This is a must visit when in London! Not only is it fun to stand on the prime meridian line, but the walk to get up to the observatory was so pretty. The view at the top is for sure rewarding. Oh and the majority of it is FREE!!! How can you go wrong? My other secret tip...the food at the astronomy cafe was so good. I was not prepared for how fresh and yummy the cafes would be at tourist locations. I literally had the best pea soup and bread I have ever eaten. Do yourself a favor and have a snack while enjoying the view. read more

I wish I had something good to say, about this place. Her Ladyship, got me out of a perfectly warm bed, shower, dress, and out the door. Where I was greeted, with typical picnic weather for Londoners, drizzly, wet, windy and cold. We caught an underground or overground, train to somewhere near the London Eye. Then Her Ladyship needed to run into the London Eye ticket selling area, to use the loo. She was in there so long, I started to feel like the weird, old guy, hanging outside the women's loo. Out she comes, and we're out the door running down (I don't run, well) beside the Thames, then over the Westminster Bridge, to catch the City Cruise, to Greenwich. Thinking my worry's were over, we happily, ate, drank, and made merry, getting off the boat, in Greenwich. No one, mentioned to me, that we had to walk across town. When, she started off across, a park, I firmly stated my objections, I didn't want to walk any more, Parks are parks, and although, it looked like a nice park, I was ready to tuck in to a nice, warm, comfortable pub. She was having none of it, and I followed, through the park, wondering when we were going to see the "time line," thing? Then I saw it, guess, I went on auto pilot, as we had to walk up and up, and up. Finally, making it to the top, my senses returned. Okay, I had to admit, a stunning view of Greenwich Park & Canary Wharf. Here I was at the Royal Observatory. It really is a must see, good for families, etc. I found the place a bit humbling, knowing some of the most brilliant minds in history, had wandered here. Edmond Halley of Halley's Comet fame. Seriously, these guys knew how to think outside the box. The Observatory is focused on time. Accurate time is what makes ocean navigation possible . It's not too difficult, to figure out your latitude by looking at the stars, but that just tells you where you are north to south. There's no way to tell where you are, east to west and we kept crashing into rocky shorelines,at night. This pissed a lot people off, and 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, Harrison's H4 Clock, solved the problem of establishing East-West positions at sea...eventually making Greenwich the Prime Meridian of the World. So, now were able to figure out Longitude. No more crashing into crap and spilling our groceries, all over hell and back. There is a cafe, and souvenir shop, yes, we have one of those magnets on our refrigerator door, I just had to get one of their t-shirts, so everyone would know, I made the damn trek up there!!! Interesting note, rumor has it, on the other side of the hill where the observatory sits, is where they buried bodies of the victims of the Black Plague. Therefore, the name of Black Heath for the area. I asked my lady, (she was raised in London,) and she stated, that it's probably not a rumor. read more

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Reason why I love London = we got Greenwich, where time began! Royal Observatory Greenwich is right on top of the hill. It is a very long climb but very worth it. Amazing view as you reach to the top. There's three museums to check out, with lots of interactive and fun things to do. After taking a tour round the Flamsteed house, I was amazed at how much I've learned at the Observatory. I was not much of a "Planet Universe" buff before visiting the Observatory but gained so much after. I love the fact that entrance is free, so bring your friends and family along! read more

What's an amazing place to learn something new and to combine smth valuable with smth pleasant as fantastic views :) Greenwich rules! Even if sometimes it gets foggy and you can't see what the hell is going on around - it's still pretty cool :) The views are astonishing !!! read more

The Greenwich Observatory celebrates gentlemen scientists and getting one over on the French. I.e., everything Great about being British. After trekking up the hill and taking in a cracking view of the city, you can queue up with the tourists and have your photo taken on the zero-longitude line. I suggest e-mailing all photos to the Observatoire de Paris just to remind them that their "Le Meridien Prime" is totally bogus. Dude. The astronomy exhibits are also great - though be warned - there's a real danger you might learn something. The real "stars" of the show, however, are Harrison's clocks. Although these time machines helped the British Navy conquer half the planet, they could just as easily pass for one of H.G. Wells' creations. I could stand and watch their arcane brass workings spin, whizz and click for hours. read more

Very neat museum that has some interactive aspects. Also fun to stand on the prime meridian. Also lots of great views and photo opportunities. read more

An ignorant astronomer my visit to the ROG started merely as a visitors curiosity. Towards the end of my visit standing there in the glass paned room right at the top with the magnificent telescope was an experience I shall always not forget. Walking through each room filled with things from outerspace, charts and maps(there is something about these maps) about space and time; through the adventure of discovery and enlightenment. I am not ashamed to say I was a child walking through the woods. For me it was a discovery of interests and thoughts never explored before. My visit was enough to cement the liking for astronomy and space; but I plan to visit it again by myself and find out more. The greenwich line is the most fascinating spot in the ROG for most visitors, to me it was the most boring place in the whole observatory. The magic is at Flamsteed House. read more

Royal Observatory - Observatories Near Me - Greenwich, XGL

Right at the top of the hill in Greenwich is the Observatory. it is worth the climb. We got to the observatory at twilight which gave us a limited amount of time in the observatory, but gave us spectacular views of the city and the green GMT line which stretched towards the Thames. Inside the museum is full of assorted clocks, dials, and other time measuring instruments. It was very interesting to see how the measuring of time has changed and to straddle the GMT line. I wish we were able to go to the planetarium since I LOVE planetariums. Just means I'll have to come again. read more

Beautiful and informative place. An elderly gent talked to a group of us visitors about the clocks in one room, and made it fascinating. His ardor was the thing that impressed me the most. Great outdoor views too. Worth the trip from central London. read more

It is a great place with superb exhibits and a lovely planetarium with superb shows. However after children came with great excitement today to see a show there, it turned out the planetarium was broken They have no spare back up machinery and can break at no notice. It last happened 4 months ago. Loads of disappointed young children who had come especially for the show, their parents had booked and paid for in advance. The children came and were turned away at the last minute, so an awful day and an unpleasant experience which to a degree puts me off ever risking booking and traveling there again. At least the parents were promptly refunded, or could book for another day, but that did not make up for the dissapointed children,wasted travel costs and time for getting there and back The general staff were nice and very capable. However the manager had no customer service skills and she just behaved with self important arrogance. read more

Interesting place... it is the birthplace of modern time, chronographs, Navigation, etc. Having just recently read Dana Sorbel's Longitude.. it was a must visit for me while in London. And if you're a nerd about that kind of stuff, like I am, then you won't be disappointed. -1 star for half the exhibits being closed for renovation--for the amount of closed items, there should have been a discount to the admission price. read more

What a pleasant surprise this place is. The tour is well worth doing,they have an actor, whom explains what was decided zero degrees west/east... the centre of the universe, time and space! Actually... they benchmark, between east and west of the world and there is a moument to mark that. Great place for nerds. I learn how to tell the time with a sun dial. The views of london from here are amazing read more

This place gets serious marks for the view... overlooking a lush grassy hill and the beautifully architectural Greenwich University (replete with a garden party playing croquet) - I envy the royal astronomer who got to live here... though I don't so much envy the way he had to spend long cold nights in the rain mapping stars... that's just not a way to keep in good health. The museum is a lot of fun... a really good mix of more modern interactive displays for kids (or me and my boyfriend), historical artifacts with lots of in-depth information, and plenty of interiors and grounds to tour. Guaranteed that at least on of those things will entertain you... Somehow we almost missed the clock (you know, GMT) - but thought it was rather suspicious that we hadn't seen it and asked before we departed... a nice security guard pointed the way... I think we initially overlooked it for the throngs of people and cameras - you'd think it was a celebrity! read more

The Royal Observatory is a fun and free thing to do in London. As Greenwich is a bit off the beaten path for those living in... well... most parts of London, you could easily spend years living in the city and never discover it. As for me, I recently visited it after seven years of never even knowing it was there. As I sit in my gentrified NW London headquarters, I feel ashamed at this. What I love about The Royal Observatory is that, whilst small, it has an entirely different feel than most museum-type London attractions. It's unique and quirky in design, thoughtful and informative in the displays, and set amongst a truly beautiful array of spaces and buildings. We went during the Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition and saw some of the most beautiful pictures of the galaxy I've ever seen. The exhibit blurred the lines between art gallery and museum. The other areas of the observatory are quite interactive, with lots of information conveyed through getting hands on with things like a telescope, an infra-red scanner and special motion sensing video displays. Outside, you can visit the Prime Meridian and check out some fantastic views through the green spaces of the area. I'd really recommend this place for an afternoon adventure. I'd set aside a couple of hours to visit, avoiding half term and school holidays if possible (it can get pretty crowded and in the super dark room that houses exhibits like Astronomy Photographer of the Year, it's pretty easy to run over kids that you can't see. I think I trod on two, before pretending it wasn't me and hiding from their parents). Highly recommended! read more

Did I ever tell you about the time I studied GCSE Astronomy? No? Well, at 15, we thought it was a great idea, and all our lessons were either based here or the national maritime museum. We loved it. The teacher did not love us. Somehow, we were the naughtiest bunch ever, that ring around saturn is not it's excretion disc. Don't even ask how we got to that assumption. Also we spent more time playing lego man on the massive globe model at the back than learning. They have the (fake) line about east and west. But it's still fun to think you're on either side of the world! That aside, the observatory is amazing, and even though I didn't learn anything, I still love the views from the top of greenwich park, I used to live there as a kid and that's the image that sticks in my head. The planetarium is amazing, I still take my younger cousins and they love the star shows. read more

Although the destination of many a school trip, the Observatory is not just for kids. The real star is the Planetarium ( not free); check out the web site to see which shows are running at present - some shows have voiceovers from the likes of Tom Baker ! How cool is that ?The surrounding park offers some great views over London. read more

If you are fan of outer space, stars and asteroids, you will absolutely love the Royal Observatory and the Planetarium. The excibition inside along with the audio guide, will give a good taste of what is going up there, above our heads. In the outside area, you will queue to have a photo in the meridian line - the spot where time starts and ends. You can easily spend a whole day here - The Royal Observatory is just on top of the hill in front of the Greenwich Park; don't forget to take your picnic equipment! read more

Royal Observatory - Observatories Near Me - Greenwich, XGL

If you have the chance, spend a few hours to make the visit here. You can get here by taking a relaxing cruise on the River Thames, going under many of the bridges, while the tour guide gives you a bit of history as you pass by these and other landmarks. Once you land, you can spend your time walking through the town, grabbing some lunch, or head straight to the observatory. Was told that legend has it, on the other side of the hill where the observatory sits, is where they buried bodies of the victims of the Black Plague. Therefore, the name of Black Heath for the area. Back to the observatory. I was breaking in fairly new traveling shoes and got a blister making the long walk up, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes. You also get to walk through the observatory and end at where the Prime Meridian passes through. Plenty of others may be busy trying to get their picture, so it's a little hectic. Step right outside and away from the crowd, where you'll be greeted with a great view. It's a nice, relaxing break away from all the hustle and bustle of London. read more

love this place. peaceful, interesting, and you get to see "where time begins!" a definite must! read more

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Oho - the beginning of time... This one certainly packs them in. It's irresistible. But my favourite part is how charmingly quaint it all is. The Royal Observatory, perched atop the hill in the posh Royal park, overlooking not only the River Thames but the elegant Georgian buildings of the National Maritime Museum and Greenwich University, not to mention the occasionally majestic spires of Canary Wharf across the way. Entry is now 100% free (as of October, I believe), which means that this need not be a major destination. Truth be told, the exhibits inside are not terribly enlightening. The majority of visitors bounce about from one side of the Median to the other, but you would do best to take a necessary look and move on to the gardens in the back. Really lovely. Perfect date material. read more

On busy days it can be hard to get in to this place. They operate a system where they only let a batch of people in every half hour or so. Just before time you'll find a crowd outside waiting to be let in. And just after you'll find someone arguing with the gateman! Once inside there's a bit of a dance going on in the crowded courtyard as people try and get a clear picture of themselves on the meridian line (by the way, if that's all you want, there is a meridian line point on the wall outside). The museum is in an ex-house and buildings, making for a slightly quirky layout at times. But there is lots of interest. At times you feel it's an exhibit for obsessive compulsive fans of means of calculating latitude and longitude (that's got to be a minority interest) but there is a lot else to see: little bits of life and exploration on the seas, astronomical equipment, clocks, paintings Don't miss bending over to peer through a telescope on the upper floor to see Pluto. I'll say no more just do it. There's pretty good views as well, and a camera obscura for a new angle on them! And the loos are alright, and the giftshop is pretty good. All round, recommend. If you are in the area you should definitely pop in. And if you are into clocks, longitude and latitude, then travel from afar! read more

you can't go the Greenwich without coming up to the Observatory. It's without a doubt my favourite view in London. You're stood there, with dozens of other tourists (possibly a bit out of breath from the walk up here). But you just kinda go quiet once you're here. Being able to see for miles and miles and see Canary Wharf, St. Paul and everywhere else in London all at the same time is fantastic. It's brilliant no matter what time of year, but sunsets are usually pretty magical up here. If you want to spoil someone on a date, take them to watch the sunset here and then stroll back through the park. It's one of my favourite places in London. I don't come here nearly as often as I should, but I'm off to rectify that now. read more

A great place to go to with or without children. The building is on top of a hill with a rather steepgradient, so pushchairs will feel heavy. The buildings and the exhibitions are very interesting. Go there to see the red ball drop at one pm or later in the evening when it's dark to see the laser beam shine across the Thames towards Canary Warf. We went to the planetarium for a show and loved it. read more

Fabulous place for a day out - especially if sunny because then you can enjoy the park also; the Royal Observatory is a brilliant museum (and I get easily bored) which has been around since the late 1670's. Starting from the outside, the terrace gives un-interrupted views of London; I have not yet visited the new planetarium - so worth a check. Inside the museum, there is a well laid out journey through time - I mean literally since a lot of the exhibits are around the measure of time and time related technology. The telescope is beautiful; it is the largest refracting telescope in the UK. Although slightly cliche, I enjoyed jumping across the Meridian line, and having one foot on each of the world's hemispheres... read more

I didn't have many expectations from the Royal Observatory and since we went on a cold, foggy day, I was in an even worse mood. But I have to say it's a delightful place to visit and even the fog gave it a feeling of adventure. You get to the observatory through a large park (there are no lights after dark so be careful) and up a small rise. The path is steep but not too long and I don't think it would overstrain any but the really elderly or unfit. The observatory has a number of interesting galleries - broadly divided into the space related ones and the ones talking about the discovery of how to map longitudes and timekeeping. There is also a planetarium though we got there too late to see any of the shows. The best thing though and the unique one is the prime meridian. It's marked out on the ground and with a laser beam and it's really fantastic to see the line bisecting the earth. Yes I know it's an imaginary line but it's such a vital one. I don't think I'll ever see the equator but at least I've seen this. read more

A perfect place for a family day out the observatory in Greenwich is an enjoyable experience for multiple reasons. The first striking thing about the observatory is it's location at the top of the hill in Greenwich Park. An amazing view over Greenwich University and Naval buildings with the skyline of the city and the docklands in the background. Once you've spent some time taking in the pleasant environs Greenwich Park and scaled the savage hill to the top you'll be rewarded by the informative experience of the observatory. One of the main attractions of the observatory is the newly built planetarium which features an impressive series of light shows designed to teach you more about the stars in our skys. A definite must for amateur astronomers! read more

Either before or after you go here and see the Harrison clocks -- often called the "most important clocks ever invented" -- read Dava Sobel's excellent account of Harrison's genius and travails in her "Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of his Time" and/or watch the very fine A&E video of the story, also called "Longitude" with Michael Gsmbon and Jeremy Irons. Both the book and the video are first-rate. Greenwich itself is a charming place. If you have some spare time, check out the Fan Museum there: not heavy on historical importance, but charming nevertheless. read more

Visited on 3/28/15: We walked from our hotel The Mitre (please see my review on this establishment), which was about 15 minutes. We took King Williams Walk through the main gate of the Greenwich Park, past the National Maritime Museum. It is a steep hill, but well worth the walk. We went to this attraction because 1) it was apart of our London Pass 2) to straddle the meridian line to be in two hemispheres sounded like fun 3) to stand in a place where it is internationally known as the official starting point for each new day, year and millennium is just mind boggling. The line was long, with children from different parts of the globe, and there was no one dictating to the tourist on how long they had at the "attraction". There was no pushing or shoving, and the line went rather quickly for a windy day. I was able to take photos up and down the line showing different degrees for cities around the world, with no one complaining about how long I was taking. You can also get free admission to the planetarium - which is the only one in London. This place really ties into the other Mariner locations throughout the Greenwich World Heritage Sites. You can go inside one of the brick buidlings to see the green laser that lights up the meridian at night. There's also a few places where you can take pictures of the few of the London skyline. read more

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This is a must-see for anyone interested in the history of astronomy. If you are such a person, you know what I mean. The Prime Meridian of the world is defined by the location of the Royal Observatory. When you get there, the Prime Meridian is marked on the ground, and everybody has to take a selfie straddling the line. The interior is mostly historical, and the only "telescope" you can peer into shows a simulation of Saturn (at zenith!!). The walk is a little arduous but pleasant. The grounds and views are amazing, and are what earned the fourth star in my rating. Watch out for windfall figs underfoot. read more

Greenwich is such a cute town. Visited just to say we were at the Prime Meridian line. It's the most expensive picture we took on our trip and worth it. Very busy place. read more

It's my first visit there but i can see myself going there again. The royal observatory is set agains the wonderful Greenwish park and it's at the peak of the hill. There's a queue to take photos at the prime meridian and it's special to think that you are standing right in the middle of the meridian line. Besides that, the tour around the observatory is very interesting. Big plus, entrance is free as well. read more

The Royal Observatory is at the top of a very high hill, so if you are visiting on foot be prepared to walk up a steep steep hill! Otherwise there is a car park at the top (if I remember correctly!) When I visited they opened up the telescope and let us look through it, thanks to it being a clear day! They found a star, and it was really amazing to see, although it was really tiny, it was still an experience! There are also many interactive exhibitions which really help you to understand about the sciency bits of the observatory and are great fun for kids! Also, This is where GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) comes from, as you have the Meridian Line going through the area, you could, if you wanted, stand on both sides of the Meridian! Worth a visit if ever in Greenwich read more

The Royal Observatory at Greenwich is at the top of a hill in greenwich park. it is free to enter but the planetarium show has a charge though it is well worth it. Of course it is also home to Greenwich mean time and the meridian line where you can have a foot in each hemisphere. In the height of summer when I went this was absolutely packed and there was a wait to get entrance as they only seemed to operate 1 gate. There was also a scrum to get your picture taken with the meridian line but most people were patient. Whilst others are doing that, the area with the meridian line also has fantastic views out onto Greenwich Park & Canary Wharf so provides a fantastic photo oppotunity. Not sure that I would travel to see this if it was on its own but because of the other attractions near by its a must see in my opinion if only for the views. read more

Wear comfy shoes! It's a real trek to make it to the observatory - not at all easily accessible for wheelchairs or prams, or anyone that struggles walking up a hill. Once you reach the observatory you'll find it was worth the walk. Situated in beautiful Greenwich Park you'll find the views over the city are wonderful. Of course it has the attraction of the Meridian time line, which is a popular attraction. The planetarium is also highly recommended! read more

Fantastic views over The City, some great architecture, and a great place to come on a day out. Only downside is that it can be a little busy! A nice place to visit and family-friendly. read more

It's unbelievable because of its knowledgeable and educational. My friend and I spent a wonderful time there. It's a worthy place to visit But the traffic is not very convenient read more

Not sure if I agree with the the other 4 reviews as they appear to be in French. Be prepared to take a bit of a hike to get to the observatory. Part of it is quite steep and may not be possible if you have any sort of disability. The two things to see here, for the non-astronomer, are the prime-meridian and the view of London from the hill on which the observatory is located. It is a bit steep at £9 but worth the memorable and touristy pic of being in two hemispheres at once. If anyone from the Observatory reads this, I would recommend charging a fee for a professional photographer to take your photo. This is really what people come to do anyway. read more

Planned to see the Prime Meridian only. However this place is much greater than my expectation. Had an awesome and informative tour for a whole afternoon here. Impressed by those scientists and engineers worked so hard to make this world better. By the way, the view outside the observatory is also very great. Saw a wonderful rainbow along with London skyline. read more

Following up from the parks at Greenwich is this gem - the royal observatory. Not only is it a place of history with it being the location of the Meridian line, the view of London from up there has to rank as one the best sights you can get of it. I found the free story telling of the ill-tempered Sir John Flamsteed rather interesting! read more

The Royal Observatory is free, enjoyable, informative and not as crowded as I once remembered when I visited as a child. This place is fun to visit as an adult or with a party of kids. Some great views across London docklands and Thames read more

Royal Observatory - Observatories Near Me - Greenwich, XGL