Kielder Observatory — Attraction in Kielder

If you are looking for stuff to do in the area and found Kielder Observatory then I'd READ THIS....

Kielder Observatory is one of those weird attractions that probably shouldn't be considered a local attraction. If you specifically sought it out then perhaps you know exactly what you are doing and this review will not be relevant to you

I will emphasise the staff are absolutely lovely and this review is not meant to be derogatory to the organisation itself or the staff who were great.

However I think this review may offer the perspective of some average dude who is not particularly into science or looking into telescopes to see little spec light years away.

If you are actually into star gazing then I'm sure it's seventh heaven but if you are not REALLY into star gazing then its essentially a freezing cold science class late at night.

The events at Kielder Observatory are really for science nerds, which I don't mean badly...I mean thats who it's really for. I'm sure many people might find it mildly interesting but its just not a great experience overall for someone who's not a real enthusiast.

If you live in a city and never really see the skies at night then perhaps it'll have a greater wow factor but overall I felt this was a 45 minute science lesson spread across three hours for no particular reason.

Here are some tips. If you live anywhere dark enough to see the sky at night. You pretty much see this every night, It's no more spectacular than what you see normally. Thats not to say you won't enjoy the presentations, but it is a science class. It's not really any more spectacular than looking out to the sky on a clear night.

The presentations are a bit 6th grade with reminiscence of Blue Peter. "Can you name a constellation? Ooo thats nice kids"

Never take children unless they are REALLY REALLY REALLY into star gazing. They will be insanely bored and cold within minutes.

Then the movement of the group into the merchandise shed with a really weak sales pitch of a £6 plastic mug. I mean, all well and good, walk the visitors through the souvenir shop but this was a bit naff really. Free hot drinks was nice but at £28 for a ticket I guess its a nice courtesy.

Speaking of which, I'm not certain how a £28 ticket price is really justified in terms of customer value. I think that's why it last three hours....

All in all I'm not saying this is bad, I'm just saying its not an attraction that everyone will enjoy, it really over priced for what it is and whilst I guess they need the money to continue what I'm sure is their research facility, that doesn't make it okay to over price something, thats called a donation.

The experience is definitely very specific to people really interested in a very particular subject, I'd contrast it with something like Vindolanda museum, which I think you'd be hard pressed to argue is not an excellent experience or perhaps a science based thing like the Centre for Life which is much more fun and exciting and literally...

We attended the Aurora event on 28/04/25. Unfortunately we didn't get to see the aurora but we had a fantastic evening despite that. For the interest of those who don't know what to expect...the evening went like this...park up and wait in your car 15 minutes before the event starts. One of the astronomers will come and greet you and check everyone in. The evening starts with about 45 minutes informal lecture/Q & A/ slides,videos etc. All very interesting and accessible for beginners and those with a deeper interest alike. All three of the astronomers and the volunteer, who was an astro- photographer, We're very friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic and are very happy to answer questions. We were then split into 3 group to go with one of the astronomers to stargaze in the two turreted 16"" telescopes or out in the open using the naked eye or another of their amazing telescopes. These groups are rotated so everyone has a chance to interact with all the experts and all the activities. At some point during the evening you will be offered a hot drink and the opportunity to support the observatory by buying a souvenir. As a huge geek and a keen astronomy fan since I was a child, I loved it and would love to come back in the future. Thoroughly recommended as interesting and very alternative way of spending an evening. Be aware that it gets very cold at night, even in the summer, and the last two miles of the drive are up a steep, uneven gravel track so cars with low suspension are not advisable but you don't need 4...

My husband is an avid astronomer and cosmologist with our 8yo daughter beginning to follow in his footsteps. We signed her up for their Light Year Academy as she wanted to try all of the different activities that the observatory offered.

In my niaivity, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the location. I suppose I have been used to the 'whistles and bells' of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. Due to its location and of course funding, this observatory is small and run by an even smaller team. Does this even matter? Absolutely not and yet the fact that it's a much smaller operation meant our experience was much more personal and we had the opportunity to ask as many questions as we wished. In all honesty, I preferred this to anything large scale.

The whole experience was fantastic. The staff are clearly passionate about their fields of specialism. No question was too daft and, when answered, the knowledge and enthusiasm shared by all was inspiring.

All activities were perfectly targeted towards children and, despite the complexity of the subject, everything was explained with real life examples so that everyone understood everything. We loved the hands on approach and our daughter was thrilled to have been able to operate the telescope. The rocket making was a particular favourite, mostly due to the hilarity of some of the landings!

Thank you to all the team for igniting another spark in our daughter's interest and for an excellent...