Royal Observatory Greenwich

Over het museum

The Royal Observatory was founded in 1675 by King Charles II to improve navigation at sea by recording the positions of the stars and the Moon. John Flamsteed became the first Astronomer Royal, and the original building, Flamsteed House, was designed by Sir Christopher Wren on a hill in Greenwich Park.

Over the following centuries the observatory grew into a large scientific site. It gave Britain a reference line for longitude, and in 1884 an international conference chose the Greenwich meridian as the Prime Meridian of the world. The site is also known as the home of Greenwich Mean Time and displays the marine timekeepers of John Harrison, which helped solve the problem of finding longitude at sea.

The Great Equatorial Telescope under its onion dome is one of the largest refracting telescopes in Britain. In the twentieth century scientific work moved away from Greenwich because of light pollution, and the buildings became a museum, now part of Royal Museums Greenwich and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The observatory is closing to visitors on 2 November 2026 for the First Light transformation project, which will add a new entrance pavilion, a lift tower and new astronomy galleries.

Hoogtepunten

• Prime Meridian line in the Meridian Courtyard
• Harrison's marine timekeepers in the Time and Longitude gallery
• Great Equatorial Telescope under the onion dome
• Christopher Wren's Octagon Room in Flamsteed House
• Camera Obscura and views over London

Vaste collectie

• Prime Meridian Line and Meridian Courtyard – The historic line marking zero degrees of longitude, where visitors can stand with a foot in each hemisphere.
• Great Equatorial Telescope – One of the largest refracting telescopes in the world, housed under an onion-shaped dome.
• Octagon Room – The room designed by Sir Christopher Wren, the oldest part of the observatory.

Opgericht

1675

Beheerder

Royal Museums Greenwich

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Members of Royal Museums Greenwich enter free. £3 tickets are offered to visitors on Universal Credit. The museum's pages also list discounts for Museums Association members, National Art Pass holders (half price) and English Heritage members. An audio guide on the Smartify app is free with entry.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet: geen informatie
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie

This is a historic site with steps, narrow doorways and a cobbled courtyard; for example, Flamsteed House has steps at its entrance and the Octagon Room is up a staircase of 17 steps. Wheelchairs can be pre-booked free of charge (+44 20 8312 6608). Induction loops are fitted at all information desks, and ear defenders and a sensory map are available. A free audio tour and a BSL-interpreted tour are on the Smartify app. Blue Badge holders can park free for up to four hours in the Greenwich Park car park on Blackheath Avenue. Assistance dogs are welcome.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Kinderwagenvriendelijk: niet aanwezig

The observatory runs space-themed family events, including half-term talks and Halloween tours, and offers a child ticket for ages 4–15. Buggies cannot enter Flamsteed House because of narrow galleries; an outdoor buggy park is provided.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The entrance is at the bottom of the Great Equatorial Building.

Service & horeca

• Museumwinkel

There is a Meridian shop on site. Cafés are at the nearby National Maritime Museum.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Privéfeesten
• Zakelijke evenementen

Tot 120 personen.

Venue hire for exclusive dinners for up to 60 guests or receptions for up to 120.

Je bezoek plannen