Helios
See the sun like never before with Luke Jerram’s Helios at Fountains Abbey.
- Booking not needed
- Free event (admission applies)
Helios is a brand-new 7-metre diameter sculpture by internationally renowned artist Luke Jerram. Helios, Ancient Greek for the sun, follows Luke’s previous celestial sculptures of ‘Gaia’ ‘Museum of the Moon’ and ‘Mars’.
With rippling lights, solar imagery and sounds of the sun recorded by NASA, you’re invited to come and experience this audio-visual wonder.
Scaled so that each centimetre represents 2000 kilometres of the real sun’s surface, this is a unique opportunity to take a closer look at the star and details such as sunspots and solar flares.
Helios will be suspended from the centre of the Nave in the abbey ruins.
Helios will be displayed during the daytime and in the evenings. Visitors may need to book tickets for the evening viewings. Specific times and details about booking tickets will be released closer to the time.
Times
Prices
Event ticket prices
This event is free, but normal admission charges apply for the venue.
Check admission pricesThe basics
- Meeting point
Helios will be suspended from the centre of the Nave in the abbey ruins.
- Accessibility
There are hard-standing paths around the estate. Access to the abbey is across a level grassy green. When the grass is particularly wet this can be impassable for wheelchairs, mobility scooters and prams.
- Other
Helios will be displayed at Fountains Abbey during the day and in the evenings. Visitors may need to book tickets for the evening viewings. Specific times and details about booking tickets will be released closer to the time.
Upcoming events
May half term
Enjoy a bird themed nature trail and see how many papier mache birds you can spot hiding in the trees around the bird hide.
Garden and abbey tour
Join one of our volunteer tour guides to discover the secrets and surprises of Studley Royal Water Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Abbey tour
Join one of our volunteer tour guides to discover more about the largest monastic ruins in the country.
Medieval Industry: bread, beer and wool tour
Join one of our volunteer tour guides to discover more about the people who lived and worked on the Fountains Abbey estate.