Visiting the observatory is where the adventure really begins. After your drive through some of the most spectacular countryside in the whole of the UK, you arrive at the forest track leading up to our amazing facility. Any visit to Kielder is truly magical, the drive up, along the forest roads within Kielder, which plays host to over 50% of the entire red squirrel population in the UK alone, will leave you breathless with excitement.

Wherever you come from, we know you’ll be taken aback by the wondrous countryside, and above all, our amazing dark skies.

Please note that visiting the Observatory during the evenings is only possible if you have booked an event ticket and is the only time vehicle access is permitted. We are not open to visitors who are not booked on events. To book your event ticket, please have a look on our events page.

The observatory is clearly signposted from the main “C200” road, do not turn off this main road until you see the sign "Kielder Skyspace and Observatory". For those of you with a Sat Nav the nearest postcode is NE48 1ER however this is for Kielder Village and following your Sat Nav to this destination may leave you lost – stay on the main road and look for the observatory signpost!

Alternatively you can use What3words here - https://w3w.co/tickles.path.tangling, if you switch to satellite view you can see the observatory and car park quite clearly

Sometimes it is necessary for the gate that allows access up the forest track to be locked — if you arrive to find the gate locked please park in the nearby car park and await a member of staff.

Nearby Facilities

Kielder village also has a petrol station which has 24/7 service using a credit or debit card, and is less than 2 miles from the observatory itself. The town of Bellingham which is a few miles away also has a small supermarket, open until 8pm most weekdays for essentials you may wish to collect on the way to the observatory. If you are in Kielder earlier in the day, the village shop is also available for similar items.