Armagh residents and visitors will have the chance to step inside one of the city’s most important scientific landmarks during The Legendary Telescopes Tour at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium.
The guided experience takes visitors through the observatory’s historic building, where they can learn about its past, see generations of telescopes in their original settings and discover how the instruments were used for pioneering scientific work.
Tour times and ticket prices
Two tour times are available: 12:30pm and 2:30pm. Tickets cost £15 for adults and £13.50 for children over the age of 10.
The tours are scheduled for Saturday 7 November and Saturday 28 November. Visitors are directed to book tickets through the event listing from Visit Armagh.
A working heritage observatory
The observatory opened in 1790 and is described as a Grade A listed heritage building. It remains in use for astrophysics research, making it the oldest observatory in the UK and Ireland to have operated continuously for its original purpose.
Four generations of historic telescopes remain in their original settings. The site also has a modern telescope that is still used today.
An expert guide will lead the tour, explaining the history of the building, sharing stories connected to the observatory and showing how its telescopes contributed to science. The experience also explores the reasons behind Armagh’s description as a “Celestial City”.