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London Tickets Royal Observatory Greenwich Plan Your Visit

Plan Your Visit to Royal Observatory Greenwich: What to Know Before You Go

Once you are through the gate, Flamsteed House, the Prime Meridian, and the Great Equatorial Telescope are still open. The planetarium is not. The Octagon Room has no lift. There is no published locker on the hill. The Meridian Shop is on the way out of the gallery.

What's open inside Royal Observatory Greenwich

The entrance is through the bottom of the Great Equatorial Building. Flamsteed House, the Prime Meridian in the courtyard, and the Great Equatorial Telescope are still on the visit. The Peter Harrison Planetarium and the Astronomy Centre have been closed since 8 September 2025 for First Light.

The hill stays open until 2 November 2026. After that the site closes for the works. The Octagon Room is not on the Flamsteed lift. The museum does not publish a locker or cloakroom here.

How long to visit Royal Observatory Greenwich

Visitors at the Royal Observatory Greenwich

Once you are in

The museum tells families there is no limit to the time you can spend once you are here. You still have to arrive before last entry, and the site still empties at closing.

A last-entry start is a short visit. Standard last entry is 4:15 p.m. for a 5:00 p.m. close. In September 2026 last entry is 5:00 p.m. for a 6:00 p.m. close. RMG's group guidelines list 1.5 to 2 hours as a recommended visit time. That is a group note, not a hard stop.

Royal Observatory Greenwich hours and how to get there

When the door is open

Open until 2 November 2026. September is 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., last entry 5:00 p.m. Then 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., last entry 4:15 p.m. Royal Observatory Greenwich opening times.

The hill

Blackheath Avenue, London SE10 8XJ, at the top of Greenwich Park. Buses 53, 54, 202 and 380 stop at the top and skip the climb. Address and Directions has DLR, rail, the pier, and the park car park.

Bags and photos at Royal Observatory Greenwich

Royal Observatory Greenwich entrance in Greenwich Park

Bags and searches

The museum does not publish a locker or cloakroom at the Royal Observatory. Do not plan to dump a suitcase on the hill. National Maritime Museum lockers are a different building, down the park.

Staff can search possessions if they ask. Glass bottles, weapons, fireworks, BBQs, and anything likely to injure stay outside. Alcohol is not taken into the buildings.

Buggies are not allowed in Flamsteed House. The galleries are too narrow. There is an external buggy park.

Royal Observatory Greenwich shop

Royal Observatory Greenwich beside Greenwich Park

The Meridian Shop

You leave the Meridian Gallery through the Meridian Shop. Stone floor, glass door often propped open. The museum also points visitors to a shop next to the Meridian Courtyard.

The same blurb still names a shop in the Astronomy Centre. That centre has been closed since 8 September 2025, so do not count on it. Books and prints are also sold online.

Where to eat near Royal Observatory Greenwich

Greenwich Park below the Royal Observatory Greenwich

Stalls, picnic tables, Parkside down the hill

Refreshment stalls sit just outside the main entrance. Picnic benches are in the Astronomers Garden. Inside the buildings, food and drink stay in designated catering spots. Smoking and vaping are banned indoors.

There is no Observatory cafe on the museum's eat-and-drink list. Parkside Cafe is at the National Maritime Museum, down the hill, daily 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You do not need a Maritime Museum ticket to go in. Cutty Sark Cafe is for Cutty Sark ticket holders only.

Getting around inside Royal Observatory Greenwich

Royal Observatory Greenwich on the hill in Greenwich Park

Lift, stairs, cobbles

This is not a fully step-free site. The Flamsteed lift reaches Time and Longitude and Time and Greenwich. The Octagon Room is not on that lift. Access is from the Astronomers Garden after admission. Ring the bell under the Flamsteed House sign.

Four concrete steps lead into Flamsteed House. Doorways inside the apartments run 74 to 94 cm. The cobblestone courtyard is uneven; you only cross it for the view at the fence. The Great Equatorial Telescope exit is a spiral of 37 wedge-shaped steps.

A limited number of wheelchairs can be reserved on 020 8312 6608. They cannot leave the Observatory. Staff will not push you around the site. They will set the chair up. Assistance dogs are welcome. A carer with a disabled visitor books a companion ticket with the paid one. The accessible toilet is in the Astronomers Garden, on the right after the ticket office.

Royal Observatory Greenwich visitor guidelines

Keep your ticket and show it if staff ask. Everyone on the paid visit needs one.

Children under 16 go in with an adult and stay with that adult.

No smoking or vaping inside the buildings. Food and drink stay in designated catering areas.

Only assistance or accredited therapy dogs inside the buildings. Other dogs stay out.

The museum can refuse people it considers inappropriately dressed. It names topless clothing and offensive slogans.

Royal Observatory Greenwich tickets for this visit

Royal Observatory Greenwich: Admission Ticket

From £24. Timed entry. All visitors need a ticket. It covers the rooms that are still open, not a planetarium show on the hill.

Royal Observatory Greenwich: Admission Ticket

Highlights

Experience standing on the Prime Meridian, dividing eastern and western hemispheres.

Discover the rich history behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) established here.

View remarkable astronomical instruments and exhibits including John Harrison’s timekeepers.

Time your visit to see the Time Ball drop, a historical time signal at 1 PM daily.

Enjoy panoramic views from this iconic observatory site overlooking Greenwich.

Questions before you visit Royal Observatory Greenwich

How long should I spend at the Royal Observatory Greenwich?

Once you are in, the museum says there is no limit until closing. You must still arrive before last entry. Group guidelines have used 1.5 to 2 hours as a planning figure. The Smartify audio tour has 17 chapters.

Is the Peter Harrison Planetarium open at the Royal Observatory Greenwich?

No. It has been closed since 8 September 2025 for First Light, along with the Astronomy Centre. The museum moved a planetarium experience to the National Maritime Museum as Astronomers Take Over, which is a different building.

Are there lockers at the Royal Observatory Greenwich?

The museum does not publish a locker or cloakroom at the Observatory. Do not bring a suitcase expecting to store it on the hill. Lockers at the National Maritime Museum are down in the park, in another building.

Is the Royal Observatory Greenwich wheelchair accessible?

Parts of it are. The Flamsteed lift reaches Time and Longitude and Time and Greenwich. The Octagon Room is not on the lift. The courtyard cobbles are uneven. The Great Equatorial Telescope exit is 37 spiral steps. Wheelchairs can be reserved; staff will not push you around the site.

Can I take photographs at the Royal Observatory Greenwich?

Yes, for personal use, without a tripod, gimbal, monopod, flash, extra lighting, drone, or selfie stick. Some labelled objects inside cannot be photographed. Product posts on social media count as commercial filming.

Is there a cafe at the Royal Observatory Greenwich?

The museum's eat-and-drink list has stalls outside the entrance, picnic benches in the Astronomers Garden, and Parkside Cafe at the National Maritime Museum down the hill, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Parkside does not need a Maritime Museum ticket. There is no Observatory cafe on that list.

Can I take a buggy into Flamsteed House?

No. Buggies are not allowed in Flamsteed House because the galleries are narrow. There is an external buggy park.

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