Camera Obscura and World of Illusions

this is a great place for the whole family defiantly worth a visit

Excellent experience, really good value. We visited when it was quiet though and would guess that it can get busy in peak season. Fun for people of all ages.

We visited the Camera Obscura as a means to escape the rain one day during the Fringe. We were drawn in by the idea of the Camera Obscura itself which is a Victorian device for looking out over Edinburgh. As it turns out we were more fascinated by the many floors of additional attractions which include holograms, fun mirrors and various optical illusions.

I would have happily gone around the whole thing again immediately!

Very enjoyable. We went mainly as it was raining so to keep dry but had lots of fun. My fabourite is the severed head - climb into a box and pop your head out the top so to look like it's on a platter for a friend to photograph. I highly recommend walking off at this point with them looking round for you and looking totally ridiculous. Hilarious!

Despite being an Edinburgh native I'd never visited the Camera Obscura until yesterday. It really is a most impressive venue. The Camera Obscura itself is absolutely fascinating and well presented.

I had feared that the rest of the venue would be just filler but it's equally good. The holograms look rather tired, but then they always do.

The trick room and head-on-a-plate tricks are superb.

Unreservedly recommended for families and adults alike.

What a place! Right at the top of the Royal Mile this museum is superb. Lots of mind-bending optical illusions to see and some interactive exhibits to play with as well. The tour culminates with the view from the tower of the building which is in my opinion one of the best to be had in Edinburgh.

I love the building at night when you walk up the Royal mile and in a distance you spot that pinkish halo on the top of the museum. I never doubted that my first visit, two years ago, would be a small personal revolution. I liked all the optical illusions, the crystal ball with the blue lightning, the camera itself on the top floor where you can see the people strolling in the street as little as mice and you can use a card to scoop them up and then toss them back down, little trick that grabbed the cookie for the young people and children. The fascinating panoramic view from the top terrace itself makes the visit a worth experience.

One of the tourist attractions in Edinburgh right next to Edinburgh Castle, so it can get busy.

This is a fun attraction set over several floors where you have hands on experiments you can do with the illusions. The main spectacle is, of course, the actual camera obscura where you can see birds eye view of Edinburgh and can actually see the people and cars going around. You see the camera obscura as part of a presentation where the staff explain how it is used.

You can go up to the top of the building which gives you a great view of Edinburgh.

It is quite pricey but is very family friendly and lots of fun.

This is a great place it is £7.95 for an adult but it is well worth the money. There are quite a few stairs to the top of the tower where the show was just about to start and it was fascinating to find out about the city and watch it from the camera obscura which uses mirrors to show you the moving outside world of edinburgh
It is better to go on a light day as we went for the 3pm tour and though you could still see things the guidesaid it was much better when it is light
You can go outside from here and see the great views from the roof There are then 3 more floors open to the public one of which shows you how electroity and lighting works with giant plasmaballs
You can also see bendy mirros chase fish on the floor and swap heads with someone
There are pranescopes which show how early pictures were made. There is also a moving picture cards show which was one of the ones you used to put a penny in and turn round which my finace found oto be a little rude
There is a level of hidden pictures which come out depending which way you glance there are some very scary 3d images that jump out at you and a machine that lets you take a picture and show how you would look at different characters
The shop is great with lots of things to make for yourself and loads for kids
Well worth a visit

I visited the camera obscura many years ago as a young teenager and I really enjoyed it. My husband and I spent a weekend in Edinburgh in summer 2006 and this was one of the first places we visited. The place is set over a few floors, with the camera obscura at the very top. Thw world of illusions is on the lower floors, and this was our favourite part, the magic eye pictures and holograms are amazing, along with all the other fun stuff they’ve got, such as the optical tricks. By the time we actually got into the camera obscura though we were both feeling quite dizzy from looking at all the pictures! Which meant that we couldn’t fully enjoy the experience of the camera obscura unfortunately. If we ever get the chance to visit again we’ll go to see the camera obscura first then look at the lower floors. I would love to take my children there as I think it’s a great attraction for all the family, though I wouldn’t recommend attempting it with a pushchair!

We used our Tesco clubcard vouchers to get in to the camera obscurer at the top of the Royal Mile. It is great fun and a brilliant way to teach children science whilst having a laugh. It is very interactive so it is fine for children to touch the exhibitions. Young children might not sit through the talk at the top (especially if they are scared of the dark) but it is still worth visiting even if you don’t do this bit. Be careful not to trip up (or down!) the stairs when looking at the magic eye pictures. You get a great view of Edinburgh. Very good family day out - something for everyone of all ages.

This is my favourite of all the tourist attractions in Edinburgh and has been since I was a child. There is loads to see on each floor but the main attraction is the camera itself on the top floor. I’m a bit hazy on the details but the camera is one of the oldest and the world and the guide who operates it, gives you a thorough tour of the city using the camera. I think this is ideal for tourists to do when they first visit the city as it gives a broad overview of the main sights in a very unusual and memorable way - far better than a tour bus. The illusions on each floor are very interesting and there are lots of hand on exhibits which should keep children amused. This is one of the best indoor attractions for children and adult visitors alike - great for when it is raining (or knowing Edinburgh snowing!). It is also very centrally located, right next to the Castle at the top of the Royal Mile.

a great place to while away a few hours playing with optical illusions etc.
Situated on the Royal Mile, quite close to the castle
Definitely a place to visit at least once and suitable for most, although some of the stairs may cause problems for the infirm

A great place, our children loved it. Very knowledgeable staff - we loved being able to pick people up on a piece of card too, great fun especially when the guide scooped up and threw away a traffic warden! The 4 floors of world of illusions was amazing, so much to see and do - our favourite was the place to have a photograph taken of your shadow. We only called in because it was raining but would definitely recommend a visit.

My older three children visisted the Camera Obscura fairly recently and loved it. It’s a fairly small attraction but fascinating in it’s own right. Ideal for families, but perhaps not for those with toddlers.

Excellent way to spend a few hours in Edinburgh. For those who don’t know, a camera obscura is an optical device that projects a panoramic view from a lens down onto a viewing plate or platform. So in this case, with the camera obscura mounted high up at the top of the Royal Mile, you get stunning panoramic views across the whole of Edinburgh and the countryside beyond. The guides operating the camera are helpful, friendly and knowledgeable; they make sure the experience is as fun as it is informative.

The rest of the five-storey building is devoted to displays of optical illusions, light shows, optical art, anything really that involves light, seeing or illusion. You can easily spend an hour or two just wandering down through the building.

There’s a small gift shop downstairs int he building where you can buy typical gift shop tat, with a heavy emphasis on visual tricks and toys. So many kaleidoscopes.

One word of warning: this old listed building has about ten flights of stairs and no lift.

This was another school trip haunt and one that stayed with me. It is nice to see the city that you know so well from a completely different perspective. As previous posters have said, it is only really beneficial to go on a clear day but when you do it is really a treat.
It is another show of innovatigve simplicity that Edinburgh and its surrounding areas is known for. I remember watching a card being placed on the surface where the image is projected and watching a bus 'travel over’ it and being absolutely amazed. I would recomment anyone with an interest in inventions to visit.

This place is absolutely amazing. The pictures in the place are 3d, and are brilliant. You also go into a room where you can see the Centre, and you can see the people in it, and pick them up virtually. Outside you can see all round Edinburgh. Absolutely fantastic place, for all, families, couples…. anybody!!!!

The Camera Obscura is one of the best days out in Edinburgh for a family. You can spend hours in the 5 floors of lights and mirrors and optical illusions. Then onto the top floor, for a brilliant view all round Edinburgh and over to Fife, then you go in for the little show where they show you how the camera works using mirrors. The kids seem to enjoy this part too when they can “pick people up on a peice of card” etc. A very interesting and lively place. They have very helpful and polite staff and they always seem relaxed with the kids.