Essential Information

Type Events and festivals
Location
Date and Times Friday 8 - Sunday 10 August 2025
Prices Adult: £24 | Child: £12 | Under 4s FREE | All activities included in entry price

Join us in Greenwich this August and celebrate the birthday of one of the most important scientific sites in the world.

Royal Observatory Greenwich is the home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian line. For 350 years astronomers here have looked up at the sky, measured the movement of the stars and explored the depths of the Universe.

Those cold nights helped shape our modern world. Now it's time to celebrate their legacy!

The foundation stone for the Royal Observatory was laid on 10 August 1675. To mark this historic occasion, we're planning a fantastic weekend of free talks, live demonstrations, telescope observing and family activities.

All activities listed below are included with entry to the Royal Observatory. Your tickets also include access to the whole Royal Observatory site, including the Prime Meridian line and Flamsteed House, Great Equatorial Telescope, Time and Longitude gallery and more.

Visit the home of Greenwich Mean Time this summer and celebrate 350 years of the Royal Observatory.

Book Royal Observatory tickets 

Remember to select a visit between 8-10 August to take part in the birthday activities.

Event highlights

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Free talks and tours

Discover the fascinating history of the Observatory and learn more about our displays with our friendly Front of House and volunteer teams.

Talks are suitable for all ages, and give you a chance to learn more about the Observatory and the people who lived and worked here: from pioneering astronomers Annie Maunder and Alice Everett to Christopher Wren, the architect tasked by Charles II to build the Observatory itself.

Details:

  • Volunteer talks take place throughout the site from 12-6pm each day. For times see notices on the day.
  • Gallery Favourites talks last for 15 minutes and take place at 11.45am, 1.45pm, 4.45pm and 6.45pm.
  • If you want to experience a full tour of the Observatory site, check out our special Treasures Tour (additional charges apply).
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Solar observing Sunday

Observe the Sun (safely!) with our team of astronomy explainers. Get hands-on with a telescope and learn about our closest star during this popular daytime astronomy session.

Details: Free drop-in session from 11am-4pm on 10 August only. Suitable for all ages.

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Live demonstrations

Look through a camera obscura, get hands-on with navigational instruments like the sextant and discover the history of navigation. These interactive demonstrations give you a chance to see how these objects really work, and understand why the Observatory was key to exploring our world.

Details: sessions are drop-in and run from 12-4.30pm each day. Suitable for all ages.

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Get crafty!

If you need a break during your visit, stop by the Altazimuth Pavilion and enjoy one of our kid-friendly craft activities. Craft your way through space and time!

Details: sessions are drop-in and take place near the Altazimuth Pavilion and Planetarium cone. Timings to be confirmed.

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Object handling

Pick up, touch and explore intriguing items from the Royal Observatory's handling collection. Can you guess what these objects might have been used for?

Details: sessions are drop-in and take place in the Meridian Courtyard. Timings to be confirmed.