Formerly the site of the Royal Observatory (from 1958-1990), the site is now run by a charity as a…read morevenue for exhibitions, lectures and educational programmes. The renovated telescopes can be visited by the public, for school visits, and are used by colleges and astronomical societies. It makes a great fun-but-educational family day out. Most people associate the Royal Observatory with Greenwich, where it was founded by Charles II in 1675. It was increasingly recognised that London was not a good location due to light and atmospheric pollution, and the effects of vibrations from rising road and rail traffic. Plans were made to relocate the observatory in the 1930s; transfer began to the new site at Herstmonceux in 1947 and was completed in 1958. The complex of buildings was constructed to house three reflecting and three refracting telescopes in six domes, of brick and concrete with green copper domes and balustraded balconies, with adjoining support buildings, all set around a central ornamental pond. These are themselves classic examples of 1950s architecture. The telescopes were joined in 1967 by the giant 98-inch Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) once housed in the silver dome to the south of the main complex. The UK was never an ideal site for astronomical observations because of the preponderance of cloud, and over time, increasing light pollution from Eastbourne. The growth of cheap air travel in the 1960s enabled astronomers to travel to parts of the world with clearer skies and in 1984 the INT telescope was moved to the Canary Islands. Eventually, the decision was taken to close the site and move the remaining staff to the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge. The site reopened in its current guise in 1995 and the site, including the telescopes, was refurbished in 2004. Visitors now enter through the eastern grounds of Herstmonceux Castle (itself now a college of Queen's College, Ontario). Car parking is available in a small car park but in summer most park on the lawn in front. The ticket office at the entrance houses a small shop with merchandise aimed at children and young people, covering a range of scientific subjects. Numbers are limited, so advanced booking is strongly recommended. There are guided tours of the telescopes (which take about half an hour) and separate science demonstrations. The site has both indoor and outdoor hands-on activities for children (of all ages!) covering aspects of science and engineering - a bit like a small hands-on science museum. We found the volunteer staff to be friendly and knowledgeable, and the sessions were very interactive for the children. We happily spent a couple of hours there. There is a small cafe on site, serving drinks and a limited range of snacks. The site is on several levels and has a lot of steps and gravel pathways, but there are ramps for level access and a disabled toilet: more details are on the main website. Children must be accompanied and supervised by an adult at all times, and dogs are not admitted (except assistance dogs). As well as being open for general visits, there are periodic stargazing evenings: numbers are also limited for these and need to be booked in advance.

This is such an interesting place to take the kids for some star-gazing. They are so good at…read morekeeping everyone's attention on the go (things like this can get a bit boring). There's so many different night and daytime events on offer here and a lot of them depend on weather and, of course the stars but we had a great night there and got to see so many beautiful sights. There's a fantastic shop to pop into at the end of the day with some really interesting and informative books to buy.

Located at the far northern end of Lower Terrace, south of Whitestone Pond, this fully working mini…read moreobservatory & weather station is open to the public from September to April (weather permitting). The six inch refracting telescope is perfectly placed upon the highest point in London. Learn something new everyday.

I enjoyed a sunset view of Brighton (7:15pm departure) in September 2023 with a large group of…read morefolks attending a conference. This is a fun experience and provides a lovely view of the coast. Be sure to arrive 20 minutes early to check-in for the flight! The glass-enclosed ring can hold lots of people and provides superb views at the top. You can see the dense development and sprawl of Hove (west of Brighton) as well as the surrounding hills. The glass ring also ascends very slowly which allows you to view the coast from different vantage points. Please note the glass ring does not rotate, so you'll have to move to another position if you wish to see the water (or hills to the north). At the end of the "flight", rest rooms are available near the gift shop. Overall, it's a bit pricey and touristy - but worth seeing for first-time visitors to Brighton. If you enjoy history and architecture more, I would recommend seeing the Royal Pavilion before ascending the I-360 if your time is limited.

This is a great place to visit at the start of your trip to Brighton, as you get 360 views of the…read morebeach and the city. "Flights" take place every half hour, and they require that you arrive 20 minutes early to go through security. Ticketing and security employees were friendly and efficient at getting you through. I was through security in about 5 minutes. While you wait for your boarding time, you can enjoy their patio and relax in a lounger while watching the waves. Once you board and begin your ascent, you are able to take in the views and purchase snacks and drinks at the snack bar inside the pod. The host welcomes you on board, but doesn't speak again until you land and they tell you it's time to get off. It would have been nice if they would had pointed out some places of interest. It might be helpful to do a little reading before your flight so you know what you are looking at. I had good views on the day that I went, but I was a little disappointed that the pod didn't rotate 360 degrees at the top like I thought it did. Luckily, my flight wasn't terribly crowded, so I could walk around the pod and take in all the sights. Once you land, they drop you off in their gift shop. There is a small exhibit on how the i360 was built and there are free public toilets available for your use. One thing I will mention is don't count on getting lots of great photos at the top. The views are stunning, but the glare on the glass walls makes taking pictures almost impossible.