It was a rainy day in Sydney and so I needed to find something interesting indoors. Well, this was…read morean awesome find. First of all entry is free, which is always welcome. There is so much to see also, I would gladly have paid for entry. There is a large hall that features a lot of original native arts and animals from various regions around the world. Another area features animals from all areas around the globe. Of course a large area dedicated to Australia specific history, from it's people to it's animals including those unfortunately extinct. A whole section for dinosaurs. A children's area and a fabulous gift shop are also housed here. This is so worth a visit, especially on a rainy day.

A great FREE museum in Sydney. You can spend a few hours walking around checking all the different…read moreexhibits. It was fun to see and how museums are over in Australia. A must!

It all started with me complaining to Bill about what a rip off Sydney Wedding Venues are. I wasn't…read morelooking for a standard wedding factory like Doltone House and all the good restaurants were super expensive and couldn't guarantee a cruise ship wouldn't block the view. After a 10 second Google search Bill said "What about Maritime Museum?" This is why I married this guy. I didn't even know Maritime did weddings and my dad and step dad were both sailors so it was a fitting venue. Even if you don't have a Maritime connection I would (and do) recommend this place to everyone. Maritime do a lot more corporate functions than weddings so they are pretty accommodating as they'd be unlikely to be running two functions on one weekend. This meant we could drop stuff off before the weekend and pick it up after, taking advantage of those wedding supplier week day delivery rates. The venue is pretty unique. We had cocktails and canapés on the war ship HMAS Vampire before the reception and honestly everyone was so impressed I could have ended the wedding there. Someone actually thought I got Government permission to use the thing. Ha! There are a couple of rooms to choose from. We went with the Terrace Room. Huge floor to ceiling windows to take advantage of the harbour view. The room is of the style of the building so takes a little decorating but it scrubbed up pretty good. The chairs are not great for a wedding and need to be covered so I rented Tiffany chairs instead. The catering is run by an external company Laissez Faire and they did an amazing job. The food was incredible and they catered to the weirdest requests - all the Fijians need well done steak, my Nanna will make ugly faces if her food is cooked in oil, etc, etc. nothing was a problem. The price per head is pretty good (although you lose perspective pretty quickly when planning a wedding. $145 for the base (alcohol) package and three courses plus cake service with tea and coffee plus another $12.50 per head for the cocktails. There is a minimum guest number of 100 adults (under 18s are $100 per head and kids $50 but don't count towards the minimum spend). Vendor meals are $50 too. Feed your vendors. They work hard. The venue people do all the set up and pack down so there is nothing to worry about except having a great time. There is a room for the bridal party with lots of couches which is also great when all the kids start dropping off towards the end of the night. Oh yeah, also being an Irish family I had words with the staff before hand along the lines of no one should have to search for a drink or a top up. They were very heavy handed with the booze. As it should be.

The National Maritime Museum is a great place to understand the effect that water has had on the…read morehistory and culture of Sydney. Many great exhibits on First Nation issue as well as the Landing of the First Fleet.

Had this art gallery on my list of must do's when visiting Sydney. For starter's its free to visit!…read moreThey have so many great exhibit's and easy to get here. Located in the middle of the city, within walking distance. You are allowed to take photos here, avoid the flash. Came here to see their amazing European art collection. Claude Monet's Port Goulphar 1887, beautiful color with detailed brushstrokes. One of my favorite paintings. Vincent Van Gogh's hand of a peasant 1884 was great, lot's of people checking this one out. Another must see was Pablo Picasso's reclining women on a couch 1939. You can get lost in his paintings. I made sure to take time to walk through the Australian art section. I enjoyed seeing the paintings on the animal hides and showcasing so much history. Lot's of talented local artists.

Love visiting this place. I walk up through the Botanical Gardens envying nature's beauty then into…read morethe art gallery. This trip was to view the 2018 Archibald Prize. The talent was amazing. I loved the diversity of the work. The building has the beautiful old facade them you are into a modern building.

Sorry, missing pictures again…read more.. Quality/Quantity - Sadly we did NOT spend enough time here. We discovered this museum the minute we got off the ship. Greeters were so friendly. Offered to take/store our luggage while we visit the museum. But my wife did not want to be late to meet our guests, so we decided to just hang out in the lobby. We actually came here, well to this area, a few times during our trip. And still did not get to spend enough time visiting the museum. We were lucky enough to catch the 50th anniversary Sydney Opera house light show here also! The Opera house is across the bay and we got comfortable stair seating. So many different exhibits, check out their website. Atmosphere - Beautiful and modern museum. Clean and plenty of bathrooms on each floor. Luggage service, free wifi, lobby seating, etc. Open when we visited, 6 days a week from 10am to 5pm or 9pm, closed Tuesdays. Yelp hours differ slightly. Currently says they are open the same days, but from 10am to 5pm; not until 9pm on Fridays. Service - 6 stars, so welcoming. Price - FREE!! Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1991. On our next visit, we will be sure to MAKE the time to spend here! 2010 - Major remodel. 2012 - This location/wing opened. A 5 story wing, adding 50% more floor space. And the newest technology.

The museum is located by Sydney Harbor and close to circular Quay train stop. I've been looking…read moreforward to visiting, but the current exhibitions were not my preference. 30% of the exhibition were videos. The rooftop has minimal sculptures, but does have a restaurant with nice views of the Harbour. It's a large space but did not feel like there was a lot of content.

With the cost of everything going up, it's nice that Sydney still has entertainment and educational…read morevenues that are free. One fantastic attraction is the Powerhouse Museum in the Ultimo district in Sydney's CBD. With nostalgic, scientific, artistic, & hands-on exhibits, you can easily spend 2-3 hours here. There's areas for kids as well.

Was lucky enough to bag a couple of tickets through a Yelp giveaway to the MAASive Lates: Circus…read moreFollies event earlier this year. Was a fab evening of circus performances on the big top stage and fun activities - dress up in circus costumes, ride on the carousel, have a go at hula hooping, plate spinning, etc. Inbetween the main performances there was a band playing and we enjoyed drinks from the bar and free popcorn and candy floss, whilst a magician entertained the crowd. We also spent time having a look at the circus exhibits. The night culminated with an exciting fire juggling display outside the front entrance. Really enjoyed the event and think it's a great idea for museums to hold special after hours events that tie in with their temporary exhibitions and bring them to life. Most of the rest of the museum wasn't accessible during the event but I'd seen enough to inspire another visit to check out the museum itself when I returned to Sydney later. As its name suggests, the museum is housed in an old power station building which is a large and spacious venue. The exhibits cover subjects like transport, steam engines, electricity, computers, modelmaking, etc. I was excited to have a poke around the life-sized space shuttle model in the space section, disappointingly part of it was taped off as out of order. Unfortunately, we came across other interactive exhibits elsewhere in the museum that weren't working either. I'd have rated it four stars if it wasn't for this as it's quite an interesting place.

"Our house was our castle and our keep Our house in the…read moremiddle of our street" (Madness) We've heard it a zillion times, right? "location, location, location!" Well, the Museum of Sydney is built in a pretty interesting location. That's because way back in 1788, the same corner of Phillip and Bridge Street was the location of the First Government House after the English settlers landed in Australia with a mix of old school artifacts, slick digital displays, and panoramic wall to wall imagery. Some of the cool exhibits I saw were Aboriginal canoes, models of the ships in the first English fleet to reach Australia, models of the First Government House, artifacts from archaeological digs, and respectful displays about the First Peoples of the land. The museum has a hand's-on Kid's Zone for craft projects and a pretty nice cafeteria. Not a bad place at all to spend an hour or so, learn about the history of Sydney, and grab a coffee and a snack.

A free must see history of Sydney. The main level holds a gift shop. The next level displays the…read morefirst fleet stories. The best part is a fascinating documentary about the first governor dealing with the native people whose land the Brits took over. The next floor has special exhibits and a coloring zone with trippy photographi murals displayed. A great thing to do on a rainy day.

I took the evening tour as a solo traveler and it did not disappoint. I had grown use to my norther…read morehemisphere skies but was delighted to view life from the southern side. The tour was small and personal giving everyone a chance to look through the vintage telescopes. Located high above the city, it made for a beautiful evening of sightseeing.

Visiting the Sydney Observatory for the World Record Stargazing event was an unexpected surprise…read more Located in an out-of-the-way part of Sydney (due to the hill and the Harbour Bridge approach), I'd never been there before. The buildings are impressive, mainly built between 1857 and 1859 from beautiful Sydney sandstone. I also found it was free to enter the grounds and view the exhibits inside (I went back later to see the buildings during daylight). At the moment there is a wonderful exhibits of astronomical photography on. It does however cost for a tour during the day or evening ($10 for adults during the day, $18 in the evening), which includes entry to the planetarium and viewing through the telescopes - best done during the evening of course. The highlight for me was viewing the rings of Saturn through a telescope for the first time, plus taking part in my first world record!

This many century old beauty in itself is worth visiting. Located right in the heart of Sydney,…read moreAustralia, it offers stained glasses, high ceiling and 4 stories of fancy shops and lots of cafes and restaurants. Sitting on the ground floor, I got myself a pot of hot tea and a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie and soaked in the atmosphere. The shops are more on the high-end side but some can be fun to walk through.

The Queen Victoria Building (QVB) was built in 1898 and designed by 28-year old architect, George…read moreMcRae, replacing the original Sydney markets on the site. Built as a monument to the long reigning monarch, construction took place during a severe recession. How? The elaborate Romanesque architecture was specially planned for the grand building so the Government could employ many out-of-work craftsmen - stonemasons, plasterers, and stained window artists - in a worthwhile project. The Stained Glass The visual message of Sydney's coat of arms on the cartwheel stained glass window, is that the beehive depicts business, the sailing ship - trade, and the dolphins - the harbor. Panel 1 (on the left-hand side) represents the Council of the City of Sydney and symbols of architecture, while the letters I.G.B., on panel 3 (on the right), represent Ipoh Gardens Berhad, the Malaysian company who restored the QVB in 2009. The symbols are of property developers - the builders. The bottom central panel represents the heraldic symbol of a finished building, and the joining of two hands denotes the fusing of two cultures. The Queen's Secret Letter There is a letter from Queen Elizabeth II to the Citizens of Sydney, to be opened and read by the Lord Mayor of Sydney in the year 2085. The Queen Victoria Statue Outside the QVB, on Town Hall Place, facing The Town Hall are the Royal Wishing Well and Queen Victoria's statue. My experience: This is the second time I have visited this building and on the second time, I found even more hidden historical things of note. It's a remarkable way to feel like you've stepped back in time, whether that's through shopping or through grabbing a coffee or tea and sitting in the atrium, taking it all in. TIP: Go to Haight's for some chocolate!

This historic compound with original barracks give visitors insight into the development of Sydney…read more Dating back to the 1800s starting as a penal colony and its future immigrants. it also balances it with perspectives from the aboriginal culture and voices of Irish Immigrants. Since it is an original structure, it can be crowded if you're in the same room with school groups. However, you could always meet me under to one of the other rooms. Free audio guide, which is essential to the experience.

Even if you're not into museums or a history person, I highly recommend checking this museum out…read more Wonderful interactive tour keeps you interested throughout the 3 floors. Gives you a brief understanding of the history of the colonization of Australia. It's a great way to spend a couple of hours, dry from the rain or cool off from the summer heat.

I literally passed by this museum on my way to the botanical gardens several days ago. Noting the…read morelimited hours I slightly rearranged my schedule to make the Tuesday hours work. I was expecting a small museum that would take 30 minutes max to go through. Thankfully I was so wrong. Before even opening the door of the museum I was greeted by one of the docents who was lovely throughout the tour. The entire tour lasted about 70 minutes and was fascinating. She explained the origins of the hospital and detailed history of the nursing staff who truly started the practice of nursing, as directed and sent by Florence Nightingale. While I was vaguely aware of the Nightingale connection I was surprised to find so many items that were either owned by Nightingale or given to the nurses from Florence Nightingale. With all the objects of the museum donated I think they have a truly remarkable collection, including old medical objects, photos of nursing staff, training uniforms, chemist set, to go bag of pharmaceuticals (for visiting rural areas), and medals received for service in the Crimea War. In general, I think it helps to have a medical background in order to understand how great this collection is and to be able to easily compare the collection to current medical practice. That being said, the docents ask prior to the tour if you have any medical knowledge. The only area of the museum that I didn't enjoy was part of the new wing and was two rooms of medical specimens, including the preserved fetus from an abortion. There were many different cancers (breast, ovarian, colorectal) also on display. I think generally people should be warned prior to going into those rooms. $5 Admission per person, cash only Photos are ok, no flash Will be asked to leave larger items (camera bags, backpacks) in the office Very limited hours! Martin Place metro stop