  One of the most fascinating puzzles in particle astrophysics today is that of
the origin and nature of the highest energy cosmic rays. The Pierre Auger
Observatory (PAO), currently under construction in Province of Mendoza,
Argentina, and with another site planned in the Northern hemisphere, is a major
international effort to make precise, high statistics studies of the highest
energy cosmic rays. It is the first experiment designed to work in a hybrid
mode incorporating both a ground-based array of 1600 particle detectors spread
over 3000 km$^2$ with fluorescence telescopes placed on the boundaries of the
surface array. The current status of the observatory is presented and prospects
for the future discussed.
