Sydney’s premier art collection of Australian, European, Asian, contemporary, photographic and tribal art. A fine art museum and exhibition space holding regular art and culture events, displaying famous Australian and international artist’s artwork. Excellent Aboriginal Art Display.
Situated in Darling Harbour, at the western end of Pyrmont Bridge, this museum highlights the fascination and affinity Australians have with the sea. There is also a large floating collection of craft, from a destroyer to a 1888 racing cutter. Prime resource for historic vessels, migrant ships, family history, genealogy, maritime research, arts and culture, seamanship and much more.
Eight Days That Changed the World, an extensive display that shows the meeting between local Aboriginal Culture and the crew of the Endeavour, led by Captain Cook in 1770. There is also info on the delicate wetlands and coastal areas of this region, inhabited by the wildlife that was originally studied by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, scientists who accompanied James Cook on his historic journey to chart the east coast of Australia and the South Pacific.
Near the site where Captain Cook first landed at Botany Bay in Jan 1788 and a day later the French explorer Comte de Laperouse arrived. There are exhibitions and artefacts on Australian history. You can take tours of Bare Island Fort, a defense complex set up to protect Botany Bay from sea incursions.
Phone 9311 3379. Open Wed to Sunday 10am to 4pm, except Christmas Day and Good Friday.
Cable Station, Anzac Parade La Perouse
NSW 2036
MCA - Museum of Contemporary Art
Located in the Rocks, this museum offers work by contemporary Australian artists from television, film, video, laser, paintings, sculpture and other forms of visual expression. Great cafe and gift shop.
Phone 02 9241 5892 Open 11am-6pm daily. Guided tours 12pm, 1pm and 2pm daily. Bookings Phone 061 2 9252-4033.
Circular Quay West The Rocks
NSW 2000
Meroogal
Meroogal, in the South coast town of Nowra, was built in 1885-1886. This delightful timber house, with its "gothic" trimmings, is a charming testament to early days and early ways. By guided tour only. Tours depart on the hour.
The Museum of Australian Currency Notes has exhibits and displays of the currency notes that have celebrated and made their mark on the history of the country. They include notes from the beginning of the Australian colonial history all the way through to today’s advanced polymer ones. No free samples but an interesting take of this nation’s story.
10.00 am and 4.00 pm Monday to Friday except Public Holidays and NSW Bank Holidays. Phone +61 2 4731 3000
Reserve Bank of Australia, Ground Floor at 65 Martin Place Sydney (City Centre)
NSW 2000
Museum of Fire
Fire is dangerous yet essential to our lives. Explore the fascinating history of fire fighting and the modern impact of fire in the home and the environment. They even have a Junior Firefighters Training Area for the Kids!
Open from 9.30am to 4.30pm seven days a week. Phone +61 2 4731 3000.
Off Castlereagh Rd.Penrith Penrith
NSW 2750
Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest
Formerly the home of sculptor Gerald Lewers and his wife Margo, an abstract painter. The existing circa 1901 farmhouse, its property and art collection were bequeathed to Penrith City in 1978.
The Quarantine Station was built in 1832 to help prevent the spread of epidemics. Besides the historical buildings, there were some very beautiful rock engravings created by some of the early residents of the facility - and a lonely graveyard for those fortunate as to survive the long sea journey only to die from sickness here.
Rouse Hill was established by Richard and Elizabeth Rouse in 1813 and has been in use by six generations of the one family. Guided tours only. Bookings essential.
Built in 1844, Susannah Place Museum is a row of four terraces that incorporates a turn-of-the-century corner store. Rare in the city of Sydney, it has a continuous history of domestic occupancy by working class families.
Australia’s largest collection of operating heritage ships and boats. The Sydney Heritage Fleet’s mission is to acquire, conserve, restore and operate heritage vessels and artifacts with a significant maritime background.
You can also cruise on Sydney Harbour on one of their historic steamers, or sail on board the square rigged tall ship James Craig out on the open ocean.
6 Mansfield St. Rozelle
NSW 2039
Sydney Observatory
Historic Sydney Observatory is a museum about astronomy and its history. Our regular program of exhibitions, films, talks and night viewings gives you a glimpse of the history of astronomy and its history. Complete with state of the art 16 inch Telescope and a Planetarium.
Shoot through on a Bondi tram! or Take the tram with PARKLINK to the Royal National Park! Australia’s oldest tramway museum (founded in 1950) and the largest in the southern hemisphere.
The Australian Museum is rated as one of the six best natural history museums in the world. Experience the exhibitions covering Aboriginal Australia, rituals of the human life cycle, mammals and a host of curious and interesting items. The Museum was established in 1827 and is Australia’s first museum, with unique and extensive collections of natural science and cultural artefacts.
The Justice & Police Museum features a Magistrates Court, a recreated police charge room and remand cells, a gallery of mug shots of Sydney’s early criminals and an array of spine chilling weapons.
The Mint, constructed between 1811-1816 as the southern wing of the Sydney Hospital, is one of the oldest extant buildings in central Sydney. A Mint was established there in 1854.
Corner Bridge and Phillips Streets, Sydney. Central
NSW 2000
The Powerhouse Museum
The Powerhouse Museum is Sydney’s largest and most popular museum. Home to Australian culture and history, the Powerhouse is the perfect place to get a comprehensive insight into this rich and diverse country. Visit the Museum to find out about all things Australian - explore how Australians live, work and entertain themselves, find out about Australia’s notable record in research and innovation and discover the contemporary voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. The Powerhouse Museum is a modern, vibrant organisation with over 25 exhibitions on at any one time exploring an amazing array of phenomena to excite visitors from all over the world. More than 250 interactives bring the Powerhouse Museum to life for thousands of people each year.
Touch screen computers, audio phones, science experiments and hands-on fun are guaranteed to delight children and adults alike. An ever-changing program of temporary displays complements a range of permanent exhibitions, and regular demonstrations, performances, workshops and other special events are presented throughout the Museum.
The Museum is ideally situated in Darling Harbour, Sydney’s prestige waterfront location, and is close to the CBD and many other fantastic Sydney attractions. Easily accessible via the Metro Monorail, one of only a few above ground rail systems in the world that operates through the heart of a major city, the Museum also provides several language guides to ensure maximum enjoyment for all.
Whether its vegemite, Holden cars, didgeridoos or traditional bush kitchens you’re interested in, the Powerhouse Museum is a must-see for all international visitors.
Powerhouse Castle Hill - Open Weekends 10am to 4pm
Sydney Observatory - Open Wednesday to Saturday
Phone 02 9217 0341
500 Harris St. Darling Harbour (Ultimo)
NSW 2007
The Sydney Jewish Museum
The Sydney Jewish Museum provides visitors with experiences and understanding of the events of the Holocaust by allowing them to meet, in a dignified and moving environment, those who were involved. The museum also deals with Jewish life from the first days of European settlement in Australia.
Vaucluse House survives as one of Sydney’s only 19th century harbourside estates with house, kitchen wing, stables and outbuildings and is still surrounded by 12 hectares of formal gardens and grounds. Perfect for picnics.
Sydney Museums
See the museums in Sydney on the Map: Map of Inner Sydney Australia - for attractions go here: All Sydney Attractions.
More NSW Museums go here:
NSW Museums
Arms of Australia Museum
Early history of Sydney with displays, photos and artefacts.
Link - Arms of Australia Museum
Phone 02 4735 4394
Gardenia Ave
Emu Plains
NSW
2750
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Sydney’s premier art collection of Australian, European, Asian, contemporary, photographic and tribal art. A fine art museum and exhibition space holding regular art and culture events, displaying famous Australian and international artist’s artwork. Excellent Aboriginal Art Display.
Link - Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery Road, The Domain.
Central
NSW
2000
Australian National Maritime Museum
Situated in Darling Harbour, at the western end of Pyrmont Bridge, this museum highlights the fascination and affinity Australians have with the sea. There is also a large floating collection of craft, from a destroyer to a 1888 racing cutter. Prime resource for historic vessels, migrant ships, family history, genealogy, maritime research, arts and culture, seamanship and much more.
Link - Australian National Maritime Museum
West end of Pyrmont Bridge, Phone 9552 7777
2 Murray St.
Darling Harbour
NSW
2000
Brett Whiteley Studio Museum
Brett Whiteley Studio
Link - Brett Whiteley Studio Museum
2 Raper St.
Surry Hills
NSW
2010
Discovery Centre
Eight Days That Changed the World, an extensive display that shows the meeting between local Aboriginal Culture and the crew of the Endeavour, led by Captain Cook in 1770. There is also info on the delicate wetlands and coastal areas of this region, inhabited by the wildlife that was originally studied by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, scientists who accompanied James Cook on his historic journey to chart the east coast of Australia and the South Pacific.
Link - Discovery Centre
Ph 02 9542 0649
Kurnell
NSW
2231
Elizabeth Bay Farm
Elizabeth Farm was commenced in 1793 and contains part of the oldest surviving European building in Australia.
Link - Elizabeth Bay Farm
70 Alice St
Rosehill
NSW
2142
Elizabeth Bay House
Built between 1835 and 1839, Elizabeth Bay House was described as the finest house in the colony.
Link - Elizabeth Bay House
7 Onslow Ave
Elizabeth Bay
NSW
2011
Government House
Government House was constructed between 1837-1845. It is the most sophisticated example of a Gothic Revival building in New South Wales.
Link - Government House
Macquarie St., Botanic Gardens
Central
NSW
2000
Hyde Park Barracks
Hyde Park Barracks, designed by Francis Greenway, was a home to convicts and place of punishment until 1848.
Link - Hyde Park Barracks
Queens Square - Macquarie St.
Central
NSW
2000
La Perouse Museum
Near the site where Captain Cook first landed at Botany Bay in Jan 1788 and a day later the French explorer Comte de Laperouse arrived. There are exhibitions and artefacts on Australian history. You can take tours of Bare Island Fort, a defense complex set up to protect Botany Bay from sea incursions.
Link - La Perouse Museum
Phone 9311 3379. Open Wed to Sunday 10am to 4pm, except Christmas Day and Good Friday.
Cable Station, Anzac Parade
La Perouse
NSW
2036
MCA - Museum of Contemporary Art
Located in the Rocks, this museum offers work by contemporary Australian artists from television, film, video, laser, paintings, sculpture and other forms of visual expression. Great cafe and gift shop.
Link - MCA - Museum of Contemporary Art
Phone 02 9241 5892 Open 11am-6pm daily. Guided tours 12pm, 1pm and 2pm daily. Bookings Phone 061 2 9252-4033.
Circular Quay West
The Rocks
NSW
2000
Meroogal
Meroogal, in the South coast town of Nowra, was built in 1885-1886. This delightful timber house, with its "gothic" trimmings, is a charming testament to early days and early ways. By guided tour only. Tours depart on the hour.
Link - Meroogal
Cnr West & Worrigee Streets
Nowra
NSW
2541
Reserve Bank of Australia Museum
The Museum of Australian Currency Notes has exhibits and displays of the currency notes that have celebrated and made their mark on the history of the country. They include notes from the beginning of the Australian colonial history all the way through to today’s advanced polymer ones. No free samples but an interesting take of this nation’s story.
Link - Reserve Bank of Australia Museum
10.00 am and 4.00 pm Monday to Friday except Public Holidays and NSW Bank Holidays. Phone +61 2 4731 3000
Reserve Bank of Australia, Ground Floor at 65 Martin Place
Sydney (City Centre)
NSW
2000
Museum of Fire
Fire is dangerous yet essential to our lives. Explore the fascinating history of fire fighting and the modern impact of fire in the home and the environment. They even have a Junior Firefighters Training Area for the Kids!
Link - Museum of Fire
Open from 9.30am to 4.30pm seven days a week. Phone +61 2 4731 3000.
Off Castlereagh Rd.Penrith
Penrith
NSW
2750
Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest
Formerly the home of sculptor Gerald Lewers and his wife Margo, an abstract painter. The existing circa 1901 farmhouse, its property and art collection were bequeathed to Penrith City in 1978.
Link - Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest
86 River Road
Emu Plains
NSW
2750
Quarantine Station
The Quarantine Station was built in 1832 to help prevent the spread of epidemics. Besides the historical buildings, there were some very beautiful rock engravings created by some of the early residents of the facility - and a lonely graveyard for those fortunate as to survive the long sea journey only to die from sickness here.
Link - Quarantine Station
Bookings are essential. Tours depart from the entrance of the Quarantine Station on Mondays Wednesdays, Fridays and weekends at 1.15pm.
North Head Scenic Drive
Manly
NSW
2095
Rose Seidler House
Rose Seidler House, built between 1948 and 1950, is one of the most uncompromising modernist houses in Australia.
Link - Rose Seidler House
71 Clissold Road
Wahroonga
NSW
2076
Rouse Hill
Rouse Hill was established by Richard and Elizabeth Rouse in 1813 and has been in use by six generations of the one family. Guided tours only. Bookings essential.
Link - Rouse Hill
Guntawong Road, off Windsor Road
Rouse Hill
NSW
2155
Susannah Place Museum
Built in 1844, Susannah Place Museum is a row of four terraces that incorporates a turn-of-the-century corner store. Rare in the city of Sydney, it has a continuous history of domestic occupancy by working class families.
Link - Susannah Place Museum
58-64 Gloucester Sreet
The Rocks
NSW
2000
Sydney Heritage Fleet
Australia’s largest collection of operating heritage ships and boats. The Sydney Heritage Fleet’s mission is to acquire, conserve, restore and operate heritage vessels and artifacts with a significant maritime background.
Link - Sydney Heritage Fleet
You can also cruise on Sydney Harbour on one of their historic steamers, or sail on board the square rigged tall ship James Craig out on the open ocean.
6 Mansfield St.
Rozelle
NSW
2039
Sydney Observatory
Historic Sydney Observatory is a museum about astronomy and its history. Our regular program of exhibitions, films, talks and night viewings gives you a glimpse of the history of astronomy and its history. Complete with state of the art 16 inch Telescope and a Planetarium.
Link - Sydney Observatory
Phone 02 9217 0485
Watson Road, Observatory Hill
The Rocks
NSW
2000
Sydney Tramway Museum
Shoot through on a Bondi tram! or Take the tram with PARKLINK to the Royal National Park! Australia’s oldest tramway museum (founded in 1950) and the largest in the southern hemisphere.
Link - Sydney Tramway Museum
Phone 02 9542 3646
Royal National Park
Loftus.
NSW
2232
The Australian Museum
The Australian Museum is rated as one of the six best natural history museums in the world. Experience the exhibitions covering Aboriginal Australia, rituals of the human life cycle, mammals and a host of curious and interesting items. The Museum was established in 1827 and is Australia’s first museum, with unique and extensive collections of natural science and cultural artefacts.
Link - The Australian Museum
Phone 02 9320 6000
6 College St.
Central
NSW
2000
The Justice and Police Museum
The Justice & Police Museum features a Magistrates Court, a recreated police charge room and remand cells, a gallery of mug shots of Sydney’s early criminals and an array of spine chilling weapons.
Link - The Justice and Police Museum
Cnr. Albert & Phillip Sts.
Sydney
NSW
2000
The Mint
The Mint, constructed between 1811-1816 as the southern wing of the Sydney Hospital, is one of the oldest extant buildings in central Sydney. A Mint was established there in 1854.
Link - The Mint
Queens Square - Macquarie St.
Central
NSW
2000
The Museum of Sydney
The Museum of Sydney is an imaginative museum offering the visitor a journey of discovery and wonder through Sydney 1788 and beyond.
Link - The Museum of Sydney
Corner Bridge and Phillips Streets, Sydney.
Central
NSW
2000
The Powerhouse Museum
The Powerhouse Museum is Sydney’s largest and most popular museum. Home to Australian culture and history, the Powerhouse is the perfect place to get a comprehensive insight into this rich and diverse country. Visit the Museum to find out about all things Australian - explore how Australians live, work and entertain themselves, find out about Australia’s notable record in research and innovation and discover the contemporary voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. The Powerhouse Museum is a modern, vibrant organisation with over 25 exhibitions on at any one time exploring an amazing array of phenomena to excite visitors from all over the world. More than 250 interactives bring the Powerhouse Museum to life for thousands of people each year.
Touch screen computers, audio phones, science experiments and hands-on fun are guaranteed to delight children and adults alike. An ever-changing program of temporary displays complements a range of permanent exhibitions, and regular demonstrations, performances, workshops and other special events are presented throughout the Museum.
The Museum is ideally situated in Darling Harbour, Sydney’s prestige waterfront location, and is close to the CBD and many other fantastic Sydney attractions. Easily accessible via the Metro Monorail, one of only a few above ground rail systems in the world that operates through the heart of a major city, the Museum also provides several language guides to ensure maximum enjoyment for all.
Whether its vegemite, Holden cars, didgeridoos or traditional bush kitchens you’re interested in, the Powerhouse Museum is a must-see for all international visitors.
Link - The Powerhouse Museum
Powerhouse Parramatta - Under Construction
Powerhouse Ultimo - Being Renovated
Powerhouse Castle Hill - Open Weekends 10am to 4pm
Sydney Observatory - Open Wednesday to Saturday
Phone 02 9217 0341
500 Harris St.
Darling Harbour (Ultimo)
NSW
2007
The Sydney Jewish Museum
The Sydney Jewish Museum provides visitors with experiences and understanding of the events of the Holocaust by allowing them to meet, in a dignified and moving environment, those who were involved. The museum also deals with Jewish life from the first days of European settlement in Australia.
Link - The Sydney Jewish Museum
Phone 02 9360 7999 Open Mon to Thurs 10am - 4pm Fri 10am - 2pm Sun 11am - 5pm.
Darlinghurst and Burton St.
Darlinghurst
NSW
2010
Valley Heights Rail Museum
Heritage Locomotives
Tusculum Rd
Valley Heights
NSW
2777
Link - Valley Heights Rail Museum
Vaucluse House
Vaucluse House survives as one of Sydney’s only 19th century harbourside estates with house, kitchen wing, stables and outbuildings and is still surrounded by 12 hectares of formal gardens and grounds. Perfect for picnics.
Link - Vaucluse House
Wentworth Road
Vaucluse
NSW
2030
Attractions in NSW
Next - Darling Harbour Attractions