We want everyone to experience moments of inspiration, wonder and hope through observing the cosmos. A clear sky at Kielder is special: a reminder how lucky we are to be alive on this tiny little planet near one of the billions of stars in one of the billions of galaxies; the Kielder moment can transform people.

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What We Offer Visiting Schools

We offer interactive, inspiring visits to our public observatory high on Black Fell in Kielder forest. Either book tickets on our public family events or hire the facility and team for your own private event with tailored astronomy content. We host educational visits in the day and are open almost every evening for events and stargazing.

Why Choose Us for an Educational Visit

Visiting is an adventure, we are surrounded by nature and located in the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park with exceptional dark skies. We have a range of powerful telescopes available for the use of our guests, with lots of other activities and equipment for exploring the cosmos.

Book a private event for your group and our experienced science communicators will take you on a tour of the universe, covering topics of your choice linked to the national curriculum with fantastic visuals. We run a busy outreach programme with schools across the North East, so our astronomers know how to engage all ages in learning about science and space. Every event includes a full tour of the observatory buildings and we’ll show you all our equipment and explain how it all works, delving in to optics and the science of the electromagnetic spectrum.

There are different activities you can book suitable for different ages, from KS2 up and for older students our resident astro-physicists are happy to delve in to cosmology and more advanced topics. During your visit you can get hands-on with stargazing apps with plenty of guidance on how to do astronomy at home and learn the importance of limiting light pollution and conservation of dark skies for future generations.

Subjects and Topics Covered

Astronomy, physics, astrophysics, optics, dark sky preservation and sustainability.

Accreditation and Awards

Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice Awards 2023

VisitEngland Quality Assured Visitor Attraction

WIN Awards Women in STEM Winner 2022

North East Tourism Awards Small Visitor Attraction of the Year Gold Winner 2023

North East Tourism Awards Small Visitor Attraction of the Year Silver Winner 2024

Group Sizes Catered For

Maximum group size at one time is 36.

Itineraries, Resources, and Workshops

Event formats such as Space Kids – Searching for Aliens, Rockets and More, Searching for Stars and Solar Quest, also Young Explorers. Activities include making and launching bottle rockets, studying light with infrared cameras and making UV bead bracelets, using telescopes to observe the sun or planets, observing radio telescope data, learning about physics with an interactive gravity well, handling and studying real meteorites up close, and much more.

Risk Assessment

All activities risk assessed and documentation available.

Education Department Information

All enquiries through our office at admin@kielderobservatory.org or 0191 265 5510.

Pricing Information

Single tickets from £8 per person, private events from £1000.

Facilities

Two heated classrooms with large screens for high resolution visuals, three telescope rooms, outside observation decking area. One unisex composting toilet onsite. No catering or picnic facilities.

Accessibility and Disabled Facilities

The observatory building is all level or ramped apart from one of our telescope rooms which has 6 steps. Please note our accessible large telescope is currently out of action while repairs are completed, to be open soon

Opening Hours

Most days through the year (closed for four days at Christmas and New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day). Family events usually early evening, private events can be booked during the day and at evenings with enough notice.

Organise your own trip or contact Educational Visits UK to help you plan your school trip from start to finish.