Sydney Observatory and Observatory Park

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Sydney Observatory is a historic site, a museum and a park all in one

Sydney Observatory showing the time ball tower and the observatory towers cc licensed photo by g_kat26

The Sydney Observatory is our only attraction to be listed under three different categories. In addition to being a historical site it's also a museum and the surrounding gardens form a lovely park with superb views.

Day or night it is free to enjoy a stroll around Observatory Hill Park where you will be treated to panoramic vistas of Sydney Harbour including the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. Consider visiting during the early morning or at night to avoid the busiest times. You can also see the exterior of the heritage-listed Observatory through the gate.

Sydney Observatory Tour

If you would like to explore inside of the Observatory compound and enter the Observatory itself you can book a Sydney Observatory Tour. The one hour tour, available Wednesday to Saturday leads guests through the Observatory's grounds, revealing the stories behind Fort Phillip, the bombproof shelter, the flagstaff, and the numerous buildings on site. Visitors are invited to step inside the Observatory building to explore objects from the Powerhouse collection and investigate the site's role in surveying, timekeeping, and astronomy.

Ascending the Observatory's narrow staircases, guests will be able to venture into the astronomy domes, where they can witness historic and modern telescopes in action. From this stunning vantage point, visitors can take in the breathtaking view of Sydney Harbour and, when conditions are suitable, observe terrestrial objects through a telescope.

It is important to note that the tour includes approximately 125 stairs, some of which have no wheelchair access due to the steep and narrow staircases of the heritage-listed site.

Sydney Observatory Family Tour

A Family Tour that is more suited to families with younger children between age 6 and 12 operates on Friday and Saturday evening.

In the event of rain, tours will be cancelled and payments refunded. Cancellation notices will be sent to participants by email four hours prior to the start of the tour.

Sydney Observatory Late

Sydney Observatory Late is a free program occuring once each month and offers an evening of stargazing, lectures from distinguished astronomers, and live music and performances.

The program is tailored to events taking place in the night sky and includes informative astronomy talks, as well as telescopes for observing the stars. Guests can enjoy live music, and food and drinks are available for purchase.

Sydney Observatory History

Construction of the Observatory took place from 1857 to 1859. It is strategically located on the highest ground overlooking Sydney Harbour. The first purpose of the Observatory was to keep accurate track of the time based on the positions of the stars. A time ball located on a pole on top of a tower is dropped each day at exactly 1pm as a time signal to ships in the harbour.

Beginning in 1887 the Observatory participated in a world-wide project to map and photograph the entire sky. It was nearly 80 years later when the Sydney Observatory had finally completed the large portion of sky that was allocated to them.

The observatory was also responsible for keeping records of meteorological observations and, for over a century, it served as a signal station using various flags to relay information about arriving ships or to communicate weather conditions to the port authorities and to other points around the harbour.

Recent archaeological excavations have clearly revealed the foundation walls of Fort Philips which was built between 1804 and 1806. The Fort even had a bomb shelter, but its primary purpose soon changed to that of the shipping signal station described above.

Without a doubt, a visit to the Sydney Observatory and Observatory Park should be high on your list of things to see and do in Sydney.

Nearby attractions include: Garrison Church, The Rocks and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

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Facts For Your Visit

Fee: Park access is free. Guided walking tours with access to the inside of the Observatory are subject to a fee and must be booked in advance. See the official website for details.

Sydney Observatory Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 12:00 – 6:00 PM
Friday: 12:00 – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 12:00 – 6:00 PM
Sunday: Closed

Address: 1003 Upper Fort St, Millers Point NSW 2000, Australia

Phone: (02) 9217 0222

Official Website: Sydney Observatory

Sydney Observatory Reviews

Rated 4.6 out of 5 Star Rating

5 Star Rating Excellent tour of the observatory and its many scientific roles, not just as a place to view the heavens but its role in signaling, timekeeping and meteorology. Take a nighttime tour so you can look through the scopes at whatever's cool on a given night. Aliyah was an excellent, engaging guide.
Steven Devol - a week ago

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5 Star Rating My friend and I booked in for the guided tour and had the best time! The guides are knowledgeable and they make it fun! If you get a good group, and if you are into stars and planets, trust me and book the tour :) seeing Jupiter through the telescope was a core memory! I wish they offered more views with the telescopes, it’s only a small part of the tour. Overall though, it was a beautiful memory. Would recommend.
Upamali Dharmasena - 2 months ago

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5 Star Rating Stargazing is not my thing but I wanted to fill my day today so I booked a ticket for the tour here. Emelia (a self-proclaimed non-physicist!) was outstanding. She was engaging, knowledgeable, passionate and friendly. Emelia was not phased by any questions thrown at her and was very patient with our group. And…the tour wasn’t just about stars…it was fascinating. I would highly recommend a visit there. I’ll also be reading the book she recommended: How Stones From Outerspace Made Our World by Tim Gregory (something I wouldn’t ordinarily do.) Thank you so much, Emelia.
LeeJentaylor - a week ago

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5 Star Rating 🌿 (True) I was feeling sick before coming here, but after resting and enjoying the scenery, I felt better 🤣 💎 I’ll write about the best spots for laying out a picnic mat and recommended visiting times in the main text! Highly recommended for those who want to spend a relaxing day enjoying beautiful natural scenery in the heart of Sydney 🧘🏻‍♀️🏕️ 🔎 Best spot: Next to a big tree in the park 🌳 (It’s relatively less crowded but the view is fantastic!) 🔎 Recommended visiting time: 🌆 Visit 1-2 hours before sunset and stay to watch the sunset! 📍 Sydney Observatory
Schedulie - 3 months ago

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5 Star Rating An educational and memorable experience for all ages. Consider a Day or Night tour of the heritage-listed Observatory site. Observe the heavens during a night tour via modern and vintage telescopes - and observe the planets or terrestrial subjects live (weather permitting). We were able to view the rings of Saturn on our trip. Some narrow stairs are to be ascended when entering the telescope domes. Numerous historical artifacts from the Powerhouse Museum Collection are on display within the observatory. Highly recommended and affordably priced. GUIDED FAMILY TOURS: For ages 6+ Friday - Saturday. SYDNEY OBSERVATORY GUIDED TOURS: For ages 12+ Wednesday - Saturday.
Marco Nero - a month ago

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Directions

Line	Nearest Station	Walking Time
L2, T2, T3, T8 or Ferry	Circular Quay	12 minutes

How to get to Sydney Observatory by

By Train or Ferry: Make your way to Circular Quay Station; exit and proceed west and north through the park to Argyle Street. Go west on Argyle continuing through the pedestrian plaza and the bridge approach underpass. Take the steps to your left across from Garrison Church to Watson Road and follow it uphill to the park entrance.