Royal Borough of Greenwich, United Kingdom

Royal Observatory

Royal Borough of Greenwich, United Kingdom

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

Opening hours: Mo-Su 10:00-18:00; Dec 24-26 off
Admission: Ticketed
Wheelchair access: Accessible
Phone: +44 20 8312 6565

From OpenStreetMap — confirm before travelling

Find out more

Perched on a hill in Greenwich Park overlooking the Thames in south east London, the Royal Observatory was designed by Christopher Wren and commissioned by King Charles II in 1675, with construction completed the following year. Built on the site of the former Greenwich Castle, the structure became pivotal to the history of astronomy and navigation; the Prime Meridian passes through it, establishing Greenwich Mean Time as the precursor to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and earning the observatory the IAU code 000. Wren, a former Savilian Professor of Astronomy, selected the location to avoid the expense of acquiring new land, since Greenwich Park was already a royal estate. King Charles II simultaneously created the position of Astronomer Royal to direct the observatory and advance the science of navigation; John Flamsteed served as its first director, and the building was subsequently known as Flamsteed House. Though scientific operations relocated in stages during the twentieth century, the Grade I listed monument now functions primarily as a museum, part of the collective Royal Museums Greenwich.