A tour gathers before the Riordan Mansion, an Arts and Crafts duplex completed in 1904 and which is stocked with Stickley furniture and other interesting features. Photo by Reed Parsell/Special to the Review-Journal.

By REED PARSELL

Special to the review-journal

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Forget for a moment this high-plateau town of 53,000 residents and seemingly half that number of motels is the gateway to Grand Canyon National Park, 84 miles to the northwest. Instead, recognize it for a truly far-out achievement: Here, Pluto was discovered.

That little remote rock has been in the news lately, what with its planetary status having been downgraded to "dwarf" by an international scientific panel that briefly considered not only validating Pluto as a full-fledged planet, but adding a couple more spheres to our solar system. Pity poor Pluto!

Lowell Observatory, where 24-year-old Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930, is one of several tourist attractions in Flagstaff. None of them has the jaw-dropping impact of the Grand Canyon, of course, but together they can constitute a series of short stops that add up to a pleasant day.

Percival Lowell founded the observatory in 1894 and spent the rest of his life searching for what he was convinced was a ninth planet. Tombaugh made his discovery 14 years after Lowell's death, but the young astronomer waited until Lowell's birthday -- March 13 -- to announce his find. Also, the planet's name is an extension of Lowell's initials.

Visitors can see the telescope Tombaugh employed to detect Pluto during 45-minute tours that are conducted on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through October (1 to 4 p.m. from November through February). At least they can when the weather cooperates. During my visit on a Sunday afternoon in August, a fast-moving storm cut short the tour because, our guide shouted persuasively over a thunderclap, large metal telescopes can act as lightning rods.

Before the meteorological pyrotechnics got out of hand, we were able to see the 6.5-ton Clark Telescope, built in 1906 and that was used extensively to help map out the moon during the 1960s Apollo program. In 1963, astronauts including Ed White, Frank Borman and Neil Armstrong peered through the telescope at what six years later was the site of Armstrong's "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Their signatures are in a logbook displayed in the observatory's rotunda.

Lowell Observatory continues as a research station and looks to uncover more mysteries of deep space with a state-of-the-art Discovery Channel telescope nearing its start date. If you visit the hilltop observatory complex, be sure to park your car just outside its entrance for a sweeping view of the town below.

Riordan Mansion, another Flagstaff attraction, represents an impressive earthly endeavor from the town's formative years. Technically it's a duplex, but its Arts and Crafts construction, Gustav Stickley furniture and 40 rooms spread out over 13,300 square feet make this woodsy retreat a residential standout.

Commissioned by two brothers who oversaw the local logging industry and designed by the same architect, Charles Whittlesey, who created Grand Canyon's Hotel El Tovar, Riordan Mansion consists of two multistory homes connected by a large common area known as the "cabin." Tours, conducted hourly from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily (summertime tours begin at 9 a.m.), first examine the right-side house occupied by Timothy Riordan and his family. According to Eli Milazzo, our guide that Sunday, practically all the furniture and knickknacks are original. "The Riordans were packrats," he said.

They also had a father with a playful sense of humor. In the cabin, Milazzo pointed to a pair of humongous shoes near the fireplace. Apparently, Timothy Riordan would tell people that he was good friends with Paul Bunyon and that these were his baby shoes.

Tours end in the less-preserved, left-side home, built for Michael Riordan and his family, which now contains exhibits such as a brief biography of Stickley (1858-1942). Known as the father of the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th century, the Wisconsin native eschewed ornate designs and pursued a simpler, more functional approach to furniture-making. You can check out two of his desks, close up, in this side of the mansion.

Two miles north of town, the Museum of Northern Arizona beckons with extensive and well-organized exhibits about the region's native peoples and their ancient customs.

Children might be more inclined to enjoy a dinosaur exhibit in the Geology Gallery. There, they can check out a full-scale skeletal cast of the meat-eating Dilophosaurus of the Jurassic era.

Flagstaff's other attractions include the Arboretum, which displays more than 2,500 regional plant species; and the Pioneer Museum, a largely outdoor tribute to the town's roots in the logging and cattle industries. Downtown, the old rail station serves as a visitors center whose pamphlets include a walking tour of nearby historical buildings. Route 66 runs right through downtown; east of there, the old road brims with lodging options, which also are abundant on parallel Butler Avenue, a few blocks to the south.

Riordan Mansion State Historic Park (409 W. Riordan Road) tours cost $5 general, $2 for ages 5-17; for more information, call (928) 779-4395 or visit www.azstateparks.com. Lowell Observatory (1400 W. Mars Hill Road) tours are the same price; for more information, call (928) 774-3358 or visit www.lowell.edu. The Museum of Northern Arizona (3101 N. Fort Valley Road) charges $5 general admission, $4 for seniors, $3 for students and $2 for ages 7-17; for more information, call (928) 774-5213 or visit www.musnaz.org.