Camera Obscura Reviews

Great place to visit, very entertaining. Amazed how old the Obscura is. The whole family was entertained and very helpful

enjoyed a lot.. worth more than the ticket. though the city camera is not enjoyable when its cloudy

Amazing museum. If you are in Edinburgh you should have been here. It is 16 pounds for An adult and you can stay here for around 2 tot 4 hours. If you have children they wil absolutely love this "museum" and be mindblown by some stuff. Its also really funny to Spy on people from the roof with the binoculairs.
The actual camera obscura is very deaf friendly. They have papers with all kinds of languages with what the presenter says.

Excellent attraction great way to spend an afternoon very helpful and friendly staff a credit to Edinburgh

Fantastic experience. Staff are so friendly and there is so much to do and see. Loved every minute.

Amazing experience! It's great for all audiences, from little kids to older people. Even my grandma who does not speak english well enjoyed it.

The only thing that bugged me a bit is that no one explained how a camera obscura works even though that is the main attraction. They show you what you can see with the camera, but that's it. Also, the lady that showed the camera obscura talked a little bit too fast and - as non native speakers - it was a little hard to follow.

Still, i would totally recommend to visit the camera obscura to everyone that happens to be in Edinburgh! You won't regret it!

(Tip: Go there in the late evening because there are a lot of people during the day. The camera obscura is opened until 10pm so I would recommend going in at around 7:30pm to have enough time to explore everything)

Very intresting and fun! Jamie is such a funny guy.

Loved this place, well worth it, especially on a sunny day when the camera will be clearer.

Amazing Trip, an Edinburgh must.
The staff is so nice and helpful.
We had so much Fun, you will need minimum 2 to 3 hours to see and experience all at Camera Obscura.

This place was awesome but packed full of children so maybe go later in the day if your not a fan of that.

Surprisingly fun, it's easy to think it's just the regular cheesy carnival attractions but the staff really made all the difference and made it a fun experience. The best attractions were the vortex and the camera obscura ( presented by Blaine).

Great experience. Good for family. A lot of attractions.

Really fun few hours spent with my 13 year old son , who also enjoyed his time here .

New experience and you can learn everything about illusion here. There is the best of each categorize on each floor which worth visiting .

The whole trip took around 2 hours.

Great experience for adults and kids friendly staff enjoyed.

Go and check it out, this place is amazing!!! You will be surprised! Highly recommended to take in consideration the queue, as it can be really long.
Cherry on the cake the stuff, super nice and funny. Must see.

I really enjoyed going here with family and friends

Amazing experience for myself and family, even the 20 month old had a great time due to the interactive displays and friendly staff.

Might seem expensive but clean and well maintained all displays were working and the procedures for covid-19 were spot on.

Amazing. Great mix of illusions and history. Well worth the visit.

Loved it! So many things to see and do... My four years old loved it too! We will come back!

Me and my partner had a lots of fun inside. We enjoyed everything there and felt like a kids again. I like the mirror maze and thermometer camera the best. Plus the views of the Castle and city on the top are amazing. Definitely reccommend for family with kids but also for a couple it is funny experience.
Only negative was we booked the last slot so we didn't have a lot of time there.We would stay longer as hour and half.
I definitely reccommend for everyone, good value for money.

Absolutely fantastic place could spend hours in there. Plenty to see and do , see how long you can last in the spinning vortex that's a challenge for you !

Would highly recommend you visit whilst in Edinburgh for a few hours of fun n laughter

It's a must visit for kids especially in the age group of 9 and above

The camera obscura at the top of this four-story building offers cool views of historic Edinburgh. And the optical illusions that fill the other stories are fun and educational.

Really enjoyable place. Great value for money. Friendly staff too

Very fun and cool exhibits but too busy! Maybe they could let fewer in at a time or something.

This place is so awesome. Totally worth going to. Especially as it is so close to the castle. Allow yourself 1.5 hours MINIMUM.. but that is flying through. 2.5 hours and it s not rushed and more fun. I won t give it away, just start on the top floor and work your way down (as opposed to starting at the bottom). Seems counter intuitive, but it s good. You guys are great. friendly staff. We lost some stuff there and got it the next day no problems.

Well worth a visit, lots of interaction. Good for kids and big kids like me.

Excellent and very entertaining day out. Highly recommend

Unique and entertaining museum located at the top of the Royal Mile. Focusing on optical illusions, the museum is spread across five floors and is great for adults and children alike. It is recommended to start at the top and work your way down, with lots of interactive exhibitions to keep you busy for around 2 hours. The roof terrace offers good views of the city centre, with the mirror maze, vortex tunnel and camera show, which was led by the wonderful Adrian, just some of the many highlights. Tickets can be booked in advance or on the door and despite being busy, there was barely any queue to get in. Highly recommended!

Weird and wacky artistic expressions, real good fun.

Very interesting experience! Very recommended. The price may be a little bit high, but the experience is worth it.

A must-visit place for all parents with children 5-15 yrs old.
It's hard to qualify the place as a museum as it also a splendid occasion to learn about science and stay entertained at the same time. Kids would love that for sure! On top of that - people who work there are really committed to their work and Edinburgh as well what makes it even more pleasant.
As a negative I count lack of lifts, but that's partly understandable due to building walls' limits.
Highly recommended.

Great fun! Lots of things to look at. Spent a good couple of hours here.

Was good fun, not worth the money being charged, it's more aimed at children and i definitely wouldn't go again. Only enjoyed a few of the activities.

This place is a must if your visiting Edinburgh it was amazingggg. Great for all ages too, fun day out. Plus you can pay in the morning then leave for dinner and return whenever you like that day which I thought was good

Great fun, lots to see and very interactive. A really enjoyable and different way to spend the afternoon.

My only negative was that I should have charged my phone - loved this place. So much to learn and so thoughtfully laid out.

A fantastic experience for the whole family. 6 floors of exhibitions and shows.

Fun for a rainy or cold day, lots of narrow stairs when going floor to floor. Good for families with kids.

Enjoyed Illusion experience. Recommend a visit if you get a chance

An interesting and engaging attraction, was good fun and the kids enjoyed it - would recommend. Also had great views of Edinburgh from the roof tops. Why not 5 stars? The museum isn t massive and was really busy when we went so (not the museums fault) but had to queue and wait to see a few parts, and had to deal with a few rude visitors pushing past in a couple of the compact areas. Just my/our unfortunate experience though. Really enthusiastic and helpful staff.

Perfect place to have fun with or without children. Awesome staff, genuinely polite and cool young people.

Great experience wee grandson loved it staff very nice

Brilliant place, so many interesting things to look at and interact with. The show at the end is very funny.

100% worth the money! Staff was really friendly and gave us plenty of information. Took us 2 hours to get through the 6 floors and the panorama view at the top was breathtaking!

The best and only place to see all of Edinburgh in one go!

Fun time, great for kids and adults, but avoid the VOTEX if you've a weak stomach (or are jet-lagged) :D

Very fun and interactive. Nothing like it so a must visit! Kids and adults love it

Brilliant exhibition only marked down because of accessibility

Five stars! I was finally tall and skinny in one day. Best diet method.

Wicked is all i can say, don't miss this out in your journey or adventure on things to do when in Edinburgh, fantastic, it will make you laugh a lot.

In addition too this dan is good at what he does on the top floor.

thanks

Ian.

Lots of fun for kids and adults

Well organised and not too crowded.

The vortex tunnel was great fun.

The actual display that is the namesake of the place was closed - I did not ask whether it was covid related or not

I wish we had been told when booking - if you are desperate to see the camera obscura itself then you should enquire.

Brilliant , operating one way system , very clean and well organised.

One of our favourite family days out. Great fun for the whole family.

Interesting and a little different!

While I love going to history and art museums, when you're on a trip, it can be a little over saturated when you're going daily. Camera obscura was a nice little creative break between the classical museums. My husband and I loved the more physical illusions (mirror maze, infinity wall, etc). Some of the stuff of the illusions are things you've probably seen your whole life, but those are great for the little ones who haven't really been exposed to those yet.

We spent about an hour here and had a great time. We didn't stay for the show at the end (we would have had to wait an hour) and friends of ours said we didn't miss much, so I don't regret my decision on that! Would definitely suggest this place if you're looking for something a little funky and fun.

I went twice. The first time, I went to visit family friends. The second time, I went with my older sister for her birthday. Se is a really tough nut to please, and she loved this! Thank you so much for the amazing experience.

good fun. interesting and informative for all ages. kind and helpfull staff. worth it.

It's was amazing! I highly recommend this place to everyone

Our child was excited when he heard about this place, while both his parents were a bit lukewarm about going. He proved us wrong!

There are about 6 levels in the building, and the top of course has the camera obscura, operating as it did in the Victorian heyday of such devices. The entry costs are comparable to other attractions on the Royal Mile, and there is certainly plenty to see inside. You need at least 2 hours, maybe more if you do some things a few times.

Make sure you look around and above you as you move around each level, as there are lots of things placed in slightly out of the way places for you to find. We entered late in the afternoon in winter, so the camera was not operating (it requires sunlight!), but if that is the case, you can opt for a discount or to extend your ticket for another day to catch the camera in operation.

On the day we came back we saw the camera in operation. The camera itself is in a dark room operated by a staff member, who gives a lively talk as the viewfinder is moved across the city skyline. It s about a 15min experience just for the camera and very worth it.

Besides seeing the camera on the re-visit, we went through the floor with the maze and tunnel again... just because it was so much fun for all of us.

Ask the staff about any of the exhibits as they can give you ideas about how to get even more challenge out of some items - adding depth to the educational experience.

(Afterwards, if you need to adult , then go directly across the street, where there is a ride and a more than expected kid friendly experience!)

Brilliant place to take a very excited pair of two-year-olds, the whole family had a great time

I became a kid again in that place . So many informations conveyed in a simple beautiful way

Great museum, right on the Royal Mile and a nice change from the historic museums and tourist sights. Fun and easy to move through even when busy.

Visited here today , and what a fantastic time we had. Staff are super friendly and there are plenty for all ages to do. The views of Edinburgh from the rooftop terrace are just WOW ! .

Fantastic place to visit, kids loved it, lots of fun to be had.

This place is well worth a visit, educational and fun spread across five themed floors including the rooftop, world of illusions, magic, light fantastic and vision. The rooftop panaramic views are spectacular especially on a clear day.
I would recommend starting at the top and working your way down. The Camera Obscura show is at the top and a great way to begin, it was made fun and interactive. The other levels are filled with light tunnels, kaleidoscopes, optical illusions and much more. It is a great place to visit for all ages, definite fun for all the family.

Great collection of optical illusions, and the camera obscura itself is quite amazing.

Highly recommended! Definitely worth a visit but if you can, attend on a sunny day..!

Amazing! Great for younger children also. Very factual. And interesting. Not bad for money but it's best when they have deals on or 2 for 1 tickets available. I would definitely go back to it again. They have a similar one in London. That is also available on 2 for 1.

A brilliant attraction! The different attractions get quite busy so there is sometimes a queue for the most desirable ones. Great for all ages.

Brilliant fun place for all ages, worth the money. Staff are awesome too

Very well worth it and absolutely great for the kids

Visited this place on my own, which was a mistake. Should be seen with friends, or especially kids. That said, very fun experience! Lisa was amazing and fun!

Seemed gimmicky and childish before going in, don't be fooled, this place is incredible. Anyone of any age will learn something and enjoy themselves thoroughly. Well worth the money, a must visit for Edinburgh, located well and only takes under 2 hours.

Had such a fun time here! The show on the top floor was so much fun and Dugal is such a great guide. The views of the castle from the top are worth it just alone. We had so much fun on each of the floors, and loved how interactive the museum was. We spent way more time there than expected.

Amazing and a must see. All the staff are pleasant.

Very nice place but some thing will make you feel dizzy I especially loved the mirror maze because it was so funny

When we were walking towards the Castle of Edinburgh, we stopped by because of those funny mirrors on the street. So we started to wondering what place it is, and it was an amazingly spent time! The staff are incredibly friendly, chatty and cheerful(which is rare!!) and all the 5 floors were exciting full with great equipments, it is indeed a great activity, everything was working properly, the gift shop is really fun too, the price is absolutely okay! And after you have a stamp you are free to go out and back in! Absolutely recommend!!