Caroline Simpson Library Collection
Houses | Interiors | Gardens

There’s plenty happening every day at our museums, historic houses and gardens, with entry free for all!

Explore our curriculum-linked programs, excursions and resources for stages 1 to 6. Inquire or book now

Find out how you can access diverse experiences through a unique calendar of donor events

Our first MHNSW five-year Strategy marks a new chapter of immense possibility

The premier open-building event in NSW, Sydney Open takes visitors into buildings and spaces that are rarely open to the public. Every year, Sydney Open is made possible by our incredible team of volunteers

The new display in the niche just outside the Caroline Simpson Library gives visitors a chance to see an original Morris & Co chair with an Australian provenance

Learning team member Lucy Melville reflects on the lasting impact of an experience on Country in the lead-up to Reconciliation Week 2026.

In late May, a group of Museums of History NSW donors attended a special behind-the-scenes experience at Signature Handprints, a boutique design and print business in St Peters in Sydney’s inner west.
Houses | Interiors | Gardens
Making history every day
Place-based collections at our historic houses and museums
A space and place to celebrate and engage with First Nations cultures, knowledge and perspectives
Welcome
At Vaucluse House, Museums of History NSW cares for a highly significant collection of historical camellias, including several rare cultivars dating back to the mid-19th century

Carpet Manufacturers Limited operated one of the first Australian factories to design, dye and weave high-quality carpets locally

The Diana Luxton Messara archive, generously donated by the designer herself, contains drawings, plans, textile designs, photographs, correspondence, publications, sample boards and personal papers spanning more than five decades.