Sydney Observatory

Sydney Observatory    

powerhouse.com.au
4.5/5
(1.8K) · Observatory in Sydney, Australia
Suggest an edit · Manage this business
The Sydney Observatory is a heritage-listed meteorological station, astronomical observatory, function venue, science museum, and …

Reviews

Tripadvisor
4.5/5 · 1,784 reviews
5-star
54%
4-star
31%
3-star
15%
2-star
0%
1-star
0%
Recent reviews
Tours
History
Time
Stargazing
Any rating
Loading reviews...
Nov 9, 2024
Our guide was lovely. There were not too many people who had questions, and I think she would’ve really welcomed those questions. There were children in the group, so we let them lead the way, but …Full review by Lockie H
Oct 23, 2024
Very knowledgeable and friendly guides greatly added to the enjoyment of our visit. In addition to the historic aspects of this place, the guide passed on numerous interesting anecdotes about it and…Full review by BruceandCathy2014
Aug 18, 2024
This is an absolute hidden gem. The location is very near to the famous Opera House and other Sidney attractions. But honestly, we enjoyed this more than anything. The tour has something for every…Full review by Adventure36580767679
See all reviews on Tripadvisor
Loading reviews

Articles

This 140 year old observatory is the oldest in Australia. The Sydney Observatory was designed to preserve the history of the scienc…
gpsmycity.com
Built in 1858, Sydney Observatory – which sits up on top of the hill at Millers Point in Sydney city – gained international recognition under H…
timeout.com
Sydney Observatory is located on a hill now known as 'Observatory Hill' in an area in the centre of Sydney. The site evolved from a for…
touristlink.com
Built in 1858, the Observatory operated until the 1980s and gained an international reputation for its work. This elegant, sandstone complex is n…
cityseeker.com
See less

Facts

Located:Upper Fort Street, Millers Point, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Construction completed:1857–1859
Architect:William Weaver (plans)
Architectural style:Florentine Renaissance

Questions & answers

Q:
I'm from US and coming first week of November. I'm targeting a Sunday or Monday night tour -- my husband would love to …
Q:
I'm from US and coming first week of November. I'm targeting a Sunday or Monday night tour -- my husband would love to see some stars/planets. Would it be best to do 6:30 or 8:30? I'd like to know if there is a time when clouds/fog comes in or it's just unknown? Also, it is just now getting dark at 7:00 pm here in US. Please advise which time you'd recommend for the night tour in October/November. Thanks
A:
Sadly, it rained the Sunday I had picked, so we didn’t go. Just as an FYI for anyone else, in November in Sydney it was still light at 6:30, so we chose 8:30. WARNING: if you pre …
A:
Sadly, it rained the Sunday I had picked, so we didn’t go. Just as an FYI for anyone else, in November in Sydney it was still light at 6:30, so we chose 8:30. WARNING: if you pre purchase your tickets & don’t go cuz of bad weather/rain, you lose your money. We were to notify them by Noon to postpone. Rain didn’t come until 3:00. We lost our $54.
A:
Q:
Hi is there parking available for a car? How much is it?
A:
Only street parking with coin operated parking machines. They probably accept credit cards, however not too sure. Parking around the Observatory in the street at night is a lot easier …
A:
Only street parking with coin operated parking machines. They probably accept credit cards, however not too sure. Parking around the Observatory in the street at night is a lot easier than during the day. Great place to visit !
A:
Q:
Is there an off and on bus?
A:
Yes there are hop on hop off buses. Two different routes
A:
Q:
Hi there. I'm just curious as to what we would actually see thru the telescopes if we were to do a family twilight tour in a …
Q:
Hi there. I'm just curious as to what we would actually see thru the telescopes if we were to do a family twilight tour in a January when I'm guessing darkness will come around 9pm (after the tour finishes). My kids are 8-13yrs. Would we be better doing the 8pm tour? Thankyou
A:
Hi! Thank you for your enquiry about Sydney Observatory's Family Friendly Tours. Yes, you are correct that it will still be light during the Family Friendly tours in January 2017, with …
A:
Hi! Thank you for your enquiry about Sydney Observatory's Family Friendly Tours. Yes, you are correct that it will still be light during the Family Friendly tours in January 2017, with the sun not setting until 8pm. In the Family Friendly Tours we observe anything that we can in the sky that is visible at this time (weather permitting). This may include the Sun, Moon and any planets visible at the time of your tour. You will also get an opportunity to look at the "night" sky in our planetarium where the astronomy guide will simulate Sydney's night sky in the Planetarium and then go and launch rockets (again, whether permitting) in our grounds. As your children are 8-13, it is a judgment call which tour to take them on. Both tours would be suitable for families but the later tour is longer (2 hours rather than 90minutes of Family Friendly) and is more aimed at adults. There are often kids on the 8.15pm tour and they do enjoy the tour as they get to focus on this objects in the night sky. Objects may include stars, planets, the moon and occasionally land-based objects. It is important to note that the 8.15pm Night Tour finishes around 10.15pm we have found that it may be a very late night for some kids. Thank you for your enquiry and we look forward to welcoming you to Sydney Observatory soon
A:
Answer by Sydney O · Nov 1, 2016
Q:
parking for a 25 seater bus
A:
Hi David, Sometimes we can squeeze one into our 'car park' but typically no we can't handle a 25 seater as the car park is a rough dirt yard next door and reserved for trades and …
A:
Hi David, Sometimes we can squeeze one into our 'car park' but typically no we can't handle a 25 seater as the car park is a rough dirt yard next door and reserved for trades and services. There is plenty of metered parking in Watson Rd only 50m away. So, while we can't guarantee it we do try but you would need to contact our front desk on 9921 3484 on approach to see if it is available.
A:
Answer by Tokyo G · Jul 7, 2015
See all questions on Tripadvisor
Oops! Something went wrong, Please try again after a few minutes

Social profiles

Highlights

Tips

People also search for

Nearby

Streetside

Bird's Eye

Where to stay

See all

Check in: May 11 · Check out: May 12

Data from: Tripadvisor · 3DMaps
Wikipedia text under CC-BY-SA license