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Royal Observatory Greenwich Overview

Royal Observatory Greenwich, a Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site , is the home to Greenwich Mean Time and Prime Meridian. It is situated in Greenwich Park in southeast London overlooking the river Thames offering splendid views of Queen’s House and National Maritime Museum. The observatory is a historic attraction owing to its contribution in the fields of astronomy and navigation. As a marker of time and distance, the observatory houses several ancient telescopes, amazing clocks, astronomical galleries and a planetarium.

Located on the top of a hill at the Greenwich Royal Park in London, the Royal Observatory Greenwich was established in the 17th century by King Charles II and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Discover this historical site and more with our curated Europe travel packages.

The observatory is touted to be the home of British astronomy as it was from here that the scientists of the time mapped the stars to help the sailors navigate at sea. The Prime Meridian Line passes through this observatory and the ‘Greenwich Mean Time’ is calculated here. The Flamsteed House is a noteworthy building for it is the original part of the observatory where the renowned Time Ball drop signal has been in operation since 1833. You can also visit the Octagon Room, Time Galleries and Astronomers Royal Apartment as Flamsteed House.

The Shepherd Gate Clock on the outer wall of the observatory is a momentous attraction since it was the first clock to show the accurate Greenwich Mean Time to the public. You can also see the onion-dome roof of the observatory that makes space for the Great Equatorial Telescope which is the largest telescope in the UK. A new Peter Harrison Planetarium has been built in the Royal Observatory and hosts shows every day.

Highlights

• Witness the historic Prime Meridian Line and learn about the Greenwich Mean Time while placing one foot in the east and one foot in the west of the Prime Meridian of the world.
• Marvel at The Great Equatorial Telescope which is one of the largest refracting telescopes in the world.
• Catch a glimpse of the Shepherd Gate Clock, Harrison clock and the Airy’s Transit Circle telescope that determined the exact location of the Prime Meridian.
• Get up close with and take a divine journey through the stars in a planetarium show hosted by an expert astronomer at the Peter Harrison Planetarium.
• Visit the Octagon Room where you will find astronomical instruments and clocks lining the walls of the observatory.

Best Time To Visit

Other Essential Information

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Day Wise Timings
Open Today
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Normal Timings:
10:00 AM to 05:00 PM
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Normal Timings:
10:00 AM to 05:00 PM
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Normal Timings:
10:00 AM to 05:00 PM
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Normal Timings:
10:00 AM to 05:00 PM
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Normal Timings:
10:00 AM to 05:00 PM
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Normal Timings:
10:00 AM to 05:00 PM
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Normal Timings:
10:00 AM to 05:00 PM

Tourism Board Alliances

Royal Observatory Greenwich Reviews

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Cristina Tighinean
Reviewed: 14 Nov 2022
5.0/5
Superb ❤️❤️❤️
Cristina Tighinean
Cristina Tighinean
Cristina Tighinean
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Anjushree Namboothiri
Reviewed: 28 Jan 2020
5.0/5
It really was a unique experience at RIyal observatory greenwich, getting to know thoroughly about the GMT time system was a new experience for me and my friends.
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Avani Ahuja
Reviewed: 08 Jan 2020
5.0/5
Always wonder where the word GMT came from. Haha! My trip to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich was extraordinary. I got to discover a lot and it was an insightful tour. The tickets I got were from Thrillophilia. I did a lot of cool stuff like standing right on the meridian line and also took a lot ... Read More
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Abhirath Prajapat
Reviewed: 21 Jan 2020
5.0/5
I booked this from Thrillophilia, the place was amazing I get a chance to increase a knowledge.
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Gati Kaur
Reviewed: 17 Nov 2019
5.0/5
Even though the building looks a little ancient the overall feel of the place is very futuristic. It is not something that we get to see everyday. The kids are also going to love it. A good place to learn and have some fun! Must visit.
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Chakor Iyengar
Reviewed: 20 Jan 2020
4.0/5
Got totally astonished at the wonders of astronomy. Thanks to Thrillophilia for making me and my family experience something like this.

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