Camera Obscura Reviews

Fun place for friends and families. I absolutely loved the camera show. It was entertaining even though it was a simple affair. The rest of the exhibits are pretty hands-on so there's lots of fun involved.

Was good interesting exhibits great place to take kids

A really fun experience. You start with the eponymous Camera Obscura on top of the building, where you also have wonderful views over Edinburgh. After that, 4 other floors filled with fun experiments, mind tricks and similar.

One of the most unusual museums in Edinburgh. Great views from the top terrace on the castle, the Royal Mile, and the New city. Many unusual exhibits about the optical illusions, human vision and how to trick it. The kids loved it.

Great experience however the vortex tunnel gages me motion sickness- I still enjoyed my time.

Great experience, really enjoy the guide Simon has fantastic people skills and was fun

A really fun afternoon and makes for some really good pictures. Really good for a family or a small group of friends but can get really busy.

Now this is something out of the ordinary! Second floor is the best and the top floor show can be skipped, but yet, its definitely worth a 5 star rating

Great place to explore with the kids. Go early, it gets very busy after 11am

The reason that I loved this place is because of the illusions that I interacted with during my vist. My favorite floor was #2.My favorite activity was the miror maze and the spinning tunnel where it feels like you are spinning but you actually are not; the tunnel is spinning. The mirror maze is a maze of mirrors. You put on gloves to make sure that you don't get smudges on the mirrors. Floor 4 is really cool too. It is about electricity and light. It was really fun I hope you go there and enjoy the fun activites like I did peace out .

This place was interesting and more geared towards kids and young adults. However, be prepared for a lot of pushing and shoving by kids.

Couldn't recommend more how to blow ur mind with something right in front of u!!

Fantastic time. Could have spent the whole day here. Great for adults and kids. Look out for the Vortex at the end on level 2....

Cant believe I haven't visited sooner. An amazing place and they've put great covid measures in place.

Spent 2 hours here. Lots of fun. Definitely recommend

Such a funny and interesting place. You will all laugh and take some great pictures. You can spend as long as you like in there. Great value for money and great for all the family

Super cool for children and adults. The camera obscura itself it is an impressive experience that is worth a trip. The rest of the exhibition is extremely interesting and support entertaining, including a myriad of optical illusions.

They also help a lot for group visits and birthday parties.

Just great.

Enjoyed it more than expected but don't bother with the Obscura if cloudy.

When I bring people to Edinburgh i generally bring them to camera obscura. it is different enough that it is normally a hit. It's a little pricey but then again this is edinburgh.

Highly recommended for anyone who has not visited.

While the camera itself is historical and will never change this seems to be the case for many of the other items in the building. If you have been once there is no need to return.

A lovely idea of the Camera Obscura. Do not miss the show. It's the best part. The views of the city are awesome. Lots of visual Illusions.

Fantastic and fun place although a little overpriced if doing on it's own, better with an Edinburgh pass. Have been a few times and enjoyed it each time. Our 6 year old girl loved it here and I think would go again.

lots of interesting illusions, interactive exhibits and amazing views of the city from up on the roof

Fantastic family-adventure! Book in advance, if you can.

Really great place if you fancy something different! Very fun!

Good hands on entertainment. Very crowded at peak times but the further up you go, the more the crowds thin out as people leave. Long distance glasses advised if you are short sighted for the camera obscura itself which is the show on the top floor

One of the best tourist places in Edinburgh to visit. People of all ages will be happy to see the optical illusions.

Great fun, if you manage to stay on your feet the whole way through then well done!

I loved it and I would recommend going in the mirror maze and the vertex tunnel but all of the other people ruined my experience a bit. They all crowded around the best things and were loud and noisy. I know this would happen anywhere but it still wasn't very nice.

It's great fun and the staff are friendly. The rotating vortex tunnel was the highlight for me.

Just brilliant. Definitely go, if your jn the area go!

The best thing in Edinburgh to spend your money on - I loved it, the kids loved it and they want to go again already!

Was great to see so many differnt illusions, the camera show at the end could have been better but to be fair it was a bit cloudy when we went so the light didn't work as well

Great attraction for families and kids of all ages. History and entertainment combine in one spiral staircase. The views of Edinburgh from the top are spectacular

This is a 5/5 outing. Great fun and giggles to be had, I can recommend going to this place enough. My partner and I also thought Camera Obscura would be a great place for a first date!! remember to take your camera the cool photo opportunities are everywhere - Enjoy!!

I've been to a few 'world of illusion' type of attractions and this one for me is hands down the best. It's huge. There is so much to see and do. Good for all ages. It took me and my wife around an hour and a half to do the whole thing, and is definitely worth every penny.

Vortex tunnel was awesome, and also the view from the top

Lots of fun things to look at and play with, the vortex being a particularly favourite one of mine!

Nestled next to Edinburgh castle and all its rich history is a decidedly more modern and fun spot. I loved it as much as my kids did. Optical illusions are a huge part of this attraction, but not the only part.

And then from the roof you have an amazing panorama view of the city.

Some parts of the exhibition are well done. Others could be improved. Newest developments in 3D and VR and AR are completely missing. Upgrade of the exhibition is recommended.

Had a fabulous morning here. The talk was fun and educational. Brilliant interactive things to do.Even the toilets are great

Fantastic attraction. Loads of really interesting things to do and see. Comes very highly recommended. A great visit for the whole family. X

Every time we come here it s magical. We love Edinbourgh. Absolutely recommendable. Be sure to Plan in some waiting time in the holiday season.

Fun for everyone, even doggies! Not accessible by pram or wheelchair.

Great experience for all ages. Don't be put off by the price there's lots to do and great value for money. You can come and go over the cause of the day. Awesome fun

The staff were all absolutely lovely, so friendly and helpful

Quirky fun for all the family. Our little one year old had a blast.

Gets very busy but 2hrs good solid fun for the kids

Fun for all ages. See the world differently through a series of optical illusions, tricks and games.

Great fun! You can even come back on the same day after you leave which is an extra bonus

Excellent place to go for exploring camera vision illusions.

Very nice experience, good fun for all ages. A must try. Nice view of the city as well from the roof

While admittedly on the pricy side in terms of admission it is definitely worth it. It's more of a family outing - with plenty of Illusions and digital trickery best suited to young kids and play spaces that would keep them occupied (and free admission for under 5's). Inside are multiple floors - each revolving around a specific theme and housing a wide assortment of optical illusions. From mirror mazes, through perspective tricks and experimental art exhibits it's a tight and focused venue that is refreshing when compared to most that can feel a bit bloated, diluted and empty - torn between too many different ideas and showcases. Your ticket allows you to exit and enter and explore at your own leisure however be aware that on buying tickets you will be allocated a time slot for a special presentation that takes place on the top floor (and is weather dependent!) that basically lets you look around the city from a nice vantage point while a tour guide teaches you more about the various locations. All in all, neither the relatively high price nor the admittedly small number of total exhibits change the fact that Camera Obscura is a recommended visit for anyone in town and one of the more interesting and unique venues you can find. Plus, it's a convenient pit stop on the way to and from the castle

Full of interesting and mind bending exhibits with lovely views of Edinburgh from the roof.

If you get bored of Scotland's beautiful and historic sights or even if you're enjoying it, you should go to this place. You can have some real fun while witnessing these illusions. The telescope thingy on top was also a fun attraction. I'll definitely go here when u visit Edinburgh again.

Pretty cool spot for families and fun. It's 5 or so floors of optical illusions, most of the displays are also interactive which is neat. During busy times it would be pretty tight in there, go during a slower period. The top floor is a rooftop lookout point that has some nice views of the Royal Mile.

This place is mind blowing. Loved the vortex tunnel, went through it 3 times.

Far too many good things to say about this place. Just go. You'll love it!

Had so much fun experiencing everything, great for every age!

Awesome - kids and adults would equally enjoy the illusions

Excellent entertainment. Lots to see (Edinburgh) and plenty of interactive events.

Loads of things to see, touch and do. Awesome family fun. The Vortex tunnel is excellent!

Great fun. We spent around 2 1/2 hours with our 9 year old in there. Turned out to be great value

A must-see if you're in Edinburgh. Great illusions and great views of Edinburgh from the roof.

Amazing experience! Totally worthy if you are visiting Edinburgh. It's a must if you like optical illusions, psychedelic light patterns and weird stuff. Recommended for all ages. The best things were the tunnel and the mirror maze!

Cool if you love science and cool if you don t! Nice place to visit.

Absolutely fantastic place. Well worth a visit if in Edinburgh. Great fun and laughs to be had

Loads to do and lots of optical illusions it certainly kept us busy for about half a day. The stairs between floors can be quite narrow, it is quite an old building though and so is to be expected. Really good view of Edinburgh from the top as well.

There is so much fun to be had in here for both children and adults. Staff member Christine, who hosted our show on the top level, was funny and accommodating to my daughters fear of the dark in the show. The illusions were so entertaining that we ended up spending a couple of hours in here.

An exciting adventure of the senses. My eyes haven't yet recovered

Impressive rooms, full of illusions but most impressive is the top floor : a dark room where you can see a live view of the city.

Brilliant place for kids, only down side is alot of stairs but well worth a visit

The Camera Obscura itself was interesting and historic but the rest was more like a carnival midway in terms of entertainment. The price of admission was (in my own opinion) not worth the value received. The staff was very nice though do not their fault.

Great fun for the whole family. Camera Obscura has lots of amazing things to see and do. Light effects, optical illusions, practical activities for adults and children to experiment. My daughter had an amazing time both times we went. She liked the spinning corridor and wanted to go again and again. The rooftop terrace offers breathtaking 360 degree views of Edinburgh. And the gift shop has lots of good gizmos for children of all ages and their parents.
Highly recommended

I visited the camera obscura when they opened their doors for a special late night event for Google city experts. It was such a curious and fun place to visit, I certainly will go again.
The staff seemed genuinely passionate about the exhibits and took the time to speak to the visitors. Amazing fun.

Unbelievanle experience!!! Jad so much fun althougj i visitted alone! 5 floors (or 4 dont remember for sure;p) full of crazy and fascinating stuff! Illusions mainly but aalll kind of illusions. Make you take a different perspective on things you think you know as well. The top floor is worth getting up the stairs!! Very nice view of Edinburgh!!

Great day out for the whole family. Camera Obscura offers six floors housing a plethora of weird and wonderful optical illusions. The views from the top of the building are a bonus.

Fantastic place, well worth the money. Great for all the family. Topped off with the amazing view of the beautiful city of Edinburgh & beyond! Friendly staff too