Sydney Open Series

Tours of Urban Green Sydney

Join us for a tour of Urban Green, a subterranean farm in Sydney’s city centre

Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden Tours

Join us for a tour of Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden and learn how a disused railway dump was transformed into a public garden oasis

Lahznimmo Architects Tour

Join us on a tour of Powerhouse Castle Hill’s newest architectural accomplishment, Building J

White Bay Power Station Behind the Scenes Tours

Decommissioned in 1984, Sydney’s longest serving power station, at White Bay, will once again energise the city as part of the 2024 Power Up festival

St Mary’s Cathedral Bell Tower Tours

For an exclusive experience, ascend steps to the Cathedral’s Bell Tower and learn how the melodic bells are rung

The Strand Arcade Twilight Tour

Join us for an exclusive guided tour of the Strand Arcade – the last surviving Victorian-era shopping arcade in Sydney

Memory Lane: Walking Tour of Redfern

Join Redfern Elder Aunty Donna Ingram and Golding for a walking tour that will explore the social and political history of Redfern

Tour of Parbury Ruins and Arthur Payne's House

Enjoy a tour of two archaeological sites and uncover some of the rich history of The Rocks

Members heritage tours: White Bay Power Station

Decommissioned in 1984, Sydney’s longest-serving power station at White Bay will once again energise Sydney as part of the 2024 Biennale of Sydney

Sails, Octopuses, and Telescopic Cranes

An evening celebrating the construction of the Sydney Opera House through a talk, panel discussion and virtual reality experience

Seidler Office & Penthouse tour

Harry Seidler's award winning office building and later adjoining penthouse

Sydney Opera House Sustainability Tour

Join us on this special sustainability tour and discover what makes the Sydney Opera House a 6-star Green Star–rated building

The Alexander Mackintosh Archive: revealing records of a master builder

Forgotten for decades, the archive of building contractor Alexander Mackintosh was rediscovered in a roof space in the 1990s. It includes more than 270 architectural drawings and reveals information about the work of many of Sydney’s leading architects of the early 20th century

The architectural pattern books of Elizabeth Macquarie

The architectural achievements of Governor Macquarie’s era are usually attributed to Macquarie’s architect Francis Greenway. Yet evidence collected during an inquiry into the state of the colony of NSW in the early 1820s includes references to the involvement of the governor’s wife, Elizabeth Macquarie, in matters architectural

Beyond the wallpaper: the life and work of Phyllis and John Murphy

A significant donation of more than 3,000 wallpaper samples to the Caroline Simpson Library reflects just one facet of the remarkable careers of Phyllis and John Murphy, partners in life, architecture and heritage conservation

The Mint project: Sydney’s adaptive reuse triumph

Sydney’s urban landscape is a testament to both the city’s rich history and examples of forward-thinking vision. Among the most compelling examples of this fusion of past and future is the revitalisation of the Mint complex

The Wasmuth Portfolio

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Wasmuth Portfolio, is regarded as one of the most influential architectural treatises of the 20th century

Sydney Opera House: inspired design

Kieran Larkin, Senior 3D Designer at Museums of History NSW, talked to us about some of the highlights and challenges of designing the landmark exhibition The People’s House: Sydney Opera House at 50, on display at the Museum of Sydney until March 2024

The coolest room in the house

What practical techniques can we learn from historical building design to minimise heat and energy consumption in our homes today?

The Astor, 1923–2023

Upon completion in 1923, The Astor in Sydney's Macquarie Stree twas the largest reinforced concrete building in Australia, the tallest residential block, and this country’s first company title residences