Royal Museums Greenwich
Park Row
Greenwich
Greater London
SE10 9NF
England
Website
Main museum website
Collections online
PortCities London
Royal Observatory blog
Caird Library blog
Bookings
Caird Library
Telephone
Museum switchboard
020 8858 4422
Recorded information line
020 8312 6565
Bookings
020 8312 6608
Venue hire
020 8312 6693
Library
020 8312 6516
Royal Museums Greenwich comprises of three linked sites: the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory Greenwich and the 17th-century Queen's House. Set among the beautiful scenery and architecture of Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, Royal Museums Greenwich incorporates the world's largest maritime museum, the Prime Meridian of the world and London's only planetarium.
Venue Type:
Museum, Library, Archive, Gallery, Heritage site, Science centre, Ship or maritime heritage site, Garden, parklands or rural site
Additional info
There is limited parking at weekends for cars and motorcycles.
Please call in advance for:
Disabled parking
Guided tours
Library visits
The Queen's House is a registered wedding venue.
The National Maritime Museum's collections contain over two million items relating to seafaring, navigation, astronomy and time measurement. The collections include Nelson's Trafalgar uniform and the Harrison Chronometers.
The Museum is committed to improving access to its collections and over 10,000 objects are now available online: www.nmm.ac.uk/collections
Collection details
Archaeology, Architecture, Archives, Coins and Medals, Costume and Textiles, Decorative and Applied Art, Design, Fine Art, Maritime, Performing Arts, Personalities, Photography, Science and Technology, Social History, Trade and Commerce, Weapons and War, World Cultures
Key artists and exhibits
- The Prime Meridian of the World
- Peter Harrison Planetarium
- The Queen's House Tulip Stairs and Great Hall
- John Harrison's famous chronometers
- Nelson's bullet-pierced coat
- Relics from the tragic Franklin and Scott voyages
- New Visions contemporary art programme
- The Caird Library, including specialist collections for researching family history
Alien Revolution
Are we alone in this Universe? If aliens exist, would they be friendly or hostile? Have they in fact, already visited Earth? The Royal Observatory Greenwich explores a subject that has been obsessing us for hundreds of years in Alien Revolution, a new exhibition which takes an intimate look at the history of our relationship with extraterrestrial life through science and culture. The exhibition is held in the Observatory?s Astronomy Centre. Entry to the Astronomy Centre and to the exhibition is free of charge.
Suitable for
Where
Astronomy Centre, Royal Observatory
Admission
Free
Aliens in Science Fiction
Do you know E.T. from Jabba the Hutt? Have you always secretly thought you could do better than Douglas Adams? This short engaging course, ideal for science fiction fans and budding science fiction writers, explores the development of our thinking about aliens. Looking at aliens in literature and film, the course focuses on the relationship between science, imagination and culture.
No prior scientific knowledge is required.
Suitable for
Where
Astronomy Centre, Royal Observatory
Admission
œ72
Further Astronomy
This course is for people with some prior knowledge of astronomy who want to find out more about our scientific understanding of the universe, existing scientific research and the boundaries of current knowledge. This is an ideal course for anyone familiar with the basics of astronomy or who has studied introduction to astronomy.
Suitable for
Where
Astronomy Centre, Royal Observatory
Admission
œ72
Summer Science
This is the first in a series of monthly events. Working with guest scientists involved in exciting areas of research, Royal Observatory Astronomers have developed unique live planetarium shows to explain their work. This May Dr. Leigh Fletcher from University College Oxford will present Exploring the Giants, investigating our on-going efforts to understand the gas giant planets.
Suitable for
When
7-8pm
Admission
£10.00 adult, £8.00 child/concession
John Morgan: voice of a lascar
Go on a journey with South Asian lascar John Morgan, as he tells you about working for the British East India Company to bring fabrics, spices and tea to Britain. His extraordinary story will take you on a voyage from Chennai (Madras) to London and reveal the people, places and ideas that shaped his life.
Interactive performance 12.00 | 13.00 | 14.00 | 15.00
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
12-3:30pm
Admission
Free
Stitch up
Contribute to a giant textiles installation. Be inspired by the portraits in the Queen’s House, and create your own picture of someone in your family using colourful threads.11.30 – 13.30 | 14.00 – 16.00
Suitable for
- Family friendly
Admission
Free, drop in
Weave together
Create a giant alternative tapestry full of words, colours and patterns to tell us why you love your favourite clothes and where in the world they came from. 11.30 – 13.30 | 14.00 – 16.00
Suitable for
- Family friendly
Admission
Free, drop in
Creative cargo: ideas trolley
How did people in Britain first get a choice of fabrics and patterns to wear? Become a detective and explore the Traders Gallery to find clues. 11.30 – 13.30 | 14.00 – 16.00
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
11:30am-4pm
Admission
Free, drop in
Play Tuesdays: story mix
Come along to play with your family and friends.
Drop-in workshop.
10.30 – 12.30 | 13.00 – 15.00
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
11:30am-4pm
Admission
Free, drop in
John Morgan: voice of a lascar
Go on a journey with South Asian lascar John Morgan, as he tells you about working for the British East India Company to bring fabrics, spices and tea to Britain. His extraordinary story will take you on a voyage from Chennai (Madras) to London and reveal the people, places and ideas that shaped his life.
Interactive performance 12.00 | 13.00 | 14.00 | 15.00
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
12-3:30pm
Admission
Free
Creative cargo: ideas trolley
How did people in Britain first get a choice of fabrics and patterns to wear? Become a detective and explore the Traders Gallery to find clues. 11.30 – 13.30 | 14.00 – 16.01
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
11:30am-4pm
Admission
Free, drop in
Film Screening: The Tempest
With a female Prospera, played by Helen Mirren, alongside a cast inluding Ben Whishaw, Jeremy Irons and Russell Brand
Suitable for
- 16-17
- 18+
When
From 7pm
Admission
£6/£5
John Morgan: voice of a lascar
Go on a journey with South Asian lascar John Morgan, as he tells you about working for the British East India Company to bring fabrics, spices and tea to Britain. His extraordinary story will take you on a voyage from Chennai (Madras) to London and reveal the people, places and ideas that shaped his life.
Interactive performance 12.00 | 13.00 | 14.00 | 15.00
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
12-3:30pm
Admission
Free
Sci-Fi Movie Night
As part of Alien Season the Royal Observatory Greenwich will be screening classic early science fiction movies featuring aliens. June’s screening is the memorable 1953 film: The War of the Worlds. Directed by Byron Haskin and winning an Oscar for its special effects, it is widely regarded as one of the best Sci-Fi movies of its time. Themes of paranoia, invasion and the terrible consequences of nuclear destruction reflect the era’s fear of the Cold War.
Following the movie a short talk will explore how our vision of alien invasion has changed over time, using examples from the novel by H.G. Wells, the 1953 movie and more recent works of science fiction. This talk will also address the question of whether aliens are likely to be friendly or hostile.
Suitable for
When
6:45-8:45pm
Admission
£7.00 adults, £5.00 child/concession
Summer Science
Working with guest scientists involved in exciting areas of research, Royal Observatory Astronomers have developed unique live planetarium shows to explain their work. This June Dr. Louisa Preston from The Open University will present To Mars and Beyond: The Search for life in the Universe. Investigating our ongoing search for alien, this talk looks at how we use the myriad of species on our own planet to guide us in our search for life amongst the stars.
Suitable for
When
7-8:30pm
Admission
£10.00 adult, £8.00 child/concession
Saturday Space Explorers
In these fun monthly workshops families can make simple cardboard instruments, including planet finders and moon dials which they can take away and use at home. Times: 14.00 | 14.30 | 15.00 | 15.30 | 16.00 | 16.30
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
2-5pm
Admission
Free with admission to Garden (adults £9
Students, children 5-15 yrs £6)
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