Australian Museum

Visit the Australian Museum (AM), a leading cultural attraction in Sydney with lots to see and do

Floodlit facade of the Australian Museum in Sydney
Floodlit facade of the Australian Museum in Sydney cc licensed photo by Newtown grafitti

Australia’s first ever museum founded in 1827, The Australian Museum offers visitors a great opportunity to explore nature and culture.

"With a mission to ignite wonder, inspire debate and drive change, the Australian Museum (AM) is internationally recognised as a leading voice for the richness of life, the Earth and culture in Australia and the Pacific. From transforming the conversation around climate change, the environment and wildlife conservation; to being a strong advocate for First Nations cultures; and to continuing to develop world-leading science, collections, exhibitions and education programs – the AM’s year-round program of lively events and exhibitions aim to shine a spotlight on issues important in society today."

An impressive 22 million objects and specimens are on exhibit in the museum's vast collection.

Some attractions you will not want to miss include stories of indigenous Australians, skeletons and facts about insects and dinosaurs. Be sure to check out the precious stones, minerals, fossils and meteorites to give you a great geological perspective of our planet. Another great attraction of the museum is the specimens of native Australian mammals, reptiles, birds and fish. There is also a broad spectrum of both land and marine environments about whose stories are worth hearing. Here, you also get to enjoy numerous artefacts from indigenous Australia, as well as the Pacific.

First Nations guides can teach you about the cultures of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Visitors can also learn from scientists and thought leaders at regularly scheduled talks and performances.

Visitors may take flash and video photography in all the permanent and most temporary exhibitions other than the Westpac Long Gallery and First Australians galleries.

Round out your visit with a meal at the No. 1 William rooftop restaurant where you can enjoy a delicious meal and panoramic views of Hyde Park, Sydney Harbour and Cathedral Square.

General entry to the Australian Museum is free.

Nearby attractions: Hyde Park, Hyde Park Barracks Museum, Sydney Town Hall, St. Andrew's Cathedral, St. Mary's Cathedral, and Sydney Tower.

Facts For Your Visit

Fee: No

Australian Museum Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays

  • Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Address: 1 William St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010, Australia

Phone: (02) 9320 6000

Official Website: Australian Museum

Australian Museum Reviews

Rated 4.6 out of 5 Star Rating

5 Star Rating Always a favourite place to visit, with some really interesting exhibits. Following the euro trend, their recent Ramses exhibition had immersive infotainment which everyone seemed to enjoy. What's not to love about thundering army chariots?! And walking into a highly decorated tomb for a pharaoh?! Great stuff, Australia Museum.
Rosemary Asher - in the last week

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4 Star Rating I would recommend anyone, who is visiting Sydney,must check this place. It’s free to enter and you can enter into the treasure of Australian culture and heritage. They arrange exhibitions time to time, which you might have to book online. Kids zone is fantastic. If you have a kid, they will love it. Moreover, there is little food places inside the museum in two floors- selling coffee and limited food items like cupcakes, sandwiches.They have a gift shop at the entrance, where you can buy souvenirs for yourself or for your loved ones.
Shamiul Haque - 2 months ago

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5 Star Rating Fantastic Ramses exhibition. Very well curated with lots of informative films at various segments. No need to buy the audio guide or the VR, in my opinion. Over 180 pieces. First time to be exhibited outside of Egypt
Sansho A - 2 weeks ago

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5 Star Rating Exhibition: RAMSES And The Gold Of The Pharaohs Pros: We were fascinated and delighted at the way it was set out. The staff were so helpful and friendly and smiling. Quite rare to see nowadays and it made the whole experience even better. The videos, the educational aspects, the layouts and the artifacts themselves were absolutely fascinating and perfectly done. VR Experience: AMAZING it is well worth the extra dollars to go and experience this. We had looked forward to this for quite a while, but we're a bit skeptical about how it was going to be set out. We were definitely impressed! The gift shop had some beautiful items in it too. Make sure you take some extra cash so that you can buy something to take home to remind you of this great experience Getting there: We parked out on the street but it would probably be advisable to get there via public transport as parking could be difficult. Trains and buses are very close to the venue. The museum itself is such a beautiful place. We can't wait to go back there to see another exhibition. Highly recommended it! Oh! I did the pros but, I forgot the cons... The truth is I can't really find any. The only thing that I could say is that there doesn't seem to be that many food or drink options there and parking is not the best. But the whole experience was a 10 out of 10 for me
El Des - 3 months ago

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5 Star Rating Went for the Ramses Exhibition, which I would recommend buying a ticket online for, as it we waited 2.5hrs (our fault entirely). The exhibition was great! Too busy, and they probably should’ve put the artefacts higher up along with the text so more people could see them when crowding was happening, but it was an amazing collection.
Annie Mag - a month ago

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Directions

Train Line Nearest Station Walking Time
T2 , T3 or T8St. James or Museum7 minutes
L2, T1, T2, T3 or T4Town Hall7 minutes

How to get to Australian Museum by Train

By Train: exit at St. James Station; and walk south through Hyde Park then left (east) on Park Street, or at Town Hall Station and walk north on George Street and right (east) on Park Street, or at Museum Station and follow the park to Park and College Street (either is about a 7 minute walk).

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