Observatories · Central Scotland
Camera Obscura
In or near Edinburgh.
Camera Obscura — Museum in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
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Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–2.5 h
- Best time of year
- Moonless winter nights (Oct–Mar)
- Nearest railway station
- Edinburgh Waverley · 0.5 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit the Camera Obscura in central Scotland, the nearest railway station is Edinburgh Waverley, located 0.5 km away. Entry is paid, and accessibility is limited for wheelchair users. The postcode for sat-nav is EH1 2ND.
About
Camera Obscura is a observatory in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1835. Heritage designation: category A listed building. Wikidata describes it as: "Museum in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 55.9490°, -3.1956°.
Photo gallery
Official information
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions in Edinburgh offers five floors of interactive exhibits and illusions suitable for all ages. Visitors can enjoy hands-on experiences and stunning panoramic views of the city from the Rooftop Terrace, along with a demonstration of the historic Camera Obscura.
From the Wikipedia article
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions is a tourist attraction located in Outlook Tower on the Castlehill section of the Royal Mile close to Edinburgh Castle. The original attraction was founded by entrepreneur Maria Theresa Short in 1835 and was exhibited on Calton Hill. Outlook Tower has been a museum since the late 1890s and is currently home to many interactive exhibits, including the original camera obscura.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Description
The tower, with its six floors of interactive exhibitions, is still open to the public, making it the oldest purpose-built attraction in the city, and one of the oldest in the United Kingdom. Nowadays there are passing references to Maria Short and Patrick Geddes in the presentation on the top floor where the Camera Obscura is still in use to project a "virtual" tour of the city for visitors, and also on the rooftop terrace with its views of Edinburgh and telescopes. The floors beneath the Camera Obscura hold the "World of Illusions", which offers interactive exhibits demonstrating aspects of optical illusions, light, colour. There are also puzzles, a mirror maze, and a vortex tunnel.…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 55.9490, -3.1956
- District
- City of Edinburgh
- Postcode
- EH1 2ND
- Parliamentary constituency
- Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
- Phone
- +44 131 226 3709
- Established
- 1835
- Annual visitors
- ~331,881/year
- Nearest railway station
- Edinburgh Waverley — 0.5 km
- Opening
- 08:00-22:00
- Official site
- www.camera-obscura.co.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q4211494 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Camera Obscura, Edinburgh (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: 549, Castlehill, Outlook Tower, Edinburgh (1).jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Camera Obscura?
- Camera Obscura is in central Scotland, United Kingdom (postcode EH1 2ND).
- What is Camera Obscura?
- Camera Obscura — Museum in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
- How do I get to Camera Obscura?
- The nearest railway station is Edinburgh Waverley, about 0.5 km away. Drivers can use postcode EH1 2ND.
- When was Camera Obscura built?
- Built or established in 1835.
- Who owns Camera Obscura?
- Camera Obscura is owned by Visitor Centres Ltd..
- Is Camera Obscura a listed building?
- Camera Obscura is officially recognised as category A listed building listed.
- How do I get to Camera Obscura?
- The nearest railway station is Edinburgh Waverley, about 0.5 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode EH1 2ND.
- How busy is Camera Obscura?
- Camera Obscura draws around 331,881 visitors a year.