diff --git a/python/valis/routes/query.py b/python/valis/routes/query.py
index 5e790af..7837519 100644
--- a/python/valis/routes/query.py
+++ b/python/valis/routes/query.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
                               carton_program_list, carton_program_map,
                               get_targets_by_sdss_id, get_targets_by_catalog_id,
                               get_targets_obs, get_paged_target_list_by_mapper)
-from sdssdb.peewee.sdss5db import database
+from sdssdb.peewee.sdss5db import database, catalogdb
 
 # convert string floats to proper floats
 Float = Annotated[Union[float, str], BeforeValidator(lambda x: float(x) if x and isinstance(x, str) else x)]
@@ -172,6 +172,19 @@ async def program_map(self):
 
         return carton_program_map()
 
+    @router.get('/list/parents', summary='Return a list of available parent catalog tables',
+                response_model=List[str])
+    async def parent_catalogs(self):
+        """Return a list of available parent catalog tables."""
+
+        columns = catalogdb.SDSS_ID_To_Catalog._meta.fields.keys()
+
+        # In sdss_id_to_catalog table, the parent catalog columns are named
+        # as 'parent_catalog__parent_catalog_pk_column'.
+        catalogs = [col.split('__')[0] for col in columns if '__' in col]
+
+        return sorted(catalogs)
+
     @router.get('/carton-program', summary='Search for all SDSS targets within a carton or program',
                 response_model=List[SDSSModel], dependencies=[Depends(get_pw_db)])
     async def carton_program(self,