Museum of Sydney

Address

Corner Phillip and Bridge streets, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone +61 2 9251 5988

By public transport

We are located one block back from Circular Quay, which is serviced by trains, buses and ferries.

For up-to-date timetables or to find the quickest public transport routes visit the Transport Infoline or call 131500.

By road

Buses and cars can stop on Bridge Street and Young Street to drop-off and pick-up. There are bus parking zones on Macquarie Street which require drivers to remain with their vehicles.

Parking

We don’t have parking at the museum, and street parking is very limited. The nearest carpark is Governor Phillip & Macquarie Tower. Enter from Young Street / Farrer Place. Visitors are advised to check parking rates.

Paid parking is available at the nearby Wilson - Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Car Park. The online promo code MHNSW is valid between Monday – Friday 6am–5pm. Pre-booking is required online via Book a Bay.

Cycling

We have onsite bike racks for bike parking off Phillip Street on the mezzanine above the restaurant.

We welcome visitors to explore the museum and its exhibitions on their own, with our staff on hand to provide information and assist when needed.

Museum of Sydney Kids’ Trail available

Join Sami the intrepid explorer and uncover stories from the site of First Government House in our fun Kids' Trail.

Late-night activations on selected Thursdays, 5pm-8pm

Join us for The People's House: Up Late, a celebratory series of late-night activations in association with the exhibition The People’s House: Sydney Opera House at 50. The dynamic event series will showcase the incredible contribution the Sydney Opera House has made to our cultural landscape and the special place it holds in the hearts of Australians.

The Museum of Sydney presents a series of short and long-form documentaries for The people’s house: Sydney Opera House at 50 exhibition.

Short films screen on rotation and full-length documentaries screen at listed times. Screening times are subject to change due to theatre availability. For up-to-date information on screening times, please call the Museum of Sydney on the day of your visit on 02 9251 5988 between 10am–5pm.

Paving the way: Harold Blair, the first Aboriginal opera singer
Museum of History NSW, 2023
Duration: 16 minutes

Wulli Wulli tenor and social rights activist, Harold Blair AM, was the first Aboriginal Australian to train professionally as an opera singer. In July 1973 Blair performed in Dalgerie, the first programmed opera to be staged in the Sydney Opera House. His legacy is commemorated by the Melba Opera Trust Artist Harold Blair Opera scholarship for Indigenous Australians.

Specially commissioned by Museums of History NSW for The People’s House: Sydney Opera House at 50 exhibition, Paving the way tells the extraordinary story of Blair’s career, from his early life on Aboriginal missions and working in Queensland cane fields, to the international stage in the 1950s and 60s. The film includes interviews with his family and those who have been inspired by him, First Nations opera singers and scholarship recipients, as well as rare recordings of Blair singing Maranoa Lullaby and Nananala Kututja. Read more

Landmark: construction of the Opera House
Commonwealth Film Unit, 1972
Duration: 11:24 minutes
National Film and Sound Archive, Film Australia Collection, Title No: 114157

Transitioning from early footage in black and white to colour in the 1970s, Landmark visually narrates the construction of the Opera House with spectacular detail.

Queen at the Opera House: opening ceremony
Producer Gordon Presland, 1973
Duration: 6:10 minutes
National Film and Sound Archive, Film Australia Collection, Title No: 24981

The ceremonial proceedings for the official opening of the Sydney Opera House on 20 October 1973 were watched by millions across the world. This footage includes excerpts of the international broadcast, including Aboriginal actor, Ben Blakeney performing the ‘Bennelong’ oration from the highest sail, and the royal address from Queen Elizabeth II.

Art express: 25th anniversary of Sydney Opera House
Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 1998
Duration: 13:15 minutes
Reproduced by permission of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Library Sales

Step back in time to 1998, for reflections on the Sydney Opera House’s first 25 years, from some of Australia’s leading performers and arts and culture commentators.

Interview with Jørn Utzon
The 7.30 report, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2002
Duration: 13 minutes
Reproduced by permission of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Library Sales

From the ABC archives, reporter Anne-Maria Nicholson interviews Sydney Opera House architect, Jørn Utzon in his home in Majorca, where he reflects on his experiences with the Opera House in the 1950s and 60s, following his re-engagement with the project in 1999.

11am
The edge of the possible
Director Daryl Dellora, producer Sue Maslin, 1998
Duration: 56 minutes
Film Art Media

Visually spectacular, the award-winning documentary film, The edge of the possible charts the dramatic course of the creation of the iconic Sydney Opera House. The film features rare interviews with architect Jørn Utzon as he reflects on his role in the compelling story of the conception and construction of the Sydney Opera House and his withdrawal from the project.

1pm
Autopsy on a dream
Director John Weiley, 1968
Duration: 56 minutes
Felix Media

Autopsy on a dream was so contentious when broadcast in 1968 by the BBC, it screened only once before being ordered for destruction. Directed by Australian film-maker John Weiley Autopsy on a dream details the public response to the Sydney Opera House and its controversies, including the dismissal of Jørn Utzon. Quite by chance, a copy was discovered by chance forty-five years later. After a painstaking restoration process the film was brought back to its former glory for the Opera House’s 40th anniversary, in 2013. The People’s House: Sydney Opera House at 50 exhibition offers a rare opportunity for public viewing on the ‘big screen’.

3pm
Monster or Miracle? Sydney Opera House
Director Bruce Beresford, producer Pat Lovell, 1973
Duration: 50 minutes
National Film and Sound Archive, Film Australia Collection, Title No: 17440

Monster or Miracle? Sydney Opera House takes us from the international design competition for a national opera house in 1956, to the Opera House we know today being readied for opening in 1973. Introducing key characters who made the Opera House possible, from lottery officials and site workers to artists and engineers, the film also takes us behind the scenes for stage rehearsals for opening performances.

Cultural warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that these films contain images, voices and names of deceased persons.

Groups larger than 20 must pre-book their visit through our bookings team on +61 2 8239 2211 or bookings@mhnsw.au.

The Museum of Sydney Shop offers a selection of merchandise and books reflecting our stories from the site and of Sydney.

Access aids

The following access aids are available for free hire:

• wheelchairs
• video magnifiers

If you require an access aid, we recommend booking it prior to your visit by calling Bookings on +61 2 8239 2211 during business hours. Or inquire when you arrive at the ticketing desk. Please note that access aid equipment is limited, and subject to availability.

For visitors with limited mobility

Wheelchair access

The museum entrance is across a forecourt that can be accessed from either Phillip or Bridge streets. There is level entry from Bridge Street onto the forecourt and into the museum. From Phillip Street the forecourt and museum entry can be reached either down a set of steps or a moderately steep paved gradient. A lift provides access to all floors.

Wheelchairs are available for use during your visit. We recommend booking before your visit.

For visitors who are blind or have low vision

Video magnifiers are available for use during your visit. We recommend booking a video magnifier prior to your visit.

We welcome assistance animals, and a water bowl is available on request.

For visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing

A hearing loop system is installed in the Warrane Theatre and all videos in temporary exhibitions are captioned.

For visitors with autism or sensory sensitivities

Tips for a low-sensory visit

Minimise the time you or your family spends in a queue by buying tickets online before your visit.

The museum experience does not feature bright, flickering or strobe lighting but does include large-scale projections. These or other elements may be included in one of our changing temporary exhibitions and could cause sensory overload, spatial disorientation or motion sickness. For more information in advance of your visit, call Bookings on +61 2 8239 2211 during business hours. Or inquire at the ticketing desk when you arrive.

Tours

We are always happy to try and accommodate individual visitors with specific needs, but we are best able to do that if you call ahead to let us know about any particular requirements you have. For groups with specific needs, we can develop customised tours to support those needs. Please call Bookings to arrange on +61 2 8239 2211.

Built on the site of Australia’s first Government House, the Museum of Sydney is a beautifully designed, purpose-built museum and event space complete with the latest AV and other facilities to host business and special events for 20–500 people.

Visit venue hire for more information.