Sagan: All Carl Sagan books