The historic building and telescopes of the Old Observatory attract more than 30,000 visitors every year. But the Old Observatory wants to achieve even more in the future:

• To become acquainted with astronomy and the universe: In the last century, our knowledge of the universe and its origins has increased dramatically. With the advent of space telescopes and better measurement methods, even more will be discovered in the coming years. The Old Observatory wants to share and popularise the existing knowledge in this area, especially for the target group of children and their grandparents.

• To become acquainted with science in general: Science plays an increasingly important role in our society. Through science we can understand the world around us and ourselves better. Astronomy, because of the fascination it evokes among young and old, is ideally suited to introduce people to science. Through the visitor centre, the Old Observatory wants to stimulate the curiosity of the public for science.

• High-quality research is still taking place in Leiden, including in the field of astronomy. The Old Observatory wants to share these developments with the public.

We hope that the new exhibition will be realised in early 2019.

In the future, the Old Observatory wants to introduce even more people, especially (school) children and their grandparents, to the universe, to the fascinating astronomical research that takes place in Leiden, and the rich history we have in this field.

We therefore want to create an attractive new exhibition in the short term, which will introduce visitors to astronomy and the groundbreaking research that is taking place in Leiden in an accessible, interactive manner.

By combining this exhibition with a plan to make optimal use of the surroundings and the possibilities for collaboration, the number of visitors coming to the Old Observatory each year can be increased from 30,000 to 63,000 visitors per year.