Royal Observatory Greenwich

Until the middle of the 19th century, pretty much every place in the country had its own time, defined by the sun. Then the smart folk at the Royal Observatory standardized it and made things way easier.

As the home of Greenwich Mean Time, there’s all sorts of time-related stuff to do here, like standing on the Prime Meridian of the World. It’s the line that divides the Earth into East and West Hemispheres, so you can grab a pic with your feet in different time zones.

You’ll also see the Shepherd gate clock – the first timepiece to show GMT to the public. And the Octagon Room’s worth a look too (designed by Christopher Wren for the first Astronomer Royal). Get your Royal Observatory Greenwich tickets here to see it all for yourself!

It’s not all about time though. You can also get spaced out at the planetarium, with family-friendly shows that take you different moons and planets, and into the birth, life, and death of stars. Please don’t ask staff if they’ve got the right time though – they might just clock you one.