Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Make Your Own Telescope
At this site students can make their own telescope and see how it works with this experiment. Out of a light, a pair of glasses, a magnifying glass and wax paper.
Other
Rice University/ats: Virtual Museum of Telescope History
This virtual museum has information on early telescopes which are mostly refractors. It contains research information on telescopes and early observatories as well as navigational equipment. Some parts still under construction.
University of Chicago
University of Chicago: History of Yerkes Observatory
Read about the history of the Yerkes Observatory, which was run by the University of Chicago. This observatory houses one of the few research grade refractors in the world. The observatory was closed in October 2018 and discussions were...
University of Chicago
University of Chicago: Reflector and Refractor
From the Yerkes Observatory Virtual Tour web site. Compares and contrasts reflecting and refracting telescopes. A link from the page leads to a second page which explains why most modern research telescopes are reflecting telescopes.
Curated OER
Astro Lab: Refracting Telescopes
Get the facts and historical background information on refracting telescopes, an important astronomical tool. This page has great accompanying photographs, as well as diagrams.