Camera Obscura Reviews

Fantastic place, plenty to see inside, suggest going about 3ish when its less busy. But the tickets you can use all day , so you come and go when you want for the day. It's worth a look when you visit Edinburgh xx

it was a brilliant experience that i highly reccommend vand the staff is really nice helpful and funny.

A very fun experience. I went there in a bit of a rush, only having an hour and a quarter to run around the place. I feel like I did get to enjoy most of it despite this. I loved the vortex and mirror maze. There was something fun to do around every corner, and a great photo opportunity too, which in today's mobile phone age is what people want. Due to having limited time, I didn't get to see the camera show, something for next time. I do wish I'd had more time there and I know that people often spend all day in the place. Sometimes it felt quite busy and I had to wait to use certain things (I did go on a Saturday afternoon though, and probably got more frustrated from waiting due to my time constrictions.).

This was a really cool way to break up our day in Edinburgh. Travelling with our 13 and 10 yr old this was the perfect level of interest for them after having taken them to the national gallery. Every floor pulled them in and they both used the binoculars at the top to look at the fantastic city scape. The camera obscura was amazing. We did floor 4 and 5 then the top then floor 3 and 2 before visiting the shop. The shop was a bit pricey but then they always are in these places. The staff were very friendly and helpful and allowed us to leave our bags etc down stairs. This entrance is a little bit expensive in but for our family it was worth it.

Very nice experience with really great staff who are extremely friendly and helpful. You get an all day pass which enables you to come and go as you please throughout the day. If you arrive around or after sunset, you either get a discount on the day pass or you are offered a 2 day pass, so you can come the next day (also an unlimited amount of times) to watch a special show which requires daylight. Nice exhibits, some of which aren't as amazing due to the popularity of Snapchat and other programs which can also entertain with optical illusions!

Good time, lots of different things to see. Limited access due to no lift and steep steps, but this is due to the 400 year old building. Friendly staff and reasonable priced gift shop.

It's a good place to go, it was fun and interesting, although I think thikets are a bit expensive for what it's offered.

Highly recommend this. The show at the top was great and the girl that did it was hilarious!

Very bad ventilation. You really have to work on that. That's why 4 stars. Few visitors gave so bad smell of alcoholic beverages and place around them stayed stinky all the time as no fresh air flow. Bad for children. But it's really amazing place to take kids. I loved the view and a show. It was short but funny show. I loved the shop as well. It had so many visually lovely things there. We came really long way to visit this place. 8h drive and it was worth it. Wish to come again with improvements of ventilation:)

Fabulous and fun. We were there for over 2 hours and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Camera Obscura was inspiring!
To think that it was made so many years ago left us awestruck.
The World of Illusions is worth the trip as it is full of laughs that make your day!

Good attraction to visit if you're in the area. However I think the price is quite steep for what it has to offer.

Nice place for a few hours. Not particularly informative but enjoyable nonetheless. I was underwhelmed by the Camera Obscura itself but it was a fun time.

Loved it! It's loads of fun. Tip: don't go alone! Most of the things to do are for two people ;)

Lots of really fun and interesting exhibits. Especially enjoyed the mirror maze and spinning walkway.

Great views from the roof, but we went late in the afternoon in winter so we didn't get a full demonstration of the Camera Obscura. Still really impressive with what we could see and we got to have a go at controlling it.

Excellent experience and illusions are wonderful to see.

The camera obscura is amazing, we went on a cloudy day so couldn't see things as clearly but was still great to see Edinburgh in this very ancient technologic way. The illusions on the floors leading up to the obscura where great, lots of fun! You get a stamp on your hand so you can go back all day if you wish too.

Great place to go even without children.
Fascinating exhibits to look at. A lot of the exibits are interactive and a couple of them will blow your mind like the mirror maze and the vortex tunnel.
Worth visiting.

Fantastic, fun experience which is highly recommended.

Its a beautiful place to visit. Its a must go place for every age group people. we had great time with friends . it was a fun filled day.

Loved it, was a great way to spend my time in Edinburgh and was very safe after covid-19 with everyone wearing masks and staff cleaning surfaces whilst you are in there.

Such a fun way to spend a day! Five floors of freaky fantasy and scientific wonder, great show on the roof by Andrew ( Brad Pitt )

The kids had a great time there, good entertainment and friendly people

Brilliant for kids and adults... a bit pricey but worth it

A really great attraction which will keep adults and kids alike entertained for a good couple of hours. Visitors will have smiles aplenty during that time! I'm not going to give too much else away, because the place is full of surprises which I wouldn't want to spoil!
It's so good it has become very popular and as such, very busy in the peak tourist months. I heard recently that they started opening in the evenings, which might be less crowded I'd guess.

Interesting place with a lot to see... But it can be difficult to move or test/see things because of the crowd...

Amazing place, interesting and fun. Would definitely go again. Special mention to James who worked the camera on top. Fun and kept it interesting. If you are in the area I would definatly pay it a visit

Some nice effects, but a lot of old stuff. Needs an update

Just brilliant....can't imagine anyone going to this place and not enjoying themselves. Lots of stuff to make you go WOW!! The spinning light tunnel thing was amazing, as was the mirror maze plus countless other exhibits. Loved it!

Camera Obscura is a must visit place in Edinburgh. Full of fun and amazing things to experience there with friends and family. We spent a good 4-5 hours inside. Loved the Mirror maze, Infinity Corridor and boy oh boy "The Vortex Tunnel"

The illusions are amazing. Great place for kids or a bunch of crazy friends that will indulge...

A great stop nearby the Edinburgh castle. It's 5 floors and not the largest, but contains a lot of fun things to mess with and ponder on. Start at the top for the camera obscura "show" then visit each floor coming back down. Each floor is a different theme.

What an amazing adventure we had there. A real test for the brain and the eye.

Located just down from Edinburgh Castle - Camera Obscura is a much better bet/value if you have children.

Spread over 6 floors - this attraction is full of optical illusions and interesting tricks and interactive displays.

There is lots of fun to be had here for families and the young at heart - although be warned I don't think there is a lift and the stairs are fairly steep.. And lots of them.

We arrived around 10:30am and had to queue for about 10 minutes - you start on the top floor and are given a fun demonstration of the actual camera obscura before you can then descend one floor at a time - each floor has a theme.

I thought the actual camera Obscura was very interesting, but my kids loved all of it especially the vortex and the mirror maze.

Your ticket lasts all day so you can come back, but when we left the queue was right down the street so get their early.

There is a gift shop with the usual tourist fare and some neat tricks - but I'm deducting a star because there were a few very prominent items with swear words on the cover/box ... And although they had an explicit warning sign next to them - it didn't hide the word and they were in reach of kids - considering EVERYONE in the shop had kids with them I thought
It was inappropriate.

Overall I'd recommend - especially for families, we enjoyed it and it was good fun!

Really enjoyed it, fun thing to do do when it's cold outside, staff were helpful and it was a great few hours,you can also leave and come back later in the day, which is a fab idea

What an amazing and unique spectacle! Absolutely delighted with the whole experience. There was a talk from Jeremy inside the Camera Obscura itself on the top floor which was very informative, fun and interesting. My partner and I had a lot of fun and will be going back soon!

Great place to visit. Plenty of interactive exhibits

Excellent. I loved it, my 3.5 year old loved it. We arrived early as we left the crowds were getting harder work. Staff were great.

Really enjoyed this place. Worth visiting as a local and as a tourist. The price was reasonable. We enjoyed every level of the building which were all crammed with great illusions and things to do. There wasn't too many people which may have affected the experience as it's only a small building. We also thought it was very considerate that they include alcohol hand gel for your usage as a lot of the exhibits are interactive. The view from the top was also great and would be somewhere worth viewing the sunset from - which you could do as you get a stamp so you can return any time on the day you visit. The view was affected only by the stands on the parade ground currently in place which meant you couldn't see the castle. Finally the staff were lovely and every person we interacted with was kind, friendly and funny. All in all an enjoyable experience.

Waaaay worth it. Rarely do you find a place that both the kids and the parents love. This is that place. At first I was wondering, why am I going into this place when I m in Edinburg. But when I started on the second floor, I realize it was the perfect place for a family. This place keeps you engaged. It s great fun for the kids and for the parents.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to an "Evening of Wonder" at Camera Obscura and had an amazing time. The venue has been on my "to visit" list for some time after hearing great things about it from my niece (who insisted on going twice in one day on her last visit!), and I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint.

Set on five floors, each has it's own unique feel. From holograms that react to the direction you view them (remember the rulers you used to have in school which worked the same way!) to interactive games you play with a friend, each exhibit will instill some sense of wonder!

A great day out for all the family.

Fun place to visit; great views. A little bit pricey.

Six floors of creative, curious, particular and amazing things.
If you are in Edinburgh you really need to take two hours and go here to play and see things from another point of view.
The magic tunnel was really funny and I also loved the shop at the end of the museum.

Great afternoon here. Good laugh and great for kids.

Great for all ages, loads to see and do! Unparalleled views from the top.

Not quite what I've expected, suggested by the name, but a nice place to be.
Do recommend, but can be quite busy.

Quite the best tourist attraction I have ever been to! Plenty to keep the big kids/adults entertained too and you can come and go all day. We spent an amazing couple of hours here

Great place for kids. All of the floors provide entertaining and fun things to do. The show was fantastic even. The only thing I would say is choose your day carefully. We went on a day where it was very cloudy and misty which hindered the view from the tower. Would definetly go back

We went at night and were offered 10% off or free entry for a different day as the camera Obscura needs daylight to work properly however we still managed to have a great look with it the talk by the dark haired lady was fantastic she was really knowledgeable and funny.

This was fun.

That is all.

I'm not going to obscure the facts here.

Great family day out, busy so plan ahead. Staff very friendly and helpful.

Did not know what to expect, but it was amazing and so much fun! Great view up the top too.

Best place ever. I loved every minute of it and how it is child friendly.

Great day out for the family. Great for the little ones as they can touch everything

Very fun place to go, was my first time in Edi and got to enjoy views of the caste from there

Great attraction! Quirky and interesting exhibitions, this place is all about optical illusions and trickery. Best part is the working camera obscura right at the top of the building.

This place is great fun for all ages, some great optical illusions to see and interactive stuff to do. The view of Edinburgh from the top of the tower is amazing. Well worth a visit

A must to visit in Edinburgh. You wont be disappointed. They have over 4 floors offering very intriguing experiences.

They also have special shows, make sure to ask for the timings from the counter. On the top floor you can view the city in panorama.

Their ticket also allows you to come back at any time during the day.

Did not expect much, but good to keep you entertained for a couple of hours. Some of the stuff is quite interesting, especially the time warp and the electric lights.

Take care with this place!! I don't get easily dizzy but I got a bit here and took me a while to recover. It has 6 floors with interesting stuff for your eyes and some science stuff as well. The views from the top are decent. The main attraction here is the obscure chamber, a very old attraction that is nice. It'll take you at least a couple of hours to see this place.

Great for kids (age 5+ as it can be a bit overwhelming) also everyone inside was so nice and very understanding for the families with children.

Really cool on the inside, and the outside views were gorgeous. The illusions themselves were pretty fun, but the part in the camera obscura a little boring, would have preferred if you aimed specifically to the public. For example, not talking too much about how you can play with the projection if there were no kids in the audience but rather explaining the mechanism behind it The shop is extremely interesting, would recommend!

This place is so much fun! Takes a while to get around and look at everything! Best to go early in the day, we went late afternoon and it was very busy and we couldn't interact with everything there. Great for kids and adults!

If you only visit one tourist attraction in Edinburgh, make it this one! And you don't even need to bring the kids - a 60+ y.o. colleague and I went there while planning a guided tour, and had an absolute blast! We started with a show at the Camera Obscura itself at the top of the building, and then worked our way down through the different rooms and floors. There's all sort of illusions, spinning tunnels and mirrored paths, and I could easily have spent even longer there. This is definitely something I will recommend to everyone visiting the city from now on.

Great attraction. Fun for kids and adults, would recommend to spend 2-3 hours

Time well spent! Got lost in the illusions. Was alot of fun

fun and fantasy corner with illusion ad mirror games, felt like 5 again.

Great exhibits go early to use the camera and it can be busy

Great fun and experience our 8 and 6 year old loved it.

Spent a good couple of hours wandering around the different floors. A definitive place to visit if you are in Edinburgh.

Superb place for adults and kids .Should not be missed during Edinburgh visit

Wow. Its an amazing experiwnce to be at Camera Obscura.. Its an experience I would highly recommend. It has 6 floors and a ticket costs approximately 16 Pounds/ adult. The place ia full of illusions and mind tricks, each floor has some specific unique experiences. Your tour starts from 6th where you can take some beautiful shots of ediburgh city and at same floor they have a special show in which city is shown via mirror effects in dark room and amazing friendly staff do tricks while showing mirror effects like at my visit presenting lady picked moving car on her hand which was actually moving on the road.. So I recommend if you are visiting edinburgh don't miss it. Staff is very welcoming and you'll have fun.

Lovely place to spend the afternoon and get some giggles. Start from top first!

Loved it, such a unique and fun thing to do while in Edinburgh!

Genuinely interesting and fun place to visit, even if you're not taking children around !

Loved this place. A world of illusions, plenty of things on each floor for the kids and adults to explore.

Excellent views from the terrace and the show on the terrace was amazing to know how a periscope is used to spy people in the entire city ;)

Vortex, glass maze, make your own kaleidoscope, light illusions and the terrace show were our favorites.