Orwell Astronomical Society (Ipswich)
Visit Orwell Park Observatory
Taster evenings provide an opportunity for individuals to visit Orwell Park Observatory. They are also ideal for prospective members of OASI to attend before joining.
Taster evenings start at 8.00pm on the following dates:
Places on taster evenings must be booked in advance. Demand is high so we ask you to book in good time - we cannot accommodate last-minute requests!
We ask for a minimum donation of £5 per visitor (payable during the visit) to assist with running costs of the observatory.
Email us to arrange a taster evening at tour@oasi.org.uk. Please provide a contact email address and telephone number.
We open Orwell Park Observatory by arrangement for visits by groups (e.g. social clubs, Scouts, hobby groups, etc). We host visits on Thursday evenings starting at 8.00pm.
Group visits must be booked in advance. We ask you to book in good time - we cannot accommodate last-minute requests!
We charge £60 for a visit by an adult group and £40 for a youth group.
Email us to arrange a group visit at tour@oasi.org.uk. Please indicate the number of visitors and provide a contact email address and telephone number.
For taster evenings and group visits, enter at red marker ("observatory entrance").
Two or more experienced members of OASI are assigned to host each taster evening and group visit. They will generally cover the following topics, although these can be varied depending on the particular interests of visitors:
We aim to hold open evenings approximately annually. They provide an opportunity to visit Orwell Park Observatory and, if the sky is clear, to look through the historic Tomline Refractor in the observatory and a variety of smaller telescopes situated in the grounds.
Our next open evenings are on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 October 2025. More information.