The Armchair Astronaut
The Armchair Astronaut
  • Home
  • Store
  • Gallery
  • Reviews
  • Past Events
  • UK Space Attractions
  • More
    • Home
    • Store
    • Gallery
    • Reviews
    • Past Events
    • UK Space Attractions
  • Home
  • Store
  • Gallery
  • Reviews
  • Past Events
  • UK Space Attractions

UK Space Attractions

This page lists many UK space attractions where you can further your passion and knowledge for all things space.

We recommend always checking the attractions website for the latest news, opening times, events and other information before visiting. 

Have we missed a UK Space Attraction?   Please contact us with details and we'll be happy to add it.

Aberdeen Science Centre

Aberdeen Science Centre

Space Zone

You only have a few hours at Aberdeen Science Centre, transform into an astronaut and explore the complex world of space.

  • Launch an air rocket
  • Look at the Earth from space
  • Dock a spaceship

Visit Website
Armagh Planetarium

Armagh Planetarium

The Armagh Planetarium is the longest running planetarium in the British Isles. The planetarium was opened in 1968 and celebrated its 50th  anniversary in 2018. The Planetarium is equipped with a state-of-the art  digital projector system providing an immersive experience under the full dome. 

  • Planetarium
  • Exhibition Area
  • Meteorites
  • Astropark
  • and more!

Visit Website
Dark Space Planetarium

Dark Space Planetarium

get ready for a truly immersive experience where you can play, learn and explore the wonders of Space.

In the Dark Space Planetarium, you can enjoy state-of-the-art  custom-made interactive exhibits. You can learn about space exploration,  our solar system, and space technology while you play.

Our Planetarium is an amazing, state-of-the-art dome screen using an HD  digital projection system to give you an immersive visual experience. You can enjoy trips to the stars, rocket launches, travel to the edge of the solar system, or even inside the human body. 

Visit Website
Dynamic Earth

Dynamic Earth

At the foot of a volcano in the historic city of Edinburgh lies Dynamic  Earth, the UK’s leading earth science centre. Our immersive, interactive and impactful visitor experience takes you on a journey through the story of our extraordinary planet. Be there at the moment of the Big Bang, rocket through the universe billions of times faster than the speed of light, feel the effects of a real volcano, touch our iceberg, stare in wonder at the Aurora Borealis, watch powerful glaciers carve out entire continents, dive to the dark depths of the ocean, and avoid rainstorms in our tropical rainforest.

Planetarium

For an out of this world experience enjoy Edinburgh’s only planetarium, with a 360-degree viewing screen and  immersive surround sound.

Visit Website
Farnborough Air Sciences Museum

Farnborough Air Sciences Museum

  • Exploring Space Gallery

The RAE at Farnborough had a long-established track record supporting  the UK space industry, in fact the 6″ Zeiss Coude Refractor used in the  observatory on the QinetiQ site by the current RAE Astronomical Society, dates back to the Skylark Project in the 1960s. Much of this history can be explored in the Museum Gallery. 

Visit Website
Goonhilly Earth Station

Goonhilly Earth Station

Goonhilly Earth Station has been the pioneering home of satellite communications since 1962. Now under the private management of Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd., it continues to be recognised as a premier ground station of choice for the world’s major satellite operators, and has expanded its services to include lunar and deep space communications.

Private site but look out for open days and public tours!

Visit Website
Great North Museum

Great North Museum

Planetarium

Daily shows including...

  • Cosmix
  • We Are Aliens!
  • Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System
  • From Earth to the Universe

Visit Website
Glasgow Science Centre

Glasgow Science Centre

  • Space Zone

The Space Zone forms an immersive walkway through the solar system towards the entrance of the Planetarium. Observe the planets under a different light and learn fascinating facts about our cosmic neighbourhood. Discover how to spot some of the most recognisable stars and patterns in the night sky without the need for binoculars or a telescope. Experience what it's like working in space and be sure to grab the perfect photo opportunity viewing Scotland from the Cupola — a window into space — just as though you were on board the International Space Station. 

Visit Website
Imperial War Museum, Duxford

Imperial War Museum, Duxford

  • SR-71 Blackbird

See the world’s fastest and highest-flying, air-breathing manned aircraft, built in secret and flown by the US Air Force to the very edge of space! Capable of cruising over three times the speed of sound, our Blackbird is the only one on display outside the United States of America. 

Photo © IWM

Visit Website
Jodrell Bank

Jodrell Bank

Jodrell Bank’s inspirational story includes revolutionary scientific  discoveries, amazing feats of engineering, the dawn of the Space Age and the creation of the Grade I listed Lovell Telescope. A beacon on the horizon, it stands out on the Cheshire  skyline as an icon on science, engineering, heritage, and curiosity.


Recognised by UNESCO as a site of ‘Outstanding Universal Value’, Jodrell Bank has been welcoming visiting stargazers since the 1960s and now offers a day out of interstellar wonder,  with live science demonstrations, planetarium shows, interactive  exhibitions and more.


Your gateway to the stars, book online and return FREE for a whole year!

Visit Website
Life Science Centre

Life Science Centre

Be inspired by the wonders of the Universe and see how space exploration impacts our everyday lives. 

Our Space Zone brings space close to home: find out how we’re already using space technology in our everyday lives and discover how the  future of space exploration is being shaped right here in the north east of England.

  • Step inside a replica of the International Space Station and find out how astronauts live in space.
  • Be the boss in Mission Control - help navigate space crafts and collect falling space junk!
  • Immerse yourself in the North’s biggest and most advanced planetarium. Shows change throughout the year.
  • Enjoy family-friendly shows on our digital globe, the Sphere.

Visit Website
National Space Centre

National Space Centre

  • Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium

Award-winning shows in the UK's largest planetarium.

  • Tetrastar Spaceport

A brand-new experience. Take a seat on the Tharsis spacecraft and join the ever helpful ADA, as you head off on a journey to the stars. 

  • Rocket Tower

The iconic Rocket Tower is home to Blue  Streak and Thor Able rockets, as well as the Gagarin Experience, Apollo  Lunar Lander and real Moon Rock. Designed especially to house the largest  artefacts four exhibition decks tell the story of the Space Race, history of rocketry, and Britain's Space Race.

  • Galleries and Exhibitions

The National Space Centre is home to a world-class artefact  collection that tells the past, present and future stories of space  exploration and science. 

Visit Website
Natural History Museum, London

Natural History Museum, London

Our own bodies are made up of elements that began their journey in the hearts of stars. The warmth of the Sun is just one of the conditions necessary to sustain life. Our planet is part of a bigger picture - a cosmos which has fascinated humans since we first gazed at the night sky.

Meet the Museum scientists working at the forefront of space  research. Get answers to your pressing questions about our solar system,  space missions, space travel, the search for life on Mars, planetary protection and beyond.

Explore highlights from the collections including gem-filled meteorites, extraterrestrial specimens and diamond stardust older than our solar system. 

Visit Website
Royal Observatory Greenwich

Royal Observatory Greenwich

Awe-inspiring science at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

  • Stand on the historic Prime Meridian Line
  • Marvel at one of the UK's largest telescopes       
  • Get to know the stars in the Peter Harrison Planetarium
  • Enjoy live science and astronomy demonstrations

Visit Website
Science Museum, London

Science Museum, London

  • Exploring Space Gallery

From rockets to satellites, probes to landers, this gallery showcases some out-of-this world objects.

Full-sized replica of Apollo 11 Lunar Lander Eagle.

Discover how we are able to live in space and go to the toilet.

Real space rockets: British Black Arrow and a United  States Scout.

Full-size replica of the Huygens module  that landed on Titan in 2005.

First time in the UK that you’ll be able to see on public display a sample from asteroid Ryugu and find out about the importance of studying asteroids.

The Soyuz TMA-19M Descent Module that safely carried British ESA Astronaut Tim Peake back from the International Space Station in 2016 is now on permanent display in the Exploring Space gallery.

  • Making The Modern World Gallery

Chart 250 years of STEM with some of the most iconic items that have shaped our society including the Apollo 10 Command Module.

Visit Website
Southend Planetarium

Southend Planetarium

Southend Planetarium offers visitors a unique experience with changing talks throughout the year, exploring the night sky.

All our presentations are given live, giving you plenty of opportunities to  question our knowledgeable lecturers.

Visit Website
The Spaceguard Centre

Spaceguard Centre

The most significant natural danger to life on Earth comes from asteroids and comets. The Spaceguard Centre is a working observatory, and the main source of information about near Earth objects in the UK.

The observatory is located on a remote, dark sky site ideal for astronomy, surrounded by the stunning Welsh Marches.

We run conducted tours of the Centre every day (except Mondays and  Tuesdays) that last for about 1.5 hours, covering the hazard posed by  asteroids and comets and what we can do about it. 


Visit Website
Techniquest

Techniquest

Two floors of mesmerising models, marvellous machines and mind-boggling  interactive displays:

  • Launch a rocket
  • Try your hand at docking a digital spacecraft
  • Experience a real-life earthquake
  • Feel the force of a  hurricane
  • Plus regular Star Tours of the night sky that run in the snug 360° Planetarium.

Visit Website
The 1st V-2 Rocket British Impact Site

The 1st V-2 Rocket British Impact Site

Staveley Road, Chiswick in the London Borough of Hounslow was the site of the first successful V-2 rocket/missile attack against Britain. 

On 8th September 1944 a V-2 rocket launched from Wassenaar in Holland landed in Staveley Road, killing  3 people, injuring 22, demolishing 11 houses and leaving a crater 30 feet across. 

Today, a black granite stone marks the impact spot and serves as a memorial to the victims.

Visit Website
The Observatory Science Centre

The Observatory Science Centre

Spectacular interactive science & discovery among the domes and telescopes of a world famous astronomical observatory.

Visit Website
Thinktank Planetarium

Thinktank Planetarium

Step inside our Planetarium and explore the outer reaches of space, get up close to constellations, journey through the night-sky and adventure through the solar system!

Our 4K planetarium system has bright, sharp images and crystal clear surround-sound. It the  only one of its kind in the West Midlands.

Visit Website
Winchester Science Centre

Winchester Science Centre

Explorer:Space               

It's blast off time. We're going on an epic journey through the Solar System. Come and find out what it's really like to be out-of-this-world. Three, two, one, let's go!

Explorer:Space is filled with fantastic things to see and do. There are exhibits for meteorites and stardust fact finding. Learn about robots and coding. You can even find out what atmospheric pressure does when you blast off into space. 

Planetarium

Come and fly through the stars in the Planetarium. Take a seat and zoom  through the Solar System for an experience you'll never forget.                

Visit Website
World Museum, Liverpool

World Museum, Liverpool

Astronomy and Space Collection

There are nearly 900 astronomy items in the collection with particular strengths in historic telescopes and educational materials.

Planetarium

Marvel at the universe and learn about our solar system. Watch space shows in our full dome planetarium.

Space and Time Gallery 

Our space gallery exists outside of the Planetarium. Here you'll be able to  see displays including rockets, telescopes, meteorites and moon rocks!

Visit Website

You might also like these UK Space Links...

GoStargazing.co.uk

Stargazing Events

 It's The Armchair Astronaut but for stargazers!

This highly recommended  website is a one-stop resource for anyone, at all levels, to find observatories, astronomy group meetings and stargazing experiences near them. 


  • Easily find events on a map or calendar across the UK.
  • Advice for beginners including where and when is best for stargazing.
  • Stargazing blog highlighting the best of the night sky right now.
  • Free mobile app helps you find dark sky sites, events and places to stay and gaze.

Visit Go Stargazing

All images and information have been taken from each attractions website and/or public marketing. Credit goes to each respective attraction. We recommend always checking the attraction website for the latest news and information before visiting.  Please contact the attraction direct with any questions.


Have we missed a UK Space attraction?   Please contact us with details and we'll be happy to add it.

  • Home
  • Store
  • Gallery
  • Reviews
  • Past Events
  • UK Space Attractions
  • Contact Us

All Astronaut portrait images are credited to NASA and/or ESA.

Copyright © 2025 The Armchair Astronaut - All Rights Reserved.
The Armchair Astronaut and associated logos are Registered Trademarks.