We recommend booking in advance so that you can secure your preferred time slot for the Planetarium show. Your planetarium show will begin 45 minutes after the start time on your ticket, which will give you time to explore our exhibition space and visit our cafetaria.

If you’re not able to book online, please contact us by phone on 01623 552276

You may be able to pay at the door on arrival. We will do our best to accommodate you but cannot guarantee the availability of seats during busy periods.

Schools and groups must book in advance.

We regularly rotate the Planetarium shows we present in order to allow our audiences to choose and experience something new. Please visit our Planetarium shows page to see what’s on at present.

Sherwood Observatory is open 5 days a week, and is normally closed on Sundays and Mondays. Our standard opening hours for planetarium shows are from noon until early evening. Please book a ticket for your chosen event on a day and time that suits you via our Events page.

If you are booking a school or group visit, or private hire, it may be possible for us to accommodate you on our normal closure days. Please contact us via the enquiry form on the relevant page for more details.

Opening times vary and are as advertised on our website for specific shows and events. Within reason, we can open at most times for pre-booked schools and groups, subject to the availability of our staff and volunteers.

Each Planetarium show has a running time of approximately 25 minutes, although they vary. This information is available on the booking page for each event. Most Planetarium shows are complimented by a talk from our presenter, which will include topical information such as ‘what’s in the night sky’ and time for questions. In total, you can expect be in the planetarium dome for up to 50 minutes.

For shows in 2025: Your visit duration is 1 hour 45 minutes, which includes an opportunity to view our exhibition and enjoy the cafe before your chosen planetarium show (which begins 45 minutes after the time shown on your ticket) and a presenter-led astronomy experience. Please note that longer shows (The Planets 360 Classic and Distant Worlds – Alien Life?) do not allow enough time for a presenter talk or Q&A afterwards due to the length of the film.

Please note that for the last Planetarium Show of the day, the cafe and exhibition will close during your show and will not be open thereafter.

You are welcome to book on multiple Planetarium shows on the same day to extend your visit. Please check our current events to secure your tickets.

At present visitors can look through our scopes during our popular open events. We are currently considering how to make more opportunities available to visitors to use our telescopes under supervision of our volunteers.

The cafe on site is run in conjunction with ATTFE College to provide students with valuable work experience. Currently we offer a range of food and light snacks, and aim to increase the range on offer in the future.

Opening times vary depending on the programme of events happening at the venue each day. Please refer to the details on the Cafe page for more information.

We also have picnic tables outside the Planetarium for you to enjoy your own refreshments.

Please note that no food or drink is permitted within the Planetarium auditorium, and the cafe is currently only open to ticket holders. There is no general access to the cafe if you have not booked to see a Planetarium show.

We welcome children of all ages to Sherwood Observatory, and many of our events are tailored specifically to inspire our younger viewers.

Children under 16 years qualify for a child ticket for all events.

Children 3 and under qualify for a free ticket on the basis of one paying adult per child. A free ticket must be purchased for each infant for fire safety reasons.

Everyone aged 16 and over must hold an adult ticket for entry to all events.

Whenever visiting the observatory, due to our child protection, safeguarding and health & safety policies, children under the age of 16 must be accompanied and supervised by a responsible adult at all times.

Please note that each planetarium show has an advisory age limit and the immersive content may be unsettling for some smaller children, in which case a member of staff will assist you in leaving the auditorium.

A carer or personal assistant is free of charge when accompanying a paying visitor. Please bring ID with you, such as your PIP letter or staff ID if visiting with an organisation. Please contact us directly on 01623 552276 or email [email protected]. We will be happy to discuss your needs and book tickets for you.

Assistance/guide dogs are welcome at Sherwood Observatory. They must never be left unattended anywhere in the grounds. Please ensure that you bring water and toileting equipment with you.

Our address is Coxmoor Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield, NG17 5LF

Our What 3 Words address is ///moon.ridge.soon

Please find our full directions here.

There is a small car park on site, so please lift share or use public transport where possible. We have a few electric vehicle charging points available.

Please see our visiting us page for more information on transport options.

All the Planetarium shows use audio to create imact alongside the visual display. Some visitors might find that they are sensitive to the noise, and you are welcome to bring ear defenders or noise cancelling headphones if that is the case.

Photography is not allowed within the Science Centre, Observatory or Planetarium due to the copyright of our exhibits and shows. Personal photography is permitted in other areas on site, however taking and storing images of other visitors without their consent is not permitted. Please see our terms and conditions.

If you have booked a ticket or gift voucher and can’t locate your booking confirmation or tickets please:

• Check your spam folder first.
• For open events and Planetarium shows you can attend without a QR code ticket as we can check your booking using your name and email address.
• For gift vouchers please contact us providing your booking reference (if you have one), the date of your transaction, the voucher amount, and your contact details so that we can resolve your query quickly.

All bookings are non-refundable. In the case you or member(s) of your group are unable to make it on the day, please contact us as soon as possible via the contact form. We will aim to accommodate you on another date. Please see our terms and conditions for more information.

If you have booked for a Planetarium show, your time slot is not transferable. If you arrive after your allocated time slot, the show may have already started and you may not be able to take your seat. We will do our best to accommodate you in a later showing, but at busy times this may not be possible.

We welcome group bookings and can tailor a visit programme to suit your preferences. For more information, please visit our schools or group booking pages.

Sherwood Observatory is the perfect unique location for birthday parties and special events. Contact us to discuss your event.

We provide digital gift vouchers for various amounts which are great as presents for friends and family.

They are digital vouchers, so you will receive an email confirmation with a code that can be used against future bookings on our website.

Please note that no physical vouchers are issued.

When you book please enter your voucher code before your name by clicking on the ‘Use promo, credit or voucher code’ text. Enter your code into the box that is revealed.

The ticketing system will apply your voucher to your booking. If there is any balance remaining, please pay by debit or credit card. Please note that you can’t select an amount to redeem; the ticketing system will apply whatever balance is available on your voucher.

Please join our mailing list for regular newsletters featuring the latest events and news from Sherwood Observatory.

We hope that you enjoyed your visit to Sherwood Observatory. We would love you to leave a Google or Tripadvisor review so that other visitors know how to find us.

If for any reason you experienced issues making your booking or during your visit the best way to contact us is by telephone on 01623 552276 or by completing our contact form so that we can look into your complaint.

Please check the other FAQs before contacting us, including the information available on our Accessibility, Schools, Groups and other website pages. If you are unable to find the answer to your query, please contact us via our online form. Please note that Sherwood Observatory is largely run by volunteers, and as such, we are unable to always respond to messages straight away.