Adult: $$25
Concession: $20 (Carers are free)
Child (Ages 5 to 17): $15
Time: 1:30 pm to 3 pm

Explore our historic observatory, wander through our beautiful bushland setting, bring a picnic, and discover the stories of the stars.

Our tours typically last around an hour and a half. During your visit, you’ll experience a fun and informative journey through our unique observatory, including:

  • Stepping back in time to see how astronomers photographed the night sky using our Astrograph Telescope, which was involved in the production of the Astrographic Catalogue and took over 28,000 glass photographic plates between 1901 and 1999. It even contributed 10% of all ground-based positions for Comet Halley – the largest contribution made globally.
  • Inspecting our iconic Lowell Telescope, which was constructed at the Observatory in the 1970s as part of NASA’s International Planetary Patrol program and made various discoveries, including the ring system on Uranus.
  • Have the opportunity to explore our Indigenous Astronomy Centre and discover the rich stories and traditions behind the breathtaking paintings on display.
  • Learning about our range of modern telescopes, which are used on our Night Sky Tours to share the delights of the southern hemisphere skies with our customers.
  • Exploring our heritage museum, which celebrates the Observatory’s unique and rich history as an astronomical research facility whose primary role was time-keeping and survey positioning in the newly established Western Australian Colony. You’ll marvel at globally significant and rare timepieces, including Shortt Synchronome Clocks, Victor Kullberg Astronomical Regulators, Marine Chronometers, an original Atlas Coelestis produced by John Flamsteed in the early 1700s, and one of the oldest and fastest-travelled objects on earth – an iron meteorite that has travelled billions of kilometres through the universe.
  • Enjoying the beauty of the surrounding John Forrest National Park and native wildlife, including our resident family of kangaroos and joeys, a wide variety of bird life, and the occasional emu.
  • Visiting our Astroshop, which offers a large collection of astronomy and space science-related products, along with Perth Observatory-branded gifts to serve as a memento of your visit. We also have a selection of drinks and snacks available.

Our museum, shop, and grounds are wheelchair accessible, although the historical Astrograph and Lowell Telescope domes are accessible only by stairs. You can also take the opportunity to visit one of the many neighbouring wineries, breweries, or cider houses within the beautiful Bickley Valley or the nearby City of Kalamunda.

Tour of the Calver Telescope at the Intro to the Stars Festival. Image Credit: Nadia Maslen
Tour of the Astrographic Telescope at the Intro to the Stars Festival. Image Credit: Nadia Maslen
Ed talking about the lowell telescope. Image Credit: Geoff Scott
The Sun through a solar telescope. Image Credit Matt Woods
Group walking around lowell dome. Image Credit: Geoff Scott
Attendees checking out a peice of the Mundrabilla Meteorite in our museum. Image Credit: Matt Woods
Kangaroos in the bush. Image Credit: Matt Woods
Volunteer Arthur gives his astronomical presentation. Image Credit: Matt Woods
Day tour group walking to the Meredian Telescope. Image Credit: Matt Woods

Book Now

To make a booking for your Observatory Day Tours, simply enter the number of people attending and select the desired date from the booking calendar. Dates with green backgrounds indicate available spots, while red backgrounds denote fully booked tours and yellow highlights today’s date.

Once you have selected your desired tour date, click the “Book Now” button to proceed to the checkout section, where you can complete your payment. You will receive a confirmation email once your booking is complete, and on the day of the tour, our host will ask for the name under which the booking was made and mark you off on the booking sheet.

Spots are limited so book your visit today!

Step 1: Choose the number of people that are coming