I had a lovely 3 hours here. Just a real shame there wasn't any stars out! Note when you turn up you wait in your car till they collect you. They do a great job of teaching you about the life of stars and what they are. Got to see the telescopes which was cool. But sadly I could not look through them... As there was nothing to look at 🤣 I only wish they could sell some of their photos. I wanted to buy a poster for my kid but they did not have any! Staff were helpful and friendly. I would recommend going with a friend or group. Going on your own could be a bit lonely.

My husband and I went to the Jewels of the Universe event and it was amazing. The talk was informative, delivered by a chap who was obviously passionate about his subject, which made it all the better. Looking through the Sir Patrick Moore telescope was incredible, a real privilege to see a double star and even a galaxy. We enjoyed the evening immensely

We were on their ‘Late Night Explorer’ experience and it was amazing!! The staff were all super helpful and informative and the whole experience was brill. We were unlucky with the weather but still managed to get a picture of the moon with my iPhone via one of their telescopes. I highly recommend a visit, we will definitely be back 🌚✨

Such a beautiful place, we had a guided tour and it was just excellent. Because of the weather we couldn't go on the night but we went during the day and it was equally as good as we got to see the scenery and also the complete works of the place. Well well worth a visit we'll done all #busmanpaddy

Really enjoyed the experience. The staff are brilliant and really informative and keeped the whole evening fun and interesting. Unfortunately we didn't get to see the stars as the cloud cover was so thick but as so well presented that I didn't actually mind so much.

A must visit for astro enthusiasts! Tickets - Book well in advance, the best ones are sold out quickly (e.g. shows that are close to a meteor shower or late night from 12-3am) Getting there - We drove down from Edinburgh and it takes about 2-3 hours each way. Stunning landscapes along the way and some beautiful forest roads leading up to the mountain where this observatory is located. The path becomes narrower as you go up but fairly comfortable. The Observatory Experience - They have regular shows based on different themes followed by a tour of the place and some free time. The content is great, it’s also beginner friendly. The people who work here are warm and a pleasure to talk to. They have some nice meteorite samples, a wide range of telescopes, and merch you can buy at the end. Weather - This is the variable with highest impact on your overall experience given that it’s usually cloudy or raining making live observations impossible. However, the experience is worth it no matter the weather conditions. The journey is the reward, the hot chocolate is the cherry on top and if you have nice weather consider yourself blessed!

Our experience was more about the hike to the observatory rather than the place itself, a grey March day did not make this walk any less spectacular, interesting information boards and great location at the end.

We went to Space Kids - rockets and more recently and it was absolutely fantastic. My husband and I enjoyed it along with our son, who came out smiling and inspired. The whole event was fabulous and there was a good mix of talking and doing if that makes sense. The team were approachable, chatty and talented. The observatory and surroundings are beautiful too. Highly recommended!

Kielder Observatory is located in one of a limited number of dark zones in Europe. These are ares where light from buildings is limited at night to minimise light pollution. The observatory is located atop a hill in the extensive Kielder forest and is accessed via a gravel and pitted road that is wide enough for just one vehicle. The observatory is funded by charitable donations and is run by a small team of staff with varying backgrounds in astronomy, solely for the public. The daily program runs from 9pm to about 12pm. There are video presentations that are very professionally prepared and are both entertaining and packed with cosmological information. Each is about half an hour long, informal and interactive. There are two telescopes that can be directed to any object and are computer controlled. Everyone gets to view the celestial body most suited to being viewed at that time through the telescope with the guidance of a staff member. Cloudy skies would make live demonstrations problematical but with several hours and the whole of the night sky available to star gaze there will always be something to see. It is a brilliant experience for everyone from children to grown ups.

Absolutely superb! Well worth a visit - a fabulous facility in an amazing location. All the staff and presenters are enthusiastic, very knowledgeable and make everything interesting, awe inspiring and entertaining. Highly recommended, and we will definitely book again for another session.

Fantastic experience. Even though it was cloudy and we were unable to see much through the telescopes the staff were very passionate and knowledgeable. The various talks and show n tells were very interesting and learnt loads. If the clouds had cleared it would have only enhanced an already interesting evening. Be warned it's a late night 9pm to midnight. The road up is a bit of rough but easily passable if you go slower. You get to touch mars and the moon what's not cool about that!

Beautiful setting, really passionate staff. We had a cloudy night and didn't see any stars and still can't wait to go back ! The information talk Absolutely blew my mind ! The hot chocolate stands up to it's reputation! *** Make sure you protect your self from the midge's ! There's alot !

Visited here in my job as a coach driver on a school trip absolutely amazing place. I've been to kielder a few times but never here. A definite place to visit if you get the chance. The views are breathtaking and staff are great and helpful.

It was an amazing experience. Learn a lot and have a great chance to see stars and planets. The team members were amazing.

Excellent!!! Proper geek mode I was in You can see the northern lights from there! Great staff with fountains of knowledge and know how Wonderful powerful telescopes Unfortunately after a 3 hour tour and educating talk the skies were cloudy and I got to see completely nothing!!ggrrrrrr But I did get to stand on a piece of Martian rock so I get to say I've stood on Mars which I literally did!!!! Telescope views of the milkywsy available if clear weather presents itself but.... Hot drinks served for free with any ticket bought Great products on sale. Rare meteorites etc Wonderful experience which I highly recommended you do if you get the chance Situated in the heart of keldler forest the uks biggest man-made forest with views to are inspire tou I'm returning next year to hopefully see ... something next time Brilliant family day out it really is Go try it and hopefully see for yourselves

A marvellous experience. The staff were very knowledgeable and helpful; ensuring that you could look through the telescopes and adjust focus accurately. The talks/shows were very interesting. Would highly recommend the experience.

This place is amazing. It has so much to offer along with people who are not only interesting but have really got a way of talking to people and making it easier to understand. We were hoping to do more star gazing which is the only reason we marked it down. Otherwise an incredible place to be, with some amazing people and brains!

A fantastic 3 hours, very educational and light hearted explanation of aurora events. Night sky simply amazing and viewing through telescopes was wonderful. The size of the universe is mind boggling. The knowledge of the staff was incredible. Wrap up warm...be prepared for a stimulating experience... worth every penny

We chose the late night experience, which started at 11pm with a welcome and a short presentation. We were then split into 3 groups of 10, and our group went out onto the deck first. This was lucky, as for the first hour, we had completely clear skies. Our guide had lots of information, and because of the nearly full moon, we looked at the craters of the Moon through the telescope. We also had a good look at the stripes on Jupiter and its moons. Our guide was happy to answer questions and name the constellations above, and he helped us to take photos using the telescope and our own phones. The next rotation for us was a welcome hot chocolate; it was -2°c and despite warm clothes, our feet were freezing. This was followed by a demonstration and a look through a more powerful telescope. Our last rotation was in the rotating turret, this time led by a lovely, enthusiastic astrophysicist. All the guides were very knowledgeable, but they kept the information they shared at an appropriate level for amateurs. One extra highlight for us was being able to say that we'd stood on Mars (we stood on a piece of a meteorite that is thought to have come from Mars!) This is a fantastic experience and the second time we have visited the observatory; the first time several years ago we had bad weather and we had a lecture instead of looking through the telescopes. It really is a lottery.

Had an amazing evening here in the heart of kielder forest under the dark Northumbrian skies. The mixed group were split into three so we could all enjoy the 2 telescopes and the mobile outside one. We had a fascinating film presentation of the Aurora Borialis and some great photo,s of the moon taken through the telescope onto our smart phones.

Excellent venue highly professional and friendly staff who go out of their way to make the evening special. I am a regular visitor try to attend a couple of times a year. Absolutely passionate about astronomy and this is by far my favourite venue. It has the darkest of skies on a clear night truly spectacular living in London sadly not something I am used to. Even when I have attended when the weather is poor the staff do everything they can to still ensure you have a good evening. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or experienced it is for everyone. I can't wait to visit again something very special about this place. Highly recommend 👌.

We got very lucky on our trip that the skies were partly clear! I was so sad thinking we would miss it as that day was overcast, I had been wanting to go for a long time, and we managed to get a good hour of star gazing. The team here really made the experience, they are all very knowledgeable, very accommodating and have a great sense of humour. Thanks for a great experience!