At Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, Edinburgh, you can experience and take part in over 100 interactive exhibits, as well as a breath of fresh air on our magnificent Rooftop Terrace. We are the most fun experience in the UK according to reviews on TripAdvisor and last year we were was the 5th most visited paid attraction in Scotland. Discover our five floors of hands-on optical illusions, tricks and fun things to do including Vortex Tunnel, Mirror Maze and Ames room. Get involved, play, touch everything. Great fun for all ages and nationalities, whatever the weather. Scotland’s oldest purpose-built attraction, established in 1835. Free Wi-Fi. Bring your camera - lots of photo opportunities throughout. Allow about 1.5 hours. Please note our attraction is located in a listed 17th Century building over 5 floors without a lift.
Open every day, open early and late on holidays.
Book online now to guarantee your visit.
CAMERA OBSCURA: We offer guided demonstrations of the Camera Obscura. Please be aware that the Camera Obscura works with daylight and visibility is weather dependent. After dark or in poor weather, we deliver a fantastic projection show, uncovering the same magnificent views with footage recorded from the very top of our tower.
ROOFTOP VIEWS: Perched high above the city, let the view take your breath away! 360° panoramas of Edinburgh and don't miss our fantastic, free high-power telescopes which give close-up views of the city and far beyond.
BEWILDERWORLD: Immerse yourself in Bewilderworld, a collection of our most popular, biggest and most amusing illusions. A scramble for the senses, which will leave you feeling fully bewildered! Lose yourself in our magical Mirror Maze, get ready for a turning, tilting, twisting, crazy experience like no other in the Vortex Tunnel and once you’ve recovered your balance the Chaotic Pendulum awaits – the world’s first fluorescent chaotic pendulum.
MAGIC GALLERY: The Magic Gallery houses some of our most electrifying exhibits, a great variety of cool optical illusions and hands-on, interactive experiences. Like every aspect of your visit, it's also great fun! Catch your shadow, shake hands with your ghost, and walk on water. You'll be amazed at all the fun you can have with our plasma balls and tubes.
LIGHT FANTASTIC: Light Fantastic is our biggest gallery of interactive fun, tricks, and illusions – many unique to Camera Obscura. Count the reflections in our Kaleido Tunnel, discover our fun selection of holograms, step into a world of colour at our Colour Shadow Wall, and become a musical maestro with our Light Harp. The Ames Room is a brilliant piece of trickery, which can shrink and grow you instantly; try the Severed Head and keep a close eye on our Living Animal. Stop by our Kaleido-draw, transform yourself in the Morph Machines and while you're in the mood for transformation, the Meet Your Twin exhibit gives you a new perspective on yourself.
EYE SPY EDINBURGH: See Edinburgh in 3D from the 1850s to the present day and make sure you try our live city View Cams which you can control. Scan right around the city and zoom in and out on anything (or anyone!) that takes your fancy! Spot how hot you are in the Thermal Camera and make sure to see your reflection in the Victorian bendy mirrors, which are almost impossible to look at without laughing.
Gift shop - With a wide range of gifts to amaze and delight your family and friends, our gift shop has something for everyone!
Money-back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied after your visit.
