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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

Event

Winter abbey tour 

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

Event summary

on
8 Feb to 30 Mar 2025
at
11:00 to 12:00
+ 31 other dates or times
Event

Winter garden and abbey tour 

Join one of our volunteer tour guides to see the abbey as the Georgians once did; incorporated into the dramatic designed landscape.

Event summary

on
8 Feb to 30 Mar 2025
at
13:00 to 14:30
+ 15 other dates or times
Event

Springo spotter sheet 

Bring your winter explorers to Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal this February half term. Follow along the Springo spotter sheet and see what winter sights you can spot.

Event summary

on
15 Feb to 23 Feb 2025
at
10:00 to 16:00
+ 8 other dates or times
Event

Annabelle and Flower: live storytelling and craft with author Em Lynas 

Join author Em Lynas in a live storytelling and crafting session of the heartwarming book Annabelle and Flower.

Event summary

on
18 Feb 2025
at
11:00 to 11:40
+ 2 other dates or times