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Renfrewshire Community Plan 2008 - 2017 Coats Observatory
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Coats Observatory is the oldest public observatory in Scotland and was gifted to the people of Paisley by Thomas Coats and designed by Glasgow Architect John Honeyman, Coats Observatory opened in 1883 and has been welcoming everyone with an interest in astronomy ever since.
The observatory also has a planetarium which gives visitors a tour of the night sky without having to leave the comfort of their chair.
The observatory also has a planetarium which gives visitors a tour of the night sky without having to leave the comfort of their chair.
Wonders of the night sky
*NEWS UPDATE* Due to unforeseen circumstances for the next 6 weeks evening tours of the Observatory will be replacing the winter viewings. Please note the telescopes will not be in operation during this time. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Tuesdays and Thursdays (1 November 2011 - 29 March 2012)
Coats Observatory
6.30pm - 9.00pm (last entry 8.45pm)
£FREE
During the winter months, the observatory is open for night sky telescope viewing depending on the weather. These sessions are free and there is no need to book. On clear nights, the telescope is trained on the moon, the planets and other interesting sights in the sky.
If the weather is poor
Telescope viewings, whether night sky or solar, need clear skies and low wind. If a scheduled telescope viewing can't go ahead for some reason, alternatives like planetarium shows will be arranged.
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Getting there
The observatory is easy to got to using public transport, and only a five minute walk from Paisley Gilmour Street Station. This is a ten minute regular train journey from Glasgow Central Station.
You can plan your journey using the Traveline Scotland website
Coats Observatory welcomes all visitors.
We very much want our visitors to benefit from the full visitor experience at Paisley Museum, including Coats Observatory.
We would like to advise that access to Coats Observatory will now be via Paisley Museum only. In order to enhance the customer experience of this unique building, visitors will be able to explore the Observatory through organised tours run throughout the day.The Oakshaw Street entrance to the Observatory will only be used outwith normal opening hours (for example during winter viewing nights).
As the Observatory is a listed building there are restrictions on modifications which can be made, both internally and externally. Level access to the Observatory foyer is available via Oakshaw Street. The rest of the building is accessible only using stairs and is unsuitable for visitors with mobility problems.
We are hoping to introduce, in the near future, a virtual tour of the building accessible using a PC, and to install equipment to allow us to transmit telescope images from the dome to the ground floor.
On Tuesday and Thursday nights during the winter months the observatory is open for telescope viewings of the night sky. There are now telescopes located in the Observatory Garden to allow visitors unable to access the dome the experience of telescope observation first hand.
We hope that everyone enjoys their visit to Coats Observatory. We appreciate that we may not always get it right and would welcome your suggestions regarding our accessibility or any other aspect of your visit.
Opening hours
- Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 4pm (closed for lunch 1pm - 2pm)
- Sunday 2pm - 5pm
- Winter Viewing evenings (1 November 2011 - 29 March 2012) 6.30pm - 9.00pm (last entry 8.45pm)
- Solar viewings (June - September) 2pm - 4pm
- email: ram.els@renfrewshire.gov.uk
- phone: 0141 889 2013 (Coats Observatory)
- visit: 49 Oakshaw Street West, Paisley, PA1 2DE
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