An Apollonaut travel guide

The tower behind the view.

An observatory founder, a pioneering thinker and a Victorian camera offer several ways into the story of the Camera Obscura.

On this page

Short’s Observatory

Maria Theresa Short opened her Popular Observatory on Calton Hill in 1835 and moved to Castlehill in 1853, adding two storeys to the building she had bought there.

Short’s Observatory, Museum of Science and Art ran on Castlehill until 1892, and the camera obscura at the top still shows visitors the city today.

Read the history of the tower

The Outlook Tower

In 1892 Patrick Geddes took over the building, renamed it the Outlook Tower and turned it into a centre of learning.

The University of Edinburgh bought the building in 1966, and Visitor Centres Ltd has run the attraction since 1977.

Read the history of the tower

A listed building

The tower was designated a Category A listed building on 12 December 1970 and is described as the oldest purpose-built attraction in the city.

This history belongs to the tower and the people who shaped it. The History page offers a longer introduction, and the timeline gives a short route through selected milestones.

Read at the source

Sources & further reading

Links lead to the original publishers.

The Apollonaut collection

You might like to visit

Gardens, palaces and landmarks you can book today. Search by attraction or city, or browse them all below.

Surfers Paradise towers and the long surf beach running north, seen from SkyPoint

Bookable

SkyPoint Observation Deck

Gold Coast, Australia · Palaces & landmarks

From A$76

The Empire State Building rising above Midtown Manhattan at dusk

Bookable

Empire State Building

New York, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$128

Sydney Tower rising above the trees, its golden turret on a slender shaft held by cables

Bookable

Sydney Tower Eye

Sydney, Australia · Palaces & landmarks

From A$78

The Breakers seen across its lawn, with arcaded loggias between two wings and red-tiled roofs

Bookable

The Breakers

Newport, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$64

A blue Scenic Skyway cabin crossing the gorge towards the cliff-top station at Scenic World, above eucalypt forest

Bookable

Scenic World

Blue Mountains, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$128

The mansion at Nemours Estate beside a clipped boxwood parterre and a gravel walk

Bookable

Nemours Estate

Wilmington, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$50

Schools of silver fish and a shark swimming above coral in a large tank at SEA LIFE Sydney

Bookable

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

Sydney, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$114

The Empire State Building rising above Midtown, seen from Top of the Rock

Bookable

Top of the Rock

New York, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$120

A male lion resting on a timber platform in the sun at Sydney Zoo

Bookable

Sydney Zoo

Sydney, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$110

The glass cube of the Rose Center for Earth and Space lit blue at dusk, with its great sphere inside

Bookable

American Museum of Natural History

New York, USA · Art & culture

From US$74

A koala sitting on a branch beneath the roof of its habitat

Bookable

WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo

Sydney, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$98

The Mansion at Mount Vernon with its tall columned piazza, red roof and cupola, seen across the lawn

Bookable

George Washington’s Mount Vernon

Alexandria, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$64

A koala sitting on a log at Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park

Bookable

Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park

Sydney, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$98

The west front of Monticello, with its white columned portico and dome above a wide lawn, under autumn trees

Bookable

Monticello

Charlottesville, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$44

The long cell block of the Old Melbourne Gaol, with iron galleries above a stone floor

Bookable

Old Melbourne Gaol

Melbourne, Australia · Palaces & landmarks

From A$76

The white-columned portico and stone façade of Graceland, with a white lion statue on each side of the front steps

Bookable

Graceland

Memphis, USA · Art & culture

From US$173

Verandahed shops along the unsealed Main Street of Sovereign Hill

Bookable

Sovereign Hill

Ballarat, Australia · Art & culture

From A$136

Clipped yew topiary in front of Longwood’s glass conservatories, with the new West Conservatory roof on the left

Bookable

Longwood Gardens

Kennett Square, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$104

Eureka Tower and the Southbank skyline beyond the Yarra River, with the Arts Centre spire on the left

Bookable

Melbourne Skydeck

Melbourne, Australia · Palaces & landmarks

From A$63

The acrylic tunnel through the Ocean Voyager habitat, with shoals of fish overhead and a moving walkway below

Bookable

Georgia Aquarium

Atlanta, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$136

A visitor silhouetted against a large, glowing blue aquarium window

Bookable

SEA LIFE Melbourne

Melbourne, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$108

The front of ʻIolani Palace, with its towers and two storeys of verandas under a blue sky

Bookable

ʻIolani Palace

Honolulu, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$56

The Mr Moon face and twin towers at the entrance to Luna Park, framed by palm trees

Bookable

Luna Park Melbourne

Melbourne, Australia · Art & culture

From A$114

The Main House at Vizcaya seen across the formal gardens

Bookable

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Miami, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$70

The roofless sandstone Penitentiary at the Port Arthur Historic Site, beside a grassy lawn

Bookable

Port Arthur Historic Site

Port Arthur, Australia · Palaces & landmarks

From A$110

The Victorian front of the Winchester Mystery House, with gables, turrets and red roofs above clipped hedges

Bookable

Winchester Mystery House

San Jose, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$97

MONA’s rust-red buildings on the Berriedale peninsula, seen across the River Derwent from the east

Bookable

MONA, Museum of Old and New Art

Hobart, Australia · Art & culture

From A$90

A pale mansion beyond a wide lawn and tall trees at The Huntington

Bookable

The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens

Los Angeles, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$68

The rendered walls and arched windows of the Woolmers homestead, with roses along its front

Bookable

Woolmers Estate

Longford, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$98

The Space Needle beside the towers of downtown Seattle, with Mount Rainier in the distance

Bookable

Space Needle

Seattle, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$116

The pale limestone Main Cell Block of Fremantle Prison, with its pedimented centre and rows of small windows

Bookable

Fremantle Prison

Fremantle, Australia · Palaces & landmarks

From A$50

The sun setting over Midtown and Lower Manhattan, seen from SUMMIT One Vanderbilt

Bookable

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt

New York, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$142

The white sails of the Sydney Opera House above its podium on Bennelong Point, seen across the harbour

Bookable

Sydney Opera House

Sydney, Australia · Art & culture

From A$55

One World Trade Center rising above the trees of the World Trade Center site

Bookable

One World Observatory

New York, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$111

Two elephants beside a pool in a leafy enclosure at Australia Zoo

Bookable

Australia Zoo

Sunshine Coast, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$155

Carved stone columns and cornices along the top of The Met’s Fifth Avenue façade

Bookable

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

New York, USA · Art & culture

From US$60

Two koalas cuddled together among eucalyptus leaves

Bookable

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

Gold Coast, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$140

The red clapboard museum buildings on their pier, with a tall ship moored alongside and Boston beyond

Bookable

Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum

Boston, USA · Art & culture

From US$78

Sharks and fish swimming above coral in a large tank at Cairns Aquarium

Bookable

Cairns Aquarium

Cairns, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$122

Space Shuttle Atlantis on display in its exhibit hall, tilted as if in orbit

Bookable

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Orlando, USA · Art & culture

From US$165

A large saltwater crocodile at the surface of its pool, seen half above and half below the water through glass

Bookable

Crocosaurus Cove

Darwin, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$84

The Space Shuttle replica Independence mounted on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft NASA 905 at Independence Plaza

Bookable

Space Center Houston

Houston, USA · Art & culture

From US$80

A Tasmanian devil walking across a bed of wood chips

Bookable

Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Hobart, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$74

The battleship Missouri moored at Ford Island, seen across the water of Pearl Harbor

Bookable

Battleship Missouri Memorial

Honolulu, USA · Art & culture

From US$90

A row of miniature English houses, one half-timbered, beside a still pond

Bookable

Cockington Green Gardens

Canberra, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$52

The USS Midway moored on the San Diego waterfront, with aircraft on her flight deck

Bookable

USS Midway Museum

San Diego, USA · Art & culture

From US$78

The moss-streaked towers of the castle at Paronella Park, rising above tropical plants

Bookable

Paronella Park

Mena Creek, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$124

The Lake Michigan shoreline and Lake Shore Drive in the evening, seen from the observation deck

Bookable

360 CHICAGO

Chicago, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$80

A koala sitting on a branch among eucalyptus leaves at Lone Pine

Bookable

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Brisbane, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$126

The aircraft carrier Intrepid moored at Pier 86 on the Hudson River, with Manhattan behind

Bookable

Intrepid Museum

New York, USA · Art & culture

From US$76

The Sydney Harbour Bridge across the blue water of the harbour, with a ferry passing below

Bookable

BridgeClimb Sydney

Sydney, Australia · Palaces & landmarks

From A$770

Visitors on the outdoor sky deck at Edge, with the towers of Midtown Manhattan beyond the glass walls

Bookable

Edge Observation Deck

New York, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$130

The ferry wharf at Aquarium Wharf on Darling Harbour, below the curved glass roofs of the aquarium building

Bookable

Madame Tussauds Sydney

Sydney, Australia · Art & culture

From A$98

The North Pool of the 9/11 Memorial, with water falling into the central void and rows of trees beyond

Bookable

9/11 Memorial Museum

New York, USA · Art & culture

From US$72

An eastern grey kangaroo grazing on the lawn beside its joey

Bookable

Symbio Wildlife Park

Sydney, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$104

The MoMA sign and the entrance canopy on West 53rd Street, with a street tree in leaf

Bookable

The Museum of Modern Art

New York, USA · Art & culture

From US$60

The steel Treetop Walk on slender supports among tall rainforest trees, with tree ferns below

Bookable

Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures

Southern Highlands, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$60

The white spiral of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum on Fifth Avenue under a blue sky, with yellow taxis in the street

Bookable

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

New York, USA · Art & culture

From US$60

The cream and green pavilion at Bradman Oval, with a white sight screen on the grass in front

Bookable

Bradman Museum and International Cricket Hall of Fame

Southern Highlands, Australia · Art & culture

From A$60

The stepped, metal-clad Whitney Museum building and a neighbouring hotel under a deep blue sky

Bookable

Whitney Museum of American Art

New York, USA · Art & culture

From US$60

The entrance steps and portico of AQWA under a cloudy sky, with the round blue AQWA sign and a palm tree

Bookable

AQWA, the Aquarium of Western Australia

Perth, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$74

The curving blue panels of the Pacific Visions wing beside the aquarium plaza, framed by palm trees under a cloudy sky

Bookable

Aquarium of the Pacific

Los Angeles, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$100

The bowl of Optus Stadium during a cricket match, with tiered stands under the curved white fabric roof and a big screen

Bookable

Optus Stadium HALO Rooftop Tour

Perth, Australia · Palaces & landmarks

From A$230

The Warner Bros. water tower rising behind Gate 4 of the studio lot, with green hills beyond and a clear blue sky

Bookable

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood

Los Angeles, USA · Art & culture

From US$158

The Bell Tower’s glass spire and copper sails rising above palm trees and a wide lawn in late-afternoon sun

Bookable

The Bell Tower, Perth

Perth, Australia · Palaces & landmarks

From A$30

Blue Skyfari gondolas gliding above the wooded canyons and red-roofed buildings of the zoo under a bright blue sky

Bookable

San Diego Zoo

San Diego, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$156

The white roof of Adelaide Oval above gum trees on the bank of the River Torrens, with a fountain in the river

Bookable

Adelaide Oval RoofClimb

Adelaide, Australia · Palaces & landmarks

From A$250

The Safari Park’s paths, trees and lagoon below open grassy plains and dry hills under a clear blue sky

Bookable

San Diego Zoo Safari Park

San Diego, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$156

A giant panda sitting among green plants and eating bamboo at Adelaide Zoo

Bookable

Adelaide Zoo

Adelaide, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$99

The giant LEGOLAND California sign above the entrance plaza, with green and blue ticket booths under a deep blue sky

Bookable

LEGOLAND California Resort

San Diego, USA · Art & culture

From US$278

The red-framed, curved roof and arched glass entrance of the RFDS Darwin Tourist Facility on Stokes Hill Wharf, under a blue sky

Bookable

Royal Flying Doctor Service Darwin Tourist Facility

Darwin, Australia · Art & culture

From A$60

The California Academy of Sciences and its planted roof above the gardens of Golden Gate Park

Bookable

California Academy of Sciences

San Francisco, USA · Art & culture

From US$110

The cream art deco front of the Flying Doctor’s Alice Springs base, with a winged emblem, a brick path and a green lawn under a blue sky

Bookable

Royal Flying Doctor Service Alice Springs Tourist Facility

Alice Springs, Australia · Art & culture

From A$48

A green-and-cream vintage streetcar passing the arched front of Pier 15 on the Embarcadero

Bookable

Exploratorium

San Francisco, USA · Art & culture

From US$80

The entrance building of the Australian Reptile Park, topped by a giant frill-necked lizard, under a blue sky

Bookable

Australian Reptile Park

Central Coast, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$118

The Monterey Bay Aquarium built out over the water, with rocks and a tide pool below its decks

Bookable

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$130

Autumn trees and a curving path beside a lake at Hunter Valley Gardens, with hills beyond

Bookable

Hunter Valley Gardens

Hunter Valley, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$78

The long red-brick barracks of The Walt Disney Family Museum beyond a lawn on the Presidio’s Main Post

Bookable

The Walt Disney Family Museum

San Francisco, USA · Art & culture

From US$60

A rainbow lorikeet eating from half an orange at Hunter Valley Wildlife Park

Bookable

Hunter Valley Wildlife Park

Hunter Valley, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$98

The blue-painted Aquarium of the Bay building at PIER 39, with its name on the wall and an American flag above

Bookable

Aquarium of the Bay

San Francisco, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$61

A Bolivian squirrel monkey with white ears and a dark cap, looking down, at Mogo Wildlife Park

Bookable

Mogo Wildlife Park

Batemans Bay, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$98

Airliners under the roof of the Aviation Pavilion, from a United Air Lines Boeing 247 and a TWA airliner to the prototype Boeing 747 and a 787

Bookable

The Museum of Flight

Seattle, USA · Art & culture

From US$58

A life-size long-necked dinosaur model on the forecourt of the National Dinosaur Museum, under a blue sky

Bookable

National Dinosaur Museum

Canberra, Australia · Art & culture

From A$50

The dark stone halls of Bishop Museum, with arched entrances and steep gables, under a clear blue sky

Bookable

Bishop Museum

Honolulu, USA · Art & culture

From US$78

Chadstone Shopping Centre from the air, its long white roofs and car parks among the streets and trees of south-eastern Melbourne

Bookable

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Melbourne

Melbourne, Australia · Art & culture

From A$72

The red and white Ford Island control tower beside a hangar, with the mountains of Oʻahu behind

Bookable

Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum

Honolulu, USA · Art & culture

From US$60

The Australian Sports Museum sign above Gate 3 and the Olympic Stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

Bookable

Australian Sports Museum

Melbourne, Australia · Art & culture

From A$76

A stingray gliding through the blue water of a large tank, with shoals of fish around it

Bookable

Maui Ocean Center

Maui, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$100

The timber entrance building of Moonlit Sanctuary, with its welcome sign, between dark fences and gum trees

Bookable

Moonlit Sanctuary

Melbourne, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$74

Downtown Seattle, Elliott Bay and the Space Needle seen from Sky View Observatory, with the Olympic Mountains beyond

Bookable

Sky View Observatory

Seattle, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$54

The foreshore path and sea wall at Dromana, with the long pier reaching into Port Phillip Bay under a blue sky

Bookable

Enchanted Adventure Garden

Melbourne, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$84

The red and glass entrance of Madame Tussauds New York at 234 West 42nd Street, with a giant silver hand on its front

Bookable

Madame Tussauds New York

New York, USA · Art & culture

From US$88

A child finding the way between the green timber walls of the outdoor maze at A Maze’N Things, with a red viewing deck and gum trees beyond

Bookable

A Maze’N Things

Phillip Island, Australia · Art & culture

From A$84

The Museum of Broadway’s lit sign and red windows above its columned entrance on West 45th Street

Bookable

The Museum of Broadway

New York, USA · Art & culture

From US$102

A kangaroo with a joey’s legs showing from its pouch, on the grassy slopes of the park beside a pond

Bookable

Ballarat Wildlife Park

Ballarat, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$84

The domed Zoo Center at the Bronx Zoo, with carved elephant heads beside its arched entrance, on a summer day

Bookable

Bronx Zoo

New York, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$58

The bluestone gatehouse of Kryal Castle, its name above the arched entrance between two round towers, photographed in 1996

Bookable

Kryal Castle

Ballarat, Australia · Palaces & landmarks

From A$88

The glass dome of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory reflected in a lily pool under a blue autumn sky

Bookable

New York Botanical Garden

New York, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$78

The Grantville jetty on Western Port at sunset, with French Island low on the horizon

Bookable

Maru Koala and Animal Park

Phillip Island, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$66

The New England Aquarium’s angled steel canopy and glass entrance on the brick plaza of Central Wharf

Bookable

New England Aquarium

Boston, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$80

The Big Pheasant, a giant painted pheasant statue rising above native shrubs at Tynong, under a blue sky

Bookable

Gumbuya World

Melbourne, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$158

Looking up at the dark, stepped Willis Tower and a neighbouring pale tower against a blue sky

Bookable

Skydeck Chicago

Chicago, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$80

The steel walkway of the Tahune Airwalk curving out over the forest, with the Huon River and wooded hills below

Bookable

Tahune Airwalk

Hobart, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$70

The Field Museum’s long columned front and steps, with Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline beyond

Bookable

Field Museum

Chicago, USA · Art & culture

From US$60

A Tasmanian devil walking through long grass dotted with yellow and white wildflowers

Bookable

Tasmanian Devil Unzoo

Hobart, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$130

The Art Institute’s Michigan Avenue front under a blue sky, with a bronze lion on its pedestal by the steps

Bookable

Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, USA · Art & culture

From US$64

A Tasmanian devil sitting on a flat rock in front of fallen logs and a rocky stream

Bookable

Devils@Cradle

Cradle Mountain, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$55

The lit glass front of the Chicago Architecture Center on Wacker Drive at dusk, with white skyscraper models inside

Bookable

Chicago Architecture Center

Chicago, USA · Art & culture

From US$30

The Wheel of Brisbane above the trees of South Bank, seen across the Brisbane River under a blue sky with white clouds

Bookable

Wheel of Brisbane

Brisbane, Australia · Palaces & landmarks

From A$48

The Page Brothers Building on State Street, home of the museum, beside the Chicago Theatre’s vertical sign

Bookable

Medieval Torture Museum Chicago

Chicago, USA · Art & culture

From US$80

The Dreamworld globe and sign above the park entrance, with wide curved steps in front under a blue sky

Bookable

Dreamworld

Gold Coast, Australia · Art & culture

From A$198

The wooden observation tower above the breeding marsh at Gatorland, with still water and green trees under a blue sky

Bookable

Gatorland

Orlando, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$75

Coloured tube slides at WhiteWater World winding above yellow shade sails and a pool, with a roller coaster loop behind

Bookable

WhiteWater World

Gold Coast, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$158

Bookable

Madame Tussauds Orlando

Orlando, USA · Art & culture

From US$102

Tall palms and ferns crowding a shallow creek in the rainforest on Tamborine Mountain

Bookable

Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk

Gold Coast, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$43

Nicholas, a rescued bottlenose dolphin, lifting his head from the green water of his pool with his mouth open

Bookable

Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Tampa Bay, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$84

The white SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast building with its blue signs and ocean banners, palms and a brick footpath under a blue sky

Bookable

SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$98

The Dalí Museum’s concrete walls and free-form glass bubble above palm trees, rocks and flowering gardens under a blue sky

Bookable

The Dalí Museum

Tampa Bay, USA · Art & culture

From US$64

The tall Aussie World sign by the road, with striped entrance tents, a Ferris wheel and the pub building under a blue sky

Bookable

Aussie World

Sunshine Coast, Australia · Art & culture

From A$118

Looking up through the Oculus, the round lens beneath the Gulf Stream Aquarium, at rays and shoals of fish in blue water

Bookable

Frost Museum of Science

Miami, USA · Art & culture

From US$71

A koala sitting on a thick branch among eucalyptus leaves, looking towards the camera

Bookable

Byron Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

Gold Coast, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$59

The College Football Hall of Fame on Marietta Street, its entrance shaped like a giant orange football

Bookable

College Football Hall of Fame

Atlanta, USA · Art & culture

From US$76

A Skyrail gondola above the rainforest, with cane fields on the coastal plain below

Bookable

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

Cairns, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$222

The glass front and bronze-toned curved wall of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights across a green lawn

Bookable

National Center for Civil and Human Rights

Atlanta, USA · Art & culture

From US$57

The central pond at Kuranda Koala Gardens, with rainforest trees and buildings around it

Bookable

Kuranda Koala Gardens

Cairns, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$48

Live oaks hung with Spanish moss along the Avenue of Oaks at Boone Hall, with a fenced field beyond

Bookable

Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens

Charleston, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$60

A southern cassowary, with its blue neck and tall casque, beside a pond at Birdworld Kuranda

Bookable

Birdworld Kuranda

Cairns, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$48

The red-brick Davenport House on Columbia Square, with black shutters, dormer windows and its museum sign

Bookable

Davenport House Museum

Savannah, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$30

A blue Ulysses butterfly among leaves in the flight aviary of the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary

Bookable

Australian Butterfly Sanctuary

Cairns, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$50

The stucco front of the Andrew Low House, with green shutters, iron balconies and stone lions beside the steps

Bookable

Andrew Low House Museum

Savannah, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$30

A camouflage-painted Army Duck, an amphibious wartime vehicle, parked under rainforest trees at Rainforestation

Bookable

Rainforestation Nature Park

Cairns, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$142

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in early evening light, its curved stone wing and radio-tower spire beyond a park lawn

Bookable

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Nashville, USA · Art & culture

From US$64

A life-size model of a saltwater crocodile with open jaws beside a gravel path at Hartley’s, with an information sign and trees behind

Bookable

Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures

Port Douglas, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$100

The red-brick Ryman Auditorium with its tall gable and pointed windows, under a blue sky among downtown Nashville towers

Bookable

Ryman Auditorium

Nashville, USA · Art & culture

From US$55

Timber boardwalks and a raised walkway winding through a netted wetland aviary, past a pond and tropical trees

Bookable

Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas

Port Douglas, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$100

The brick front of the Johnny Cash Museum at 119 3rd Avenue South, with its name painted in large white letters above the shop windows

Bookable

Johnny Cash Museum

Nashville, USA · Art & culture

From US$72

Rainforest falling away to farmland, the mouth of the Daintree River and the sea, seen from the Mount Alexandra lookout

Bookable

Daintree Discovery Centre

Port Douglas, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$82

Bookable

Madame Tussauds Nashville

Nashville, USA · Art & culture

From US$48

The Qantas Founders Museum building, with its angled red roof, behind a lawn and trees under a clear sky

Bookable

Qantas Founders Museum

Longreach, Australia · Art & culture

From A$78

The two-storey Lorraine Motel with turquoise doors, a wreath on the balcony outside Room 306 and two 1960s cars parked below

Bookable

National Civil Rights Museum

Memphis, USA · Art & culture

From US$50

Giraffes and antelope grazing on green open plains at Monarto Safari Park, with a bare tree in the foreground

Bookable

Monarto Safari Park

Adelaide, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$114

The Stax Museum’s red marquee and brick front on a sunny day, beside the Satellite Record Shop

Bookable

Stax Museum of American Soul Music

Memphis, USA · Art & culture

From US$40

The whale chaser Cheynes IV and the station’s silver oil tanks beside the red-roofed visitor centre, above a turquoise cove with granite boulders

Bookable

Albany’s Historic Whaling Station

Albany, Australia · Palaces & landmarks

From A$72

The Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum sign on a red-brick building at the FedExForum plaza

Bookable

Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum

Memphis, USA · Art & culture

From US$32

The round white Scitech Planetarium building, crowned by a geodesic dome, under a clear blue sky

Bookable

Scitech Discovery Centre

Perth, Australia · Art & culture

From A$56

The Memphis Zoo’s Egyptian-style entrance, painted with hieroglyphs and animal figures, under a blue sky

Bookable

Memphis Zoo

Memphis, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$56

A dark blue 1935 Packard 120 convertible coupé with whitewall tyres, roped off among other vintage cars in the museum

Bookable

Motor Museum of Western Australia

Perth, Australia · Art & culture

From A$35

The glass entrance of The National WWII Museum, with the enclosed American Spirit Bridge crossing above the drive

Bookable

The National WWII Museum

New Orleans, USA · Art & culture

From US$74

A long concrete storage tunnel lit by lamps, with interpretive panels on its curved walls and water in a channel along the floor

Bookable

WWII Oil Storage Tunnels

Darwin, Australia · Palaces & landmarks

From A$24

The Audubon Zoo entrance, with its green sign and painted animals above the gates, framed by tall palm trees

Bookable

Audubon Zoo

New Orleans, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$75

A tall quartz crystal on a lawn at Crystal Castle, with rose quartz stones, subtropical gardens and the forested hills of the Byron hinterland beyond

Bookable

Crystal Castle and Shambhala Gardens

Gold Coast, Australia · Gardens & outdoors

From A$100

The seven-storey red-brick former Texas School Book Depository at the corner of Elm and Houston Streets, under a blue sky

Bookable

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

Dallas, USA · Art & culture

From US$50

The Mob Museum’s stone and brick building on a street corner, with black museum banners, palm trees and steps up to the arched entrance

Bookable

The Mob Museum

Las Vegas, USA · Art & culture

From US$76

The Golden Nugget’s great yellow sign, with GAMBL in white letters, among old signs in the Neon Boneyard at dusk

Bookable

The Neon Museum

Las Vegas, USA · Art & culture

From US$70

The Venetian’s hotel tower, its copy of the Doge’s Palace and the red-brick Campanile against a blue sky on the Las Vegas Strip

Bookable

Madame Tussauds Las Vegas

Las Vegas, USA · Art & culture

From US$68

The grey AREA15 building with its name in tall white letters, and a large black truck painted with the AREA15 name parked in front

Bookable

Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart

Las Vegas, USA · Art & culture

From US$98

The Phoenix Zoo’s curved brick entrance building beneath a shade canopy and a blue sky

Bookable

Phoenix Zoo

Phoenix, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$90

Reunion Tower’s geodesic sphere on its concrete shafts beside the mirrored towers of the Hyatt Regency Dallas, under a blue sky

Bookable

Reunion Tower GeO-Deck

Dallas, USA · Palaces & landmarks

From US$80

Dinosaur skeletons, among them a Tyrannosaurus and a long-necked sauropod, in the Morian Hall of Paleontology

Bookable

Houston Museum of Natural Science

Houston, USA · Art & culture

From US$50

The Downtown Aquarium building with its wave-shaped roofline and blue Aquarium signs, behind a row of palm trees

Bookable

Downtown Aquarium Houston

Houston, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$34

The Houston Zoo main entrance, with its large sign above a covered gateway on a sunny day

Bookable

Houston Zoo

Houston, USA · Gardens & outdoors

From US$68

The stone balcony and Gothic windows of Juliet’s House in Verona

Bookable

Juliet’s House

Verona, Italy · Art & culture

From €22

The north front and flying buttresses of Westminster Abbey above a sunlit lawn, framed by trees

Bookable

Westminster Abbey

London, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

From £64

The London Eye beside County Hall on the South Bank, seen across the River Thames under a blue sky with clouds

Bookable

London Eye

London, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

From £78

Dozens of orange-and-white clownfish swimming just below the surface of a reef tank

Bookable

SEA LIFE London Aquarium

London, United Kingdom · Gardens & outdoors

From £78

The green copper dome of the former London Planetarium beside Madame Tussauds on Marylebone Road, under a blue sky, with red telephone boxes on the pavement

Bookable

Madame Tussauds London

London, United Kingdom · Art & culture

From £78

Two giraffes outside the brick Giraffe House at London Zoo, with its tall arched doorways, on a sunny day

Bookable

ZSL London Zoo

London, United Kingdom · Gardens & outdoors

From £71

The Round Tower of Windsor Castle on its mound, a flag flying above it, behind battlemented stone walls under a blue sky

Bookable

Windsor Castle

London, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

From £72

The long stone south front of Warwick Castle and its round corner tower, above the River Avon and a wide lawn

Bookable

Warwick Castle

Warwick, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

From £78

The timber-framed front of Shakespeare’s Birthplace on Henley Street under a blue sky

Bookable

Shakespeare’s Birthplace

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom · Art & culture

From £54

The Royal Yacht Britannia dressed overall with flags at her berth in Leith, under a clear blue sky

Bookable

The Royal Yacht Britannia

Edinburgh, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

From £50

The west front of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, with its round-towered corners and the stone fountain in the forecourt, under a blue sky

Bookable

Palace of Holyroodhouse

Edinburgh, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

From £54

The dome and a west tower of St Paul’s Cathedral rising behind the Millennium Bridge, seen across the Thames

Bookable

St Paul’s Cathedral

London, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

From £54

The White Tower rising above the outer walls of the Tower of London, seen across the Thames under a blue sky

Bookable

Tower of London

London, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

From £76

The masts, yards and rigging of the Golden Hinde rising against a bright sky beside a tall riverside building

Bookable

The Golden Hinde

London, United Kingdom · Art & culture

From £12

The red-brick front of Kensington Palace with its central pediment, behind a lawn and clipped topiary in Kensington Gardens

Bookable

Kensington Palace

London, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

From £38

The long approach to the red-brick Tudor west front and Great Gatehouse of Hampton Court Palace, under a clear blue sky

Bookable

Hampton Court Palace

London, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

From £66

The Studio Tour entrance at Leavesden, a dark curved building with the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London and Making of Harry Potter signs, behind three giant chess pieces

Bookable

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter

London, United Kingdom · Art & culture

From £122

The south front of Blenheim Palace, a long Baroque façade of golden stone with a columned portico and corner towers, above a wide lawn

Bookable

Blenheim Palace

Oxford, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

From £88

The stone circle at Stonehenge on its grassy plain, sarsen uprights and lintels against a pale sky

Bookable

Stonehenge

Salisbury, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

From £64

Brightly painted wooden boats on the sand beside a lagoon in the Islands area of Chester Zoo

Bookable

Chester Zoo

Chester, United Kingdom · Gardens & outdoors

From £77

The west towers and the pinnacled south side of York Minster under a blue sky with white clouds

Bookable

York Minster

York, United Kingdom · Palaces & landmarks

From £40

Gentoo penguins on round stone nests beside the penguin pool at Edinburgh Zoo, with a footbridge and trees behind on a sunny day

Bookable

Edinburgh Zoo

Edinburgh, United Kingdom · Gardens & outdoors

From £59

The angular, silver-clad Titanic Belfast building under a deep blue sky with white clouds

Bookable

Titanic Belfast

Belfast, United Kingdom · Art & culture

From £54

The two white stone domes of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich facing each other across a lawn, under a bright blue sky

Bookable

The Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College

London, United Kingdom · Art & culture

From £38

The marble Grand Staircase of the Palais Garnier

Bookable

Palais Garnier

Paris, France · Art & culture

From €45

The Alcazaba and the walls of the Alhambra above the trees of Granada

Bookable

The Alhambra

Granada, Spain · Palaces & landmarks

From €28

Bran Castle on its rocky hill above the trees in Transylvania

Bookable

Dracula’s Castle

Brașov, Romania · Palaces & landmarks

From €28

Palm tree and palace walls reflected in the central pool at El Badi Palace

Bookable

El Badi Palace

Marrakech, Morocco · Palaces & landmarks

From €25

The garden courtyard and mausoleum buildings at the Saadian Tombs

Bookable

Saadian Tombs

Marrakech, Morocco · Palaces & landmarks

From €25

The cave opening framing the Atlantic Ocean at the Caves of Hercules

Bookable

Caves of Hercules

Tangier, Morocco · Gardens & outdoors

From €25

The Grand Courtyard of Bahia Palace with its painted galleries

Bookable

Bahia Palace

Marrakech, Morocco · Palaces & landmarks

From €25

The Menara Pavilion and its palms reflected in the great basin

Bookable

Menara Pavilion

Marrakech, Morocco · Gardens & outdoors

From €25

The Almoravid Koubba with its ribbed dome and stepped crenellations

Bookable

Almoravid Koubba

Marrakech, Morocco · Palaces & landmarks

From €25

The white walls and crenellated towers of the Perdicaris Palace above its paved terrace

Bookable

Perdicaris Palace

Tangier, Morocco · Palaces & landmarks

From €25

The red-ochre walls and gate tower of the Chefchaouen Kasbah, with the Rif mountains behind

Bookable

Chefchaouen Kasbah

Chefchaouen, Morocco · Palaces & landmarks

From €25

The white façade of Dar Sanaa, with green-tiled eaves and horseshoe-arched doors

Bookable

Dar Sanaa School of Arts and Crafts

Tétouan, Morocco · Art & culture

From €25

A restored arched gate of the Roman camp at Tamuda, with Tétouan beyond

Bookable

Tamuda

Tétouan, Morocco · Palaces & landmarks

From €25

The Arch of Caracalla at Volubilis, with farmland beyond

Bookable

Volubilis

Meknes, Morocco · Palaces & landmarks

From €25

The tiled courtyard of the Marinid Madrasa in Salé, with its fountain and galleries

Bookable

Marinid Madrasa

Salé, Morocco · Palaces & landmarks

From €25

The harbour tower and arches of the Skala du Port above blue fishing boats

Bookable

Skala du Port

Essaouira, Morocco · Palaces & landmarks

From €25

Standing columns in the palatial quarter on the hilltop at Lixus

Bookable

Lixus

Larache, Morocco · Palaces & landmarks

From €25

Flower beds and lawns in the gardens of Ain Asserdoun, with the cascade wall beyond

Bookable

Ain Asserdoun Heritage Centre

Beni Mellal, Morocco · Art & culture

From €25

The white marble façade of Dolmabahçe Palace on the Bosphorus

Bookable

Dolmabahçe Palace

Istanbul, Türkiye · Palaces & landmarks

From €56

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