Sydney Observatory and Observatory Park

An amazing highlight of our Sydney holiday. Our tour guide (& the others we chatted to) were so knowledgeable and passionate - as they’re all post doc students! We learnt so much about the sites history - from it’s early days as a flag signal post, to fort ruins & the observatory buildings. The items on display were fascinating and looking through a telescope and seeing stars and Saturn & its rings were indescribable!! So much fun to see the observatory domes rotate & open, and the newer telescope automatically focusing on the selected stars! Note there are extremely narrow and steep steps up to the telescopes so good idea to ask your guide beforehand for alternatives or more info. Parking is extremely limited so you can walk through ‘the Rocks’ and up the hill as it’s near the Sydney harbour bridge. You can book a taxi afterwards, just specify the ‘Sydney observatory building’. As it’s a popular viewing site to view the sunset, we booked a tour just after sunset, & arrived an hour earlier to enjoy the beautiful view towards the harbour and walk around the observatory gardens and buildings which weren’t included in the tour. Highly recommended and incredibly interesting. Book beforehand as understandably popular.
Monza Bella - a week ago

I attended an evening tour of the observatory, which included using the telescopes in the planetarium. The tour was led by a member of the staff at the observatory who is one of the working scientists. He was extremely knowledgeable but was also able to make complex ideas about the Universe and physics accessible to everyone in the group. The weather unfortunately meant we could not see very much, and you may want to take this into account when booking. However, this did not spoil my visit.
Stuart Durham - 3 weeks ago

Such an exquisite experience. It was so much more than just looking at the observatory, because the surrounding buildings have history as well. 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 every time the guide had a question, I wanted to pipe up and answer, because I’m a total nerd, and Instead, we let some of the kids and teenagers answer, which is totally OK. I am a middle-aged woman; I should not have the floor. And the guide offered opportunities for us to participate at the observatory, like opening hatches and such, and again, we really tried to let the children and teenagers have those. But I’m such a fun kid inside, and I really wanted to do it myself! I know that sounds silly. And it really should not be part of the review, but I love the fact that our guide gave the people on her tour opportunities to be involved. Normally I’m the kid in the front row with her hand raised screaming “Mr. Carter, Mr. Carter!” If you don’t know that reference, you’re probably not from the United States. Or not Generation X. I enjoyed the tour on so many levels. I feel like a curious kid again. So, here is how the tour worked. Of course, we were there to see the observatory, but what was unexpected was that we were also treated to a tour of the grounds and other buildings and learned elements such as the signal flags. This was a surprising highlight. I thought the tour simply included time at the observatory, but instead, the guide started with the grounds and the flags, and history of the observatory and the excavation underneath. It really contextualized the experience. But, of course, the true highlight, was actually touching the telescope and looking out! We even got to look through a second telescope, the original. What a treat! In both cases we were present when they moved the dome. It was so steampunk as we watched the copper-plated dome move. But again, the preamble to all of this, the flags and the building it was built on, and the grounds, and the history I thought would be a bit of an afterthought, was wonderful as well. So our guide was not simply an astronomer, but a bit of an historian, certainly an educator. My only disappointment, so silly, is that every time I look at Saturn in a telescope… it looks like it’s fake. Like somebody put a little Saturn slide in there. I don’t think it is real. I’m trying not to sound like a flat-earther here! The moon is different. When I look at the moon, it looks so real! Of course, she appears odd here in the southern hemisphere. I kept staring at her for weeks when I was in Australia in New Zealand, wondering who that imposter was up in the sky. But gosh, Saturn? I don’t know what’s going to shake me out of the spell that I feel that it’s fake. How big of a telescope do I need? Do I have to go to Hubble? Anyway, tour guide was delightful; the surroundings were delightful. Gosh, just being up there made me wish to go back to the observatory to meditate and soak in the surroundings. Well done everybody. Five stars. I know this review was rambling.
Lockie Hunter - 3 weeks ago

Fun and very engaging tour for Sydney Observatory. Love Holly's tour and enjoyed the view of the Sydney Harbour at night!
Naomi Liu - 2 months ago

If you can do a tour at night at the Observatory . Very Friendly staff The Staff has avase knowledge of the history of the Observatory and the items which are displayed there.
Wayne Bradley - 2 months ago