Essential Information

Type Experiences
Location
Date and Times Saturdays and Sundays
Prices Included with Royal Observatory admission

Free entry for Members. Not a member? Join now

Get hands-on with a telescope, explore the surface of Mars, try your hand at using a sextant and see the invisible at the Royal Observatory Greenwich with our weekend interactive Observatory Unlocked sessions.

Every weekend our space-tastic team of Observatory Explainers will be around the site, delivering live science demonstrations and astronomy sessions for all ages.

All activities are included with entry to the Royal Observatory, and you can drop in any time to sessions that are running. Check out the highlights below for a taste of what's on offer.

Whether you're searching for answers about life in the Universe or are just curious about what it's like to look through a telescope, head for the Royal Observatory.

Need to know
  • Sessions typically run on Saturdays and Sundays between 11am and 2.30pm.
  • Activities will vary depending on weather, time of year and availability - see below for what's currently on offer.
  • Suitable for all ages unless specified.
  • All activities are free with entry to the Royal Observatory

Plan your visit

Find more things to do at the Royal Observatory

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The Great Equatorial Telescope at Royal Observatory Greenwich

Learn about telescopes

Step inside the iconic Great Equatorial Telescope dome and join our Observatory Explainers for a hands-on session all about telescopes! 

Explore how magnification works through live demonstrations, and see how the Great Equatorial Telescope compares to other telescopes around the world.

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A woman, a man and a young boy look at a box and tripod containing a camera obscura at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. The viewing window of the camera shows an inverted image of the skyline behind them

Experiment with historic tools and technology

Enjoy drop-in activities led by volunteers at the Royal Observatory. Learn more about the iconic Time Ball and the history of the Royal Observatory, or take part in exciting demos showing how a compass or a camera obscura works. For exact timings, listen out for announcements on the day.

Visit the Royal Observatory

Home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the Prime Meridian of the world and London’s only Planetarium

Choose your tickets

All activities are free with tickets to the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Visitors to the Planetarium can also drop in to the Young Astronomers workshop before or after their show.

Royal Observatory

  • Visit the Prime Meridian line
  • See the best view in London
  • Guaranteed entry time
  • Audio guide included
Adult£24
Child£12
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Become a Member

  • Unlimited entry all year
  • Royal Observatory
  • Cutty Sark
  • Special exhibitions
Direct DebitOne-off
Individual: £65Individual: £75
Family: from £75Family: from £85
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