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    Royal Observatory

    4.4 (124 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Royal Observatory Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Royal Observatory

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    Karyn E.

    Amazing museum of all things relating to time and navigation. I learned so much about navigation before men discovered longitude and then afterward with the invention of the chronometer. Many of the concepts are being used today even with modern technology of digital and cellular. So much to take in and all so interesting. A 1/2 day excursion. (We toured the Cutty Sark same day) Check online for times and ticket prices. We went in the afternoon and it was not busy. Transportation: Ferry, walk to museum Recommendation: Highly recommend and worth a visit when in the London area.

    Montage of images from the Royal Observatory
    Ed U.

    I wonder how the Prime Meridian got started. Did some pompous British minister get frustrated when he asked what time it was and kept getting different answers? But here it is, the line that defined Greenwich Mean Time and placed everyone in their respective time zones. It was the legendary Christopher Wren who established the Royal Observatory in 1675 and provided much needed standards around time. Because of all the historical artifacts, the observatory itself is well worth a self-guided tour even if it's no longer functional. Since it's situated on a pronounced hill in the middle of Greenwich Park, the views of Greenwich and the River Thames are quite photogenic. Most tourists like ourselves come here by boat (the speedier Uber Thames Clipper in our case) and then a gradual uphill climb through the park. What time is it again? RELATED - Exploring London? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3zFACrx

    Royal observatory
    Kimberly W.

    I visited with easy to use city pass. I was pretty interesting, but do mind that it is a small hike up to the exploratory. A super interesting experience with lots to learn and lots to see you can definitely spend your whole day in Greenwich, visiting the observatory as well as the cutty sark sailing ship. I think they had a deal where you can see the cutty sark and observatory for certain price cheaper than buying them separately. You can also visit the Amy museum as well as the queen's house while you're here. There's also some exclusive gifts in their gift shops which I loved. I picked up a little astronaut Teddy on my way home. TLDR - great place to spend the day as well as a bunch to see in the area

    View of the skyline
    Quaime L.

    Eh. A bit underwhelming. The docent on staff who explained the history of nautical timekeeping devices and their influence on the development of longitude was the highlight, closely followed by the stunning views of the modern London skyline. The staff members were very pleasant and helpful and the men's restrooms were clean. It is a bit quaint and lacks many of the multimedia elements of more modernized museums. But make sure you go in time for rhetorical daily dropping of the red ball at 1:00 PM. The fanfare around it will at least be memorable!

    Equatorial telescope
    Terry W.

    This is basically a museum. I think this place warrants several hours if you look at everything, and read all the informational signs. It tells the story of calculating longitude. Cool piece of history. One intact telescope is here. There's at least one more in pieces. Many displays featuring clocks and timepieces. It's sorta cheesy, but you can get a photo straddling 0deg longitude (prime meridian). Lots of people seem to do that. Not really a place for little kids. They won't get much out of it. But big kids and adults may enjoy it. No need to return, but I'm glad I visited this one time. Very educational and interesting.

    The observatory
    William W.

    As an admitted science geek, I wasn't going to pass up a chance to stand on the Prime Meridian for a photo op. Sure, the line cuts across a wide swath of England, not to mention France, Spain, and five African countries. I've driven over it many times in the past 30 years. You'll even walk over the line at least three times on your way up to the observatory, (unmarked of course because they want your money). Any GPS app on a phone will let you observe the location without paying admission. But I believe the admission is worth it, a unique opportunity to stand on a clearly marked Prime Meridian at the very observatory where it was originally established, leading to the precise GPS coordinates we use today. Who doesn't want to straddle 0 degrees longitude and stand simultaneously in the Eastern and Western Hemispheres? It's a bit touristy, hence no 5-star rating from me. But the extensive exhibit is a well-organized tribute to geographic and astronomical breakthroughs of the 18th and 19th centuries. If only they had constructed the tennis courts in the park below about 50 feet farther east, so that opponents could play a tennis match in two different hemispheres. Oh, the missed opportunities. Getting there was easy with very little planning and a quick conversation with an underground employee. We found our way from the Tower Hill metro station (at the Tower of London) to the Tower Gateway above-ground train station. From there, it was easy to take the train to the Greenwich station, with one switch of trains along the way. From the Greenwich station, maps show the way uphill to the observatory.

    One foot in each hemisphere
    Kevin B.

    The Royal Observatory of Greenwich is a fun tourist attraction, though mostly just to say you've done it -- not much repeat value. Inside the paid area, you can walk on the Prime Meridian, the longitude 0° line separating the east and west hemispheres. There are also some educational exhibits about time and the history of timekeeping. Interesting, but not that much to do overall -- maybe 30 minutes worth of activities. Check it out if you want to cross it off the list, but don't expect a ton. Also whether you go inside the official area or not, you can still enjoy lovely views from the top of the hill overlooking Greenwich and London!

    Standing astride the prime meridian line (outside the observatory)
    Masanori D.

    Greenwich is a very cute town, worth visiting. When you are in Greenwich, you should visit the Royal Observatory. The reason why I'm not too thrilled about Greenwich and the observatory in particular is that things close down early in Greenwich. The observatory closes at 5:30pm (last entry at 5:00pm). Most shops close before 6:00pm. I'm sure that one thing everyone wants to do in Greenwich is to stand on the Prime Meridian Line. We arrived at the observatory 3 minutes after 5:00pm and could not get in the observatory. We were so disappointed since the meridian line is fenced in! If you're in the same predicament, don't worry. If you go through the gate between the observatory sign and the clock, you can see the meridian line, an extension of the official one (see my photos). This gate is always open. ****************************** If you found something useful in my review, please hit "useful" so that I can improve my reviews. If you love food and traveling, follow me, or better yet, let's become friends on Yelp! Thank you and happy Yelping!

    Fantastic views from the top of the hill!
    Kate W.

    This is another one of those unique places to visit in Greenwich. If you love astronomy, this will be right up your alley. Personally, I don't particularly enjoy astronomy, so I didn't find the little museum to be of particular interest. However, standing on the meridian line was neat! For a student ticket, the cost is £10. I found out after I bought my ticket that you can actually stand on the meridian line without going into the paid courtyard. As you walk from the planetarium towards the ticket booth, there is a line of black bricks on the ground that marks the meridian line. So you can grab your picture here and enjoy the views of London without entering the museum if you are short on time or not really interested in astronomy. The astronomy cafe had a decent selection of lunch items and it was a nice place to grab a sandwich to enjoy overlooking the fantastic views.

    Prime Meridian
    Fluffy L.

    A quite small museum. But with nice view to canary wharf. It is in the middle of a park, needs extra walk either take subway or bus. The park it is free, lots of people take picnic here.

    Chris E.

    Anyone who loves astronomy and great views of the city would absolutely love this place. The Royal Observatory has been the home of the Greenwich Meridian since the mid-1800s. For those who do not know what the Prime Meridian is, it's THE imaginary line that separates the Earth in half between the Eastern and Western Hemisphere and it's a pretty cool thing to be standing right on it. If visitors want to see and step onto the actual Prime Meridian it'll cost them about 9.5 pounds and, if you ARE a tourist, I say go for it like we did! First off though, it is a bit of a trek to get to the Royal Observatory via the Overground. Overground I say because the Underground DOES NOT come here. Visitors must take the DLR/Overground to the Cutty Sark station. Once visitors make it out of the station, they have to just follow the signs toward the National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory. It's about a 10 minute walk from the station. To get to the Royal Observatory, most visitors hit up the National Maritime Museum first since it's the 1st large building everyone sees. Plus, IT'S FREE to visit so give it a shot! Once visitors are done exploring the museum, they can exit thru the back of the museum and follow the signs to the Royal Observatory. Visitors have to walk thru Greenwich Park and up a hill to get to the observatory, but it's well worth the small hike as the city views are spectacular and one of a kind! Most folks like taking pictures of the city as they walk up the hill, but they're just wasting their time beause all visitors need to do is take photos of the city from the very top and they'll have their money shot! Most of the view at the top is of Greenwich Park, but on a clear day you can easily see the O2 arena and plenty of office buildings in Canary Wharf. Once you've paid your admission fee and made it into the actual Observatory, there's plenty of exhibits to look at relating to the Prime Meridian. As for the Prime Meredian itself, it's not hard to miss as there was a long line of people standing on it waiting to take photos of the actual sign. If you want group photos with the Prime Meridian your best bet would be to make friends with the people behind you and ask them to help take some photos of your group like we did. Everyone was very accommodating and everyone knew the deal as they stood on line together. Other than those tips, enjoy the awesome view of the city and take it all in!

    Waiting for the observatory to open
    Beth C.

    The perfect place to geek out over scientific history! Set in a large park, this place is easy to access via various transport lines. We arrived soon before it opened on Sunday and joined an international gathering in line. Not a bad crowd, though. Once inside, you are supplied with an audio tour unit, which I found mediocre. Much of the same information was in each room. The courtyard with the meridian line is great for pictures. The museum provides interesting insights into what it was like to live there centuries ago and about the frustration and toil involved in finding out longitude lines at sea.

    From below, the Observatory
    Bruce K.

    It's appropriate that this review is my 1000'th. After all, the Royal Observatory is the center of the world. Why shouldn't it be a major milestone for Yelp reviews? The Observatory is focused on time. Because accurate time is what makes it possible to navigate the seas. It's easy enough to figure out your latitude by looking at the stars. That just tells you where you are north to south. There's no way to tell where you are east to west and this makes it impossible to avoid rocks and shorelines when you're sailing at night. The usual method of a pendulum clock doesn't work at sea. So they had to figure out a way to get an accurate timepiece. The Observatory has a huge display of clocks and timepieces throughout the ages and tells the story of how they were invented and why. Lots of displays of the skies. Lots of history here, including the Astronomers Royal. The list of Astronomers Royal should be names familiar to many - John Flamsteed, Edmond Halley (of Halley's Comet fame), Sir Frank Dyson. Wow, the people that used to wander these hallways! Access to the Observatory is not free. £10 is quite a bit of coin, so make it worthwhile. Don't skip the Prime Meridian - you'll want to get a picture of you and your feet on each side of the line - East and West come together here. You might also want to try to arrive before 1PM so that you can see the time ball drop. There's an explanation of this inside - I won't spoil the secret. Amazing views of the city of London on a clear day. There's no easy way to access the Observatory - you have to climb the hill. After you've toured the Observatory, you may want to head next door to the Planetarium. There is a gift shop with the usual trinkets. You'll want to pick up Prime Meridian postcards and what home is complete without a Prime Meridian fridge magnet?

    Inside Flamstead House

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    Royal Observatory Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Royal Observatory

    There's a lot of history to see inside the museum covering astronomy, timekeeping, and the prime meridian.

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    Observatory Science Centre - Observatory and pond

    Observatory Science Centre

    4.5(2 reviews)
    44.5 mi

    Formerly the site of the Royal Observatory (from 1958-1990), the site is now run by a charity as a…read morevenue for exhibitions, lectures and educational programmes. The renovated telescopes can be visited by the public, for school visits, and are used by colleges and astronomical societies. It makes a great fun-but-educational family day out. Most people associate the Royal Observatory with Greenwich, where it was founded by Charles II in 1675. It was increasingly recognised that London was not a good location due to light and atmospheric pollution, and the effects of vibrations from rising road and rail traffic. Plans were made to relocate the observatory in the 1930s; transfer began to the new site at Herstmonceux in 1947 and was completed in 1958. The complex of buildings was constructed to house three reflecting and three refracting telescopes in six domes, of brick and concrete with green copper domes and balustraded balconies, with adjoining support buildings, all set around a central ornamental pond. These are themselves classic examples of 1950s architecture. The telescopes were joined in 1967 by the giant 98-inch Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) once housed in the silver dome to the south of the main complex. The UK was never an ideal site for astronomical observations because of the preponderance of cloud, and over time, increasing light pollution from Eastbourne. The growth of cheap air travel in the 1960s enabled astronomers to travel to parts of the world with clearer skies and in 1984 the INT telescope was moved to the Canary Islands. Eventually, the decision was taken to close the site and move the remaining staff to the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge. The site reopened in its current guise in 1995 and the site, including the telescopes, was refurbished in 2004. Visitors now enter through the eastern grounds of Herstmonceux Castle (itself now a college of Queen's College, Ontario). Car parking is available in a small car park but in summer most park on the lawn in front. The ticket office at the entrance houses a small shop with merchandise aimed at children and young people, covering a range of scientific subjects. Numbers are limited, so advanced booking is strongly recommended. There are guided tours of the telescopes (which take about half an hour) and separate science demonstrations. The site has both indoor and outdoor hands-on activities for children (of all ages!) covering aspects of science and engineering - a bit like a small hands-on science museum. We found the volunteer staff to be friendly and knowledgeable, and the sessions were very interactive for the children. We happily spent a couple of hours there. There is a small cafe on site, serving drinks and a limited range of snacks. The site is on several levels and has a lot of steps and gravel pathways, but there are ramps for level access and a disabled toilet: more details are on the main website. Children must be accompanied and supervised by an adult at all times, and dogs are not admitted (except assistance dogs). As well as being open for general visits, there are periodic stargazing evenings: numbers are also limited for these and need to be booked in advance.

    This is such an interesting place to take the kids for some star-gazing. They are so good at…read morekeeping everyone's attention on the go (things like this can get a bit boring). There's so many different night and daytime events on offer here and a lot of them depend on weather and, of course the stars but we had a great night there and got to see so many beautiful sights. There's a fantastic shop to pop into at the end of the day with some really interesting and informative books to buy.

    Photos
    Observatory Science Centre - Observatory and geological garden

    Observatory and geological garden

    Observatory Science Centre - Observatory and geological garden

    Observatory and geological garden

    Observatory Science Centre - Observatory: the refractive telescope of 1898.

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    Observatory: the refractive telescope of 1898.

    British Airways i360 - East view with the Brighton Pier in the background.

    British Airways i360

    4.0(4 reviews)
    45.7 mi

    I enjoyed a sunset view of Brighton (7:15pm departure) in September 2023 with a large group of…read morefolks attending a conference. This is a fun experience and provides a lovely view of the coast. Be sure to arrive 20 minutes early to check-in for the flight! The glass-enclosed ring can hold lots of people and provides superb views at the top. You can see the dense development and sprawl of Hove (west of Brighton) as well as the surrounding hills. The glass ring also ascends very slowly which allows you to view the coast from different vantage points. Please note the glass ring does not rotate, so you'll have to move to another position if you wish to see the water (or hills to the north). At the end of the "flight", rest rooms are available near the gift shop. Overall, it's a bit pricey and touristy - but worth seeing for first-time visitors to Brighton. If you enjoy history and architecture more, I would recommend seeing the Royal Pavilion before ascending the I-360 if your time is limited.

    This is a great place to visit at the start of your trip to Brighton, as you get 360 views of the…read morebeach and the city. "Flights" take place every half hour, and they require that you arrive 20 minutes early to go through security. Ticketing and security employees were friendly and efficient at getting you through. I was through security in about 5 minutes. While you wait for your boarding time, you can enjoy their patio and relax in a lounger while watching the waves. Once you board and begin your ascent, you are able to take in the views and purchase snacks and drinks at the snack bar inside the pod. The host welcomes you on board, but doesn't speak again until you land and they tell you it's time to get off. It would have been nice if they would had pointed out some places of interest. It might be helpful to do a little reading before your flight so you know what you are looking at. I had good views on the day that I went, but I was a little disappointed that the pod didn't rotate 360 degrees at the top like I thought it did. Luckily, my flight wasn't terribly crowded, so I could walk around the pod and take in all the sights. Once you land, they drop you off in their gift shop. There is a small exhibit on how the i360 was built and there are free public toilets available for your use. One thing I will mention is don't count on getting lots of great photos at the top. The views are stunning, but the glare on the glass walls makes taking pictures almost impossible.

    Photos
    British Airways i360 - The I-360 sign is easy to find on the west side of Brighton.

    The I-360 sign is easy to find on the west side of Brighton.

    British Airways i360 - Sunset view to the west - just lovely!

    Sunset view to the west - just lovely!

    British Airways i360

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    Royal Observatory - observatories - Updated May 2026

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