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Please be aware of government guidelines before setting off.
Government Guidelines
Calling all mini space cadets and astronomers! Head to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich to explore time and space. Since 1884, the Greenwich Observatory has been home to the Prime Meridian of the World. Learn all about the famous Prime Meridian in London, and discover interesting facts and stories about astronomy, space and the stars. Make sure you download the free Royal Observatory family trail during your visit too.
Founded by King Charles II in 1675 for navigational purposes, kids and adults alike will love learning about the fascinating history of the Royal Observatory. Did you know that for almost 150 years, Greenwich has been the place where zero degrees longitude is marked? This means that the world's time zones are marked according to how far east or west they a location is from this line. Take a memorable selfie of the whole family standing astride the Greenwich meridian line – you’ll have one foot in the eastern hemisphere and the other in the west. It's your chance to be in two places at once!
There's a variety of things to do for children at this London observatory. Watch the bright red time ball drop at exactly 1pm - unbelievably, it's one of the world’s earliest public time signals that still drops daily. Afterwards, check out the elegant Flamsteed House, which was the first part of the observatory to be built in 1675 by Sir Christopher Wren and home to Britain’s Astronomers Royal.
Don't miss the Big Bang theory in the interactive galleries, and budding astrologists can discover fascinating facts about the solar system and learn about space at the Peter Harrison Planetarium. There are also fun drop-in workshops themed around space science and exploration for young astronomers, as well as a Morning Stars planetarium show, which is specifically for children with an autistic spectrum condition.
Why not explore the other Royal Museums Greenwich Attractions afterwards, including the Cutty Sark, Queen’s House and National Maritime Museum. Kidadler Katy says, "We had a brilliant and mostly indoor day out in Greenwich last weekend. DLR to get there is really fun if you can get a seat near the front as the kids think they are driving the train. Planetarium, Maritime Museum play space and Cutty Sark all great for 3 year olds."
Please follow the latest government guidelines if travelling by public transport.
Government GuidelinesRoyal Museums Greenwich has been named one of the top ten UK visitor attractions, consisting of the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the National Maritime Museum, the Queen’s House art gallery and the iconic Cutty Sark ship, which you can climb aboard and then discover its museum space. As the location point of Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT - the mean solar time that sets our time zones, Maritime Greenwich is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and all of the Royal Museums Greenwich sites sit within this easily-walkable area.
The Maritime Museum Greenwich is one of the top London museums for families, with tonnes of interactive activities, and the historic Cutty Sark has been rebuilt by RMG following its devastating fire to become a better venue than ever. All set around the delightful Royal Greenwich Park and sitting right along the River Thames, Royal Museums Greenwich offers some of the most educational attractions and most impressive architecture (that you’ll recognise from a number of global films) just southeast of Central London.