Royal Observatory, Greenwich

An admission charge (which serves as an annual pass allowing for repeat visits) applies to parts of the magnificent Royal Observatory site at the top of the hill in Greenwich Park. The Meridian Line Courtyard and its buildings (Flamsteed House, the Meridian building and the Time galleries and horology centre, which map the quest of astronomers who attempted to pin down the elusive concept of time) are now subject to the admission charge. The Royal Observatory, founded in 1675 by Charles II, also features the following areas which are still free of charge: six astronomy galleries, a science and astronomy education centre and the Peter Harrison Planetarium. Among the exhibits are a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite and a bronze cone, part of the building, tilted at 51.5 degrees (the latitude of Greenwich) that points to the North Star. Separate admission charges apply to the excellent daily shows in the only public planetarium in the UK, which include 'Sky tonight Live', atour of that night's sky with a Royal Observatory astronomer.