Grassholme Observatory

29/05/2026

Proud to be a TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice winner again.

Since we opened we’ve routinely been in the top 10% of attractions worldwide thanks to the incredible reviews from our guests, whether they come on a clear or a cloudy night.

We never take these reviews for granted, and our team only focus on one thing; making sure our guests experience our enthusiasm for all things stargazing. That’s why we are always so delighted our guests love their time with us.

If you haven’t been yet, then come visit and see why others enjoy it here so much.

www.grassholmeobservatory.com

27/05/2026

For the lighter nights of June and July we will be moving to our Summertime Astronomy events, and starting a little later in the evening (830).

Although the skies are lighter there are still fabulous sights overhead.

Jupiter remains bright and other objects are beautiful against the slightly blue evening skies of summer.

And with our robotic telescope we continue to see more distant objects and capture their detail with our cameras for guests to see.

All that and warmer weather alongside the sounds of birds on the reservoir behind us.

We love summertime astronomy - so come join us to experience it for yourself

www.grassholmeobservatory.com

25/05/2026

What great weather - and the good news is it looks like continuing the rest of this week.

The forecast for Wednesday night is super clear and the event is filling up fast!

Get booked up now and enjoy stargazing in the beautiful Durham Dales

www.grassholmeobservatory.com

23/05/2026

Wherever you live, or visit, in the North of England - we’ve got your stargazing covered.

Whether it’s here at Grassholme Observatory with the dark skies and stunning scenery of the Tees Valley and Durham Dales, or at Grizedale Observatory and Planetarium with events both day and night in the heart of the Lake District. We’ve got great events just for you.

21/05/2026

The forecast for the bank holiday weekend is looking great and we’ve got events on Saturday and Sunday that are filling up fast - but it also looks like the good weather will continue for much of the week, so come join us for some warmer weather astronomy!

www.grassholmeobservatory.com

20/05/2026

Spring time visitor to the Observatory!

19/05/2026

We’ve got some great events for the May holiday week.

This coming Saturday we have our regular family astronomy event - an early event for younger children to come and learn about the solar system, see our telescopes and hold rocks from space.

Several nights during the week we have our popular Astronomy and Stargazing event for beginners and experts alike to come and discover the universe with us.

On the Wednesday we have our ever popular Aurora night. We can’t predict when the Aurora happens, but this is a night to learn all about it, how to go find it for yourself, and what causes these amazing lights in the sky.

Then to finish the holiday week on the Sunday we have a Blue Moon Rising event, focusing on our nearest neighbour as we get the second full moon of May.

Lots to do, and an event to suit everyone - so come and join us

www.grassholmeobservatory.com

17/05/2026

This week our beautiful moon will put on a bit of a show.

On Monday the moon will be a delicate sliver near bright Venus in the evening sky to the west as the sun sets. On Tuesday it will be a thin crescent between Venus and Jupiter.

For our Wednesday evening event the moon will be a beautiful crescent near to Jupiter, and a little higher.

At the observatory, observing the crescent moon through a telescope is a glorious thing. Shadowed valleys and bright mountain tops become obvious as you get up close and personal with the moon through the eyepiece.

But grab a pair of binoculars and see it for yourself if you can’t join us.

We often take the moon for granted, but now is a great time to enjoy the beauty of our nearest natural neighbour in space.

www.grassholmeobservatory.com

15/05/2026

🪐✨Explore the universe over half term

Looking for something to do as a family over half term we’ve got you covered.

With our shorter family astronomy event suitable for younger children you can learn about the night sky, see our telescopes and get hands on with rocks from space to find out about meteorites.

For older children our evening events allow the longest time for observing through our telescopes and our hot chocolate keeps everyone going and staying warm ☕️

Half term events full up early, so book now at www.grassholmeobservatory.com

13/05/2026

These aren’t our words - they’re the TripAdvisor summary of nearly 200 incredible reviews for the observatory - and it really captures the experience we hope to offer all our guests.

Come and explore our cozy comforts and thrilling celestial views for yourself

www.grassholmeobservatory.com

11/05/2026

One of the best things about Grassholme Observatory is how many telescopes we have for our guests.

There are the fantastic 8” scopes which we train you to use - the best objects in the night sky are always the ones you find yourself!

There is the beautiful 12” where we can show you in detail some of the finer objects in the sky.

Finally in our observatory building is the mighty robotic 14” telescope - controlled by computer it can take us anywhere we want to go in the night sky, and take incredible photos.

Also, if the clouds roll in we have our clear sky pass, where you return free of charge, when the stars are out and that Grassholme magic is overhead

You can see why a night at Grassholme is a very special night indeed.

Located in County Durham, Grassholme Observatory is a great day out for the whole family, allowing you to view and learn about space. Book your tickets here