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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 prices

The 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

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Join one of our volunteer tour guides to discover the secrets and surprises of Studley Royal Water Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Event summary

on
22 May to 31 Aug 2025
at
11:00 to 12:30
+ 203 other dates or times
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Abbey tour 

Join one of our volunteer tour guides to discover more about the largest monastic ruins in the country.

Event summary

on
22 May to 31 Aug 2025
at
12:00 to 13:00
+ 203 other dates or times
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May half term 

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on
24 May to 1 Jun 2025
at
10:00 to 16:30
+ 8 other dates or times
Event

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.

Event summary

on
27 May to 28 Oct 2025
at
14:30 to 15:30
+ 11 other dates or times