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Where Time Begins: Greenwich with Kids

We usually do river cruises to be familiar with the city. London was no different. It was a spontaneous decision after we saw boat passengers looking so relaxed and we wanted to rest our tired feet. We decided to cruise on the River Thames to the the famous and historic site of Greenwich where time is set and where east meets west. See what it’s like to visit Greenwich with kids.

Royal Greenwich Street

We embarked at the Tower Millennium Port right by the Tower of London which gave us the opportunity to cruise under the famous Tower Bridge. It was a wonderful way to see London from a different perspective.

London Tower Bridge
The 30-minute cruise on the Thames Clipper was a bit uneventful as we passed through many modern buildings in what appeared to be the financial district. There were no tour narrations so this seemed more for commuters and a leisurely ride instead of a river boat tour.

London financial district

Greenwich is a Royal Borough of London and a city rich in maritime and royalty history. Henry VIII and his daughters Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth I were all born here. Maritime Greenwich’s historic buildings, town center and Royal Park have also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Old Royal Navy College

The beautiful, twin-domed Old Royal Naval College was a remarkable baroque fixture that greeted us as we neared the dock. This was originally Greenwich Hospital in the 17th century and became the Royal Naval College in the late 1800’s where it was a world renowned naval sciences training ground for officers. The University of Greenwich now occupies most of the complex.

Old Royal Naval College

One of the first things we saw getting off the Greenwich Pier was a vessel call Cutty Sark. This 19th century sailing ship is the “last surviving tea clipper” and named after a Scottish legend. The ship also serves as a memorial to those in the Merchant Navy who lost their lives during the wars. Visitors can explore the museum underneath and climb onboard to learn more about the ship and the crew’s experiences.

Cutty Sark ship London

It’s hard not to miss this round, red-brick structure with a glass dome. This is actually the entrance and marker for the Greenwich Foot Tunnel. This tunnel takes pedestrians underneath the River Thames to the other side of the bank. This was built in 1902 to give workers easier access to both river banks. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to go down.

Greenwich Foot Tunnel London

Greenwich looked like a quaint and charming city that felt a world away from London’s hustle and bustle despite its proximity. We found old buildings, nice stores, cafes and of course, plenty of pubs. I’m sure these pubs have seen quite some action from sailors over the years. Greenwich was a pleasant place to walk around and I wish we had more time to sightsee.

London Greenwich pubs

It was hard not to miss the expansive Greenwich Park. This is London’s oldest enclosed royal park and was once used as a hunting ground. Everyone seemed to be heading here during our late afternoon visit.

We loved the tree lined walkways and open fields everywhere. This was also the main thoroughfare to Greenwich’s famous attraction.

London Greenwich Park

It was a steep climb to get to the observatory at the top of the hill and home of the Royal Observatory.

Greenwich with kids
This historical observatory is the location of the designated line where the world’s time begins otherwise known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). It’s also the start of how every place in the world is positioned in longitude and latitude and home of the Prime Meridian of the World at Longitude 0º.

Greenwich Prime Meridian
Visitors flock to the Prime Meridian courtyard by the observatory to straddle both sides of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres marked by the famous Greenwich Meridian Line on the ground. GMT was established here in 1884 largely due to the observatory’s central role in astronomy research and time keeping.

Prime Meridian Greenwich
The observatory and courtyard were closed when we got here which we knew before cruising to Greenwich. But, we still wanted to see what was around the area. I can imagine the wait times and how crowded this place must get as everyone waits for people to take their tourist photos.

Prime Meridian with kids
No worries if you come here when it’s closed. We found what I call the “poor man’s version” outside the fence. The designated Prime Meridian line was also there for everyone to stand on two hemispheres. Plus, it was free and with no crowds.

Greenwich prime meridian

Though, we missed exploring the observatory’s interior. This also housed a planetarium and interesting exhibits on clocks and the UK’s largest refracting telescope.

Royal Observatory Greenwich
From afar, we couldn’t help but notice the red ball on top of Flamsteed House’s roof. This was Greenwich’s original Observatory building. This was one of the first public time signals in the world. They raised and lowered the red ball everyday at 1PM for ships on the River Thames to accurately set their times.

Royal Observatory Greenwich
One of the benefits of being at this vantage point is the surrounding views of Greenwich Park, the River Thames and beyond.

Queen's House Greenwich

The striking, 17th-century Queen’s House was just down the hill from the observatory. This was initially Henrietta Maria’s (Charles I’s queen) home but is now a fine arts museum and an events venue.

Queen's House Greenwich
While my husband and I rested on the benches along these lovely columns at the Queen’s House, my kids found somewhere to entertain themselves.

Greenwich Queen House

We seek out open spaces for my kids to run around and release all that energy wherever we go. There was this large grassy area by the Queen’s House that my kids loved and used as a giant playground. They had it all to themselves which was rare in the London parks we visited.

Greenwich with kids

Playing here led to awkward tumblings and cartwheels. Can you tell they loved being here? It amazes me how much energy most kids have (including mine). We walked a lot including that uphill observatory climb.

I don’t even remember feeding them sugary treats. It was a delight to watch them enjoying themselves against the shadows of one of the most visited places in the world.

Greenwich park with kids

It was surprising to see many interesting museums around Greenwich. We also passed by the National Maritime Museum which is supposed to be the world’s largest maritime museum. Looking at it online, the museum looks fun and is filled with great exhibits and interactive activities including a Children’s gallery.

National Maritime Museum Greenwich
We found “Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle” outside the maritime museum which is a small replica of Lord Horatio Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory where he died. It had 80 cannons and 37 colorful sails which were inspired by vibrant Indonesian batiks.

Greenwich Maritime Ship
Although many of the places around Greenwich were closed during our visit, we still enjoyed walking around this town filled with maritime history and a world famous attraction. We would love to return and visit many of its museums and explore the park. It was far from London’s crowds during the summer and worth a half-day trip or longer with or without kids in tow.

Greenwich market

Basics and Tips for Visiting Greenwich with Kids

  • There are many companies that offer river cruises with stops in Greenwich. We did a round trip excursion. You can also opt for riding the train or tube or a combination of transportation options.
  • If you want to go to the Prime Meridian tourist spot inside the Royal Observatory gates, keep in mind that it closes at 4 PM and fees apply. Many of the museums usually close around 5PM.
  • Greenwich has so much to offer beyond the maritime buildings and museums and historic center. You can even go on the UK’s only urban cable car that crosses the Thames. Visit the Greenwich website for more attractions and events.

London tower bridge dusk

Have you visited Greenwich and the Prime Meridian?

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40 thoughts on “Where Time Begins: Greenwich with Kids”

  1. The funny thing was I lived in and travelled to London for 25 yrs before visting Greenwich for the first time. Now I always go back, not only for the prime meridien but also for the Sunday Markets and antiques.

  2. Sounds like a fantastic getaway from London. I’ve never seen a post written on Greenwich and for a lover of maps I feel I must go and visit. I love the thought of being at the intersection of two hemispheres.
    I can’t say I’ve done a cartwheel in a while but fun to see shots of your kids just being kids.

    1. Thanks Leigh! It was a nice getaway from London’s crowds. Visiting the Prime Meridian was something we wanted to do despite it being closed. I hope you get to visit soon.

  3. I love Greenwich, but I haven’t been for ages – so thank you for taking me back there and bringing back some great memories! Wonderful photos. And you’re right – the Thames Clipper is more of a commuter boat! I always used to think it would be such a lovely way to go to work…..;)

  4. We did this trip 35 years ago and since then our daughter has been back and lived in a hostel in Greenwich for a couple of months. They had a very cold Christmas the year she was there and they were tobogganing in Greenwich Park.

  5. I’ve never thought of visiting Greenwich though I’ve been to London several times. Sounds like there’s a lot to do there. Will have to check it out next time. Thanks for the virtual tour, Mary.

  6. My son was learning about the Prime Meridien just yesterday, so I called him over to take a look at your post. We were very excited to see that there’s an actual line marking it. I think if we visited London, we’d go here and see how many funny photos we could take. Thanks for the tips.

  7. Amy @ The Q Family

    Lovely! Too bad we didn’t make it to Greenwich during our visit in Winter. Another good reason for us to make a plan for next trip. :)

  8. What a nice day! I can’t believe that after living in London for a year, I only made it out to Greenwich for one afternoon. I need to fix that this summer so I’ll definitely be bookmarking this post. Thanks for sharing, Mary!

    Happy travels :)

  9. This was one of the first places we visited in the UK and it’d definitely be top of the list to take the kids if we went back. Especially the cable car bit :) . Good to see them making good use of those green spaces!

  10. If you ever go back I really recommend the Maritime Museum for kids. It’s very interactive and mine love it! It’s amazing you had the park to yourselves, I’ve never seen it so empty. Lucky you!

  11. I didn’t realize this is a place you can actually visit! So cool to visit the Prime Meridian: what a great way to make geography super memorable for your kids! (I had so much trouble figuring out those lines of longitude and latitude in school!)

  12. This is my favorite place in London, love, love, love Greenwich!

    When we were there last summer, they had the sprinklers on and it was so sunny and hot that I just let my daughter have fun. Glad to see you and the family liked it!

  13. Sounds like it was a great adventure! Straddling the meridian is totally something I would do even though it is slightly cheesy. It’s unfortunate you got there after they closed, but it must have been wonderful to have the place to yourself.

  14. I would love to visit the Observatory and Planetarium! And I’d also love to visit Greenwich Park! I’m glad you got to enjoy some areas without lots of people around!

  15. I’ve never been there, but the whole city looks just wonderful and stunning. I can see that summer is definitely the best season to explore it. So colorful! By the way, your kids are the best models!

  16. I love the touristy photos of your kids at the poor man’s Prime Meridian line. Lol!! Greenwich looks like such a lovely place and I like how it’s not overrun with tourists. It’s amazing to get the major attractions all to yourself!

  17. I’ve visited Greenwich back in 1998. However, your post made me realize I’ve missed a lot on that visit, and I should defibitely go back. I onky remember the park and the meridian line.

  18. Hi Mary, You know, I’ve been to London several times but, embrassingly, I have not made it to Greenwich. I always said I’d go next time but I always missed. But thank you for taking me along I finally had a glimpse of it. I found the red ball on top of Flamsteed House and its function very interesting. Too bad you didn’t get inside the observatory but it seemed line you made the most out of it. It was delightful to see the kids having a great fun. It was nice that there was a park that they could have for themselves.

  19. Yey a post about Greenwich! I live less than 5 minutes from the top of Greenwich park, and the view from the top of the hill still never fails to amaze me! It’s a shame some of the museums were closed but I guess that gives you a reason to return. Haha, I loved your description of the ‘poor man’s version’ of the Meridian Line – to be honest, it’s not worth queuing up for the other just to get a photo(I mean you can see it from the gate!). I just thought I should add that areas of the museum are free, like the astronomy centre, which is very interactive and fun for children.

  20. I have a photo straddling the hemisphere line right there! My uncle teaches at the University of Greenwich so he took me out there one day while I was visiting. It’s such a great town <3

  21. Living in South-East London Greenwich for me is literally “down the road”. I love going there especially on a clear summer day for the outstanding view from the top of Greenwich Park. I recently discovered the Painted Hall and the Chapel at the Old Royal Naval College two very interesting places and there is no entrance fee to visit them!

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