Britain’s oldest purpose-built scientific institution is mere moments away from closing its doors to the public to undergo a rather gargantuan glow-up. The Royal Observatory has been picture-perfectly perched on top of a hill in Greenwich since it was designed in 1675 by none other than Sir Christopher Wren. So, it’s put in a solid shift, to say the least – and it will soon be getting some well-deserved TLC.
Greenwich‘s gorgeous Royal Observatory is the historic home of Greenwich Mean Time and the global Prime Meridian Line – one of the few spots where you can stand with one foot in the Eastern Hemisphere whilst the other is in the Western Hemisphere. The Royal Observatory is also where you’ll find the only planetarium in the capital city. The (rather out-of-this-world) Peter Harrison Planetarium closed to the public back in September 2025, and now the rest of the observatory is following suit.
The observatory (which forms part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site) will be undergoing a mighty £77 million makeover, led by the architectural-aficionados over at Jamie Fobert Architects. The redevelopment project is named ‘The First Light’ in honour of the moment in which a telescope is first used to view and record the night’s sky, and very conveniently coincides with the observatory’s 350th anniversary.
As the Royal Observatory has grown organically over the last three-and-a-half centuries, the complex of historic buildings currently presents a fair few accessibility barriers to its visitors – and so a hefty chunk of the redevelopment plans focus on making the landmark more accessible. A new elevated walkway is being built across the garden, linking the north and south sections and improving the step-free connections.
A new tower with a lift will be setting up shop, allowing visitors to access the Great Equatorial Telescope, a new exhibition space will be created to host various heritage displays, and a shiny new (and slightly more obvious) entrance pavilion will also be built. On the inside, the galleries will also be getting a rather hefty revamp – complete with interactive displays, shopping spots, and a cafe.
The Royal Observatory Greenwich will close to the public on November 2 and will reopen in summer 2027. You can find out more about the redevelopment plans here.
