Talcott house

Talcott house is a small historic building from 1898 on the grounds of the Old Observatory (Oude Sterrewacht) in Leiden, the Netherlands, where it once housed a zenith telescope.

About Talcott house

Built in 1898, Talcott house originally sheltered a zenith telescope used for precision astronomical measurements. It now serves as a tearoom on the same grounds, run by Leiden University as part of the wider Old Observatory site.

History

The building dates to 1898 and stands on the historic grounds of Leiden's Old Observatory, one of the world's oldest university observatories still on its original site.

Location & getting there

Talcott house sits within the Old Observatory complex in Leiden, a compact university city in the Netherlands known for its canals and historic science institutions, making the site an easy stop on foot for visitors already exploring the city centre.

Visiting Talcott house

The site is operated by Leiden University and is open Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00–18:00 from April to October and 10:00–16:00 from November to March. Wheelchair access is limited. Check the observatories directory or the university's website for current details before visiting.

See your named star from here

Standing where astronomers once tracked stars from a zenith telescope, it's a fitting spot to consider naming one of your own. A Star Register name comes with real coordinates a telescope can be pointed at, anywhere in the world. See our packages or the catalogue.