Sherwood Observatory

WHAT IT’S LIKE

A planetarium and observatory near Mansfield where kids get hands-on with telescopes at open events, arrive early to explore the exhibition and grab a bite at the volunteer-run café first.

Sherwood Observatory is a charity-run science centre and planetarium just outside Sutton-in-Ashfield, built around a working observatory telescope, a wrap-around planetarium, a radio astronomy centre and a new exhibition housed in a Victorian underground reservoir. Families can come to watch a 360-degree planetarium show, explore the exhibition, and at open events get hands-on with telescopes for stargazing or safe solar viewing, reviewers mention young space-obsessed children being thrilled and volunteers happily talking kids through everything. You can arrive up to an hour before your show to look round the exhibition and grab something from the on-site café, which is run by students and volunteers from a local further education trust (worth checking it's open on the day of your visit, as it isn't guaranteed). There's a lift for step-free access to some areas, though using the main telescope itself involves climbing steps, smaller telescopes outside are used as an alternative for those who can't manage them. It sits on Coxmoor Road next to Coxmoor Golf Course, about 3 miles south of Mansfield, and there's on-site parking including provision for accessible parking and EV charging on request for group visits. Good for all ages according to reviews, one visitor took a 5-year-old who was 'thrilled to bits', another brought a family of 5 to a planetarium show for around £33 total. School visits (half or full day) include a 20-30 minute planetarium show, an observatory tour, solar telescope viewing (weather permitting), hands-on science activities like building a Mars rover or a comet from dry ice, and a look at the reservoir exhibition, priced at £180 for state-funded/SEND schools or £210 for fee-paying schools for up to 30 pupils, plus a £50 non-refundable deposit. Home Education sessions run monthly, designed by home educators for home educators.