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This is a must see attraction in London. It's very easy to get to. We took the DLR from London and got off at Greenwich ( Cutty Sark is preferred but close for reconstruction)and then walked to the Maritime Museum and then up the hill to the observatory. This was our second visit to this historic site. For those who don't know this is where the official time for the world is kept which is called Greenwich Meantime it's also where you can visit the official prime meridian and this is where zero longitude is officially recognised. You can be in both the east and Western hemisphere at the same time. There's a lot of history to see inside the museum covering astronomy, timekeeping, and the prime meridian. A hint for on the way back, walk down to Greenwich and then find your way to the foot tunnel under the Thames. Yes, you can walk underneath the Thames in a tunnel which takes about seven minutes. When you reach the other side, you can board the DLR about 150M away from the exit at Garden Islands DLR station.
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.
We went to the Royal Observatory today. The walk up the hill was VERY challenging for me. I waited for the buggy to come as it said on the sign but I never saw it so I took the challenge and did the 12 minute walk up the hill. Once there, it was very interesting. I definitely learned a lot about time and the struggle ancient Mariners had as a result of not having longitude. Loved standing on the prime meridian. The views were definitely BREATHTAKING.
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
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
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!
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 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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
3 days ago
Stand in on Prime Meridian This was a unique experience with historical significance. Listening to the talks was interesting, one of the speakers was a retired captain, he talked about navigation. read more
Be warned you have to walk up a hill to get here but the views are great once you do and you will find yourself near the Prime Meridian a line that changes traveling forever. I've been to a lot of planetariums as my kid has an interest. I was expecting a lot of stars and space but gladly found this spot was all about longitude and latitude and how one instrument made traveling the ocean so much easier. I learned a lot here. Small but mighty in info. Make sure to take part in some of the free tours they offer to get the real historical point of view. Oh and make sure to be there at 1pm each day to see the ball drop. I won't explain as I will let you discover that on your own. read more
This is a must see attraction in London. It's very easy to get to. We took the DLR from London and got off at Greenwich ( Cutty Sark is preferred but close for reconstruction)and then walked to the Maritime Museum and then up the hill to the observatory. This was our second visit to this historic site. For those who don't know this is where the official time for the world is kept which is called Greenwich Meantime it's also where you can visit the official prime meridian and this is where zero longitude is officially recognised. You can be in both the east and Western hemisphere at the same time. There's a lot of history to see inside the museum covering astronomy, timekeeping, and the prime meridian. A hint for on the way back, walk down to Greenwich and then find your way to the foot tunnel under the Thames. Yes, you can walk underneath the Thames in a tunnel which takes about seven minutes. When you reach the other side, you can board the DLR about 150M away from the exit at Garden Islands DLR station. read more
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. read more
3 months ago
We went to the Royal Observatory today. The walk up the hill was VERY challenging for me. I waited for the buggy to come as it said on the sign but I never saw it so I took the challenge and did the 12 minute walk up the hill. Once there, it was very interesting. I definitely learned a lot about time and the struggle ancient Mariners had as a result of not having longitude. Loved standing on the prime meridian. The views were definitely BREATHTAKING. read more
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 read more
3 years ago
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 read more
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! read more
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. read more
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! read more
7 years ago
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. read more
8 years ago
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! read more
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. read more
5 years ago
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. read more
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! read more
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. read more
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? read more
11 years ago
The walk leading up to the Observatory is beautiful, and the grounds and park surrounding the hill are breathtaking. They do parks and open spaces so well out here! And yes, I did say "hill". The Observatory is, of course, the highest point in Greenwich, so it takes a bit of effort to get up there. Ten minutes of huffing and puffing later, we got to the top and walked in to the Observatory (pre-paid tickets are the way to go!) The visit there was also kind of a let-down. I mean, we totally made use of our time on the actual Greenwich Meridian line itself, but the displays were lost on me. There was an audio guide included with the ticket, but I admit that I only half-listened to the ones that I pressed "play" on, and gave up on the guide altogether about two stops in. It's interesting, the things that the first Astronomer Royals went through to find longitude, and they were super-smart and super-patient, but I was just not prepared to give up my entire afternoon listening to the guide describe - in increasingly verbose detail - how this pendulum differed from that pendulum, and why one worked better than the other, and how the next version was an improvement because of the motion and how the accuracy was improved by... And did I mention that the clock that they had onsite - the one that they were using in a display - was wrong? At one point, my husband asked me, "Is it really only 2:36?" I checked my watch, thought it read 3:26 (I'm not always so good with the numbers), held it up for him to read, and said, "That does say 3:26, right?" Yeah - Greenwich's clock was wrong... Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for Greenwich that day. I loved the line, loved the views (really spectacular from up there), but the Flamstead House just seemed too crowded and the audio guide seemed too long. I don't know that I'd pay to go back again, even though the park at the bottom of the hill is, as I mentioned, is beautiful. To be honest, when we started planning this trip, I really just wanted to hit one of the markers on the pavement at a random spot along the line, but my husband thought it would be "cheesy" to take a picture of a marker that's directly across the street from a Burger King... read more
6 years ago
10 years ago
Like a bonafide tourist, I came here to straddle the Prime Meridien! The uphill walk through Greenwich Park to the Royal Observatory will test your stamina, but the sprawling views & a chance to have one foot in the western hemisphere & the other foot in the eastern is worth all the huffing & puffing. The Shepherd Gate Clock, the first to publicly display Greenwich Mean Time, is located at the entrance. Seriously cool stuff. Admission prices: £9.50 for adults and £7.50 for students (what's called "concession" prices.) No need to buy online tickets in advance. If I had a bucket list, multiple items would've been crossed off in this one visit to the Royal Observatory. read more
8 years ago
It's science. I loved the entire experience. The planetarium is very cool, and with the chairs being so comfortable, you could find yourself falling asleep in the moment. If you're looking for something cool to do with your kids or loved ones, check out this place. Everything is free except the gift shop, cafe, and actual planetarium. The exhibits inside which are pretty modern are completely free and fun. read more
7 years ago
This is the throne of Father Time & he proclaims that "thou art enter my kingdom for free" - and I respect the old man. The Royal Observatory is up a green grassy hill in Greenwich (a hike for those who only like to sit around, eat and review restaurants *cough* myself ...) It was a rather blustery day in the words of Winnie the Pooh & the gales were in full fury but that just made the experience seem more like you're in the pinnacle of where time literally begins. Flushed from the wind but exhilarated, the top has a beautiful view. A red ball at the top of the compass drops at 1 p.m. everyday and apparently the time in Greenwich is accurate to a 1/10th of a second. The Prime Meridian is located here and you can stand in both hemispheres at the same time! Eastern and Western. This is the one place you can be in 2 places at once, boom! The museum is worth checking out too - a lovely antique time line of clocks, compasses and their history unfolds in a rustic looking building. And the octagon room? Don't you dare miss it! read more
7 years ago
Very educational. Enjoyed the place especially learning about how GMT got started and how time was originally used to navigate the sea. A fun place to go with the family. read more
18 years ago
I came to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich purely because I had been walking through Greenwich Park and decided to stop by briefly. I knew that this was the home of Greenwich Mean Time, and this is where the Meridian sits. I had no idea how much else this Observatory offered, and how great it is for kids, and stargazers of any age. Here also sits London's only Planetarium, which puts on daily shows including one narrated by Tom Baker - Invaders of Mars, and something which I want to attend - Stargazing For Beginners. This place is perfect to bring children. They encourage participation, especially over at the Astronomy Centre where you can touch a 4 Billion year old meteorite, or guide a space mission. I learnt so much here, in just a couple of hours as well. There is no way that a place this wonderful should be relegated just for tourists. read more
14 years ago
I was told there would be no hills to climb. (Lie #1: Only way 2 get me to go, I suppose) I was also told the views are breathless. (Lie #2: It was bloody foggy!) I was told, finally, it would be worth my while! This, I must admit, was absolutely True. Since my curiosity never ends, I searched for more answers, thought I'd share this link for those interested, because I hate to misquote history. Hope you find it useful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_meridian read more
7 years ago
Most definitely a visit if you're in Greenwich. Where time began. I'd recommend doing this on a summer's day as the views form the top of the hill when you get to the primer meridian line are phenomenal. Doesn't feel like London as it's so fresh and green. The recommended time for the museum is 1.5 hrs we took 2, but that's because it's not your typical museum. The GMT meridian line lives here and you're standing on both east and west when you come across it. Pretty impressive. read more
7 years ago
What a historical place. Located near the royal maritime museum and royal naval college. So much to see within walking distance! Also close to an amazing pub that Charles Dickens use to frequent called Trafalgar Tavern. The staff was knowledgeable and super friendly. Was just really fun. Beware the walk up the hill can be tough for some but they do have a path for wheelchairs that takes an estimated 18 minutes to walk. It's in a beautiful royal park. This museum is worth the £16 or so to get in. read more
18 years ago
This museum was a pleasant surprise, like when you are swimming in a lake and you discover that seaweed doesn't exist. "Oh, well since I'm here, what a nice thing to find out about!" I was delighted like a Pillsbury Dough Boy (hoo hoo!) to find this museum not only well put together, but also aesthetically pleasing and entertaining. I learned all I ever needed to know about clocks. How they move, what kinds exist, why pendulum clocks and ships don't mix, and which kind of clock you use to travel in time so you can go see your old friend Queen Victoria. There was history learned, knowledge imparted and chocolate pudding for the eyes - that is to say, ornate clocks and beautifully decorated rooms notably the one designed by Mr. Wren (though perhaps in this museum of time, it's more fitting to call him Mr. When), architect of St. Paul's. This place really is a little piece of moon hitting your eye like a big pizza pie. I was wavering between 4 and 5, but what pushed it over to stellar was the telescope in the octagonal room. You look in it and you see... I'm tempted to tell you, but that would ruin the fun, so go find out for yourself. read more
17 years ago
Went to the Observatory in Greenwich London yesterday! the place were TIME began! there's lots of information on how Greenwich and its scientists & astronomer's devised longitude and latitude and how time lines are devised. There's history of clocks from the very earliest to the most modern. Entry is free and the views from the Observatory over London are fantastic!! view some of my pictures i took on my flickr pages. www.flickr.com/top_gun_1uk read more
17 years ago
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