Sydney Powerhouse Museum
The Ultimo Powerhouse Museum in Sydney is great fun for all ages with interesting exhibits that entertain as much as they educate
The Ultimo Powerhouse Museum is temporarily closed for Heritage revitalization. A $300 million revitalisation of the Powerhouse Ultimo museum will bring new and enlarged exhibition spaces to display the Powerhouse Collection alongside new and exclusive international exhibitions.
Powerhouse Museum is a public museum in New South Wales which offers uniquely diverse collections including works relating to history, design, science, technology, music, industry, transport, decorative arts and space exploration. The Museum is estimated to house over half a million items in its diverse collection of historical and cultural objects.
Some of the Museum's highlights that you shouldn’t miss out on include the steam engine demonstrations of the oldest rotative engine in the world, made in 1785 by Boulton and Watt. Also check out the Strasburg Clock whose intricate mechanics include the Apostles’ procession, a rooster crowing and a sandglass-turning cherub. The Kings Cinema is yet another attraction that features a reproduction of art deco style cinema reminiscent of the Thirties.
Visitors can avail themselves of a variety of activities including tours, workshops and demonstrations. In additions to the permanent collection and displays the museum features a continually changing line-up of special exhibits.
The Powerhouse Museum also operates the historical Sydney Observatory which is located in the Rocks.
Nearby attractions include:
Darling Harbour,
Capitol Theatre,
Chinatown,
Chinese Gardens,
Market City
and
Paddy's Market.
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: YesAddress: Level 3/500 Harris St, Ultimo NSW 2007, Australia
Phone: (02) 9217 0222
Official Website: Sydney Powerhouse Museum
Sydney Powerhouse Museum Reviews
Rated out of 5
We visited the Powerhouse Museum (Darling) on January 2, 2024. Because Sydney is a very walkable city, we walked there after we finished visiting another museum. This one in Darling is near Chinatown / Paddy Haymarket. The cost was free which made it even better! The museum was amazing. I loved the various exhibits with a focus on steam engines. It was fascinating how the use of steam powered so many things from a printing press, to a fire engine. They also had various instruments on exhibit as well. We met a wonderful employee that provided in-depth information. If you love technology from the past, you must visit! I also encourage anyone with children to visit too. They had a cool exhibit for the kids.
Gwen Penn - a year ago
Update- museum is closing down for an upgrade. Many of the exhibitions are gone currently. Managed to explore within an hour. Looking forward to when they reopen with everything
Previous review
Awesome museum where you can easily speaks 2-4 hours here. I throughly enjoyed the steam train section and the old train station board.
Little ones enjoyed the interactive side to the museum. They had a bast. Best of to prepare some food and water.
Yousef Dablin - 2 years ago
Great day out with kids. There are lots of interesting displays and some interactive aspects plus the size of the venue makes a first time visit even more a discovery adventure with new things to see around every corner. Quite easy to spend most of a day here and the cafe upstairs served nice lunch also a good spot for a quiet break. Very pleased to have the opportunity to see the Apollo 11 displays and the steam engines running.
Jeremy Dawes - 6 years ago
There are some great sections, and then there are some not so much. Kids may enjoy the exhibits on space and old trams, trains. Entry is free, and there are school tours often here. Guidance on exhibits can be better, and a map with the recommended path can help. A nice experience for may be 2 hours. Interactive sections on science, space, and old steam engines will keep kids happy.
Prateek Shukla - 2 years ago
Was here for the Gucci Garden Archetypes exhibition, and definitely appreciated all the hard work being put into the event. Very well thought through, very Instagrammable, and most importantly it was free. Too bad we didn't have time to roam around the many other parts of this large museum, but chanced upon some other interesting looking spaces for sure.
Flo Yeow - 2 years ago
Directions
| Train Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Light Rail L1 | Exhibition Centre | 5 minutes |
| T1, T2, T3, T4 or T5 | Central Station | 12 minutes |
How to get to Sydney Powerhouse Museum by Train
By Light Rail L1: Exit at Exhibition Centre and take the steps to Pyrmont Street. Cross the street and continue up the 2 flights of stairs through the adjacent lane to Harris Street and go left. The Powerhouse Museum is about 1 block up on your left.
By Train:Exit Central station at South Concourse where the Devonshire Street Tunnel begins. Continue through the tunnel to Railway Square and enter the next section of tunnel which leads to The Goods Line where you’ll see the old train track and the beginning of The Goods Line pedestrian walkway. This leads directly to the entrance of the PowerHouse Museum. You can also take the #501 bus from Railway Square up Harris Street right to the museum.
Map & Instant Route Finder
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Accommodations near Sydney Powerhouse Museum:
Photo Gallery
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One of many interesting exhibits in the Powerhouse Museum cc licensed photo by richard winchell -
Photo Credit: charcoal soul - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: hugh llewelyn - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Sydney Heritage - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: hugh llewelyn - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: sv1ambo - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: sv1ambo - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: charcoal soul - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: hugh llewelyn - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: sv1ambo - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: sv1ambo - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: sv1ambo - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: sv1ambo - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: sv1ambo - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: sv1ambo - cc license via Flickr
