As much as we love Sydney, we don’t always love how much it costs to do things here. But luckily there’s plenty of free things to do, including a host of museums.
It’s also a great thing to do on a rainy day! We’ve spend many cool and wet days wandering around the falls of the Art Gallery of NSW (our favourite spot on this list).
TL;DR: Top free museums in Sydney
While there’s eight on this list, if you’re just visiting town for a few days and need a short list, these are the ones we definitely recommend getting to:
- Art Gallery of New South Wales
- Australian Museum
- Powerhouse Museum (Temporarily closed)
Art Gallery of NSW
Type: Australian and international art
Location: Art Gallery Road, Sydney
Opening hours: Daily from 10am-5pm (until 10pm on Wednesdays)
How much time do you need? 2-3 hours
The one we’ve been to the most, the Art Gallery of NSW has the perfect blend of evergreen exhibits and halls where the works are continuously changing, making repeat visits fresh.
If you haven’t been in a few years, it’s well worth a re-visit. In 2022 the new Naala Badu building opened to the public, doubling the gallery space previously available. The new section features plenty of Indigenous art, too, allowing you to deepen your understanding of Aboriginal culture.
✅ We’ve been!
Australian Museum
Type: Australian history
Location: 1 William Street, Darlinghurst
Opening hours: Daily from 10am-5pm
How much time do you need? 2-3 hours
It was a relatively recent rainy day that finally took us inside the Australian Museum. By the time we left, we couldn’t believe it had taken so long.
A great introduction to Australian history for tourists and locals alike, the curation here is excellent and entertaining for visitors of all ages. From dinosaur bones to minerals, South Pacific islander life to local animals, there’s loads to see in here.
✅ We’ve been!
Powerhouse Museum (Temporarily closed)
Type: Design and science
Location: 500 Harris Street, Ultimo
Opening hours: N/A
How much time do you need? 2-3 hours
Technically part of a group of four museums, the Powerhouse Ultimo is the most centrally located of the group of design and science museums. (Technically the Sydney Observatory in The Rocks is also part of the group, but a very different type of museum.) Before it closed for renovations, the museum featured a fascinating range of displays, from the history of trains in Australia to retired Flying Doctor Service planes to iconic Australian fashion items.
The Powerhouse Ultimo is due to reopen in late 2028/early 2029, until then it’s closed for a major renovation. (The rendering for the new buildign can be seen above.) You can still visit the Powerhouse Castle Hill (open weekends, 10am-4pm). The Powerhouse Parramatta is due to open later in 2026.
✅ We’ve been!
The Rocks Discovery Museum
Type: Local history
Location: 2/8 Kendall Lane, The Rocks
Opening hours: Daily from 9am-5pm
One of Sydney’s oldest neighbourhoods has an entire museum dedicated to its history. And understandingly so! As our first temporary home in Sydney (we took on a work-for-accommodation job at the YHA for a few weeks), The Rocks has a special place in our heart and we spent a lot of time exploring its laneways, cobblestone streets and sandstone buildings. Although it’s small, the price is right to learn a bit more about the local heritage of the harbour-side suburb on the fringe of the CBD.
✅ We’ve been!
Museum of Sydney
Type: Local history
Location: Corner Phillip and Bridge streets, Sydney
Opening hours: Daily from 10am-5pm
Surrounded by skyscrapers and office buildings, this museum is easy to miss. But whether you’re looking for something to do over a lunch break, while visiting Sydney or on a rainy day, it’s worth popping into. Housed in Sydney’s first government house, this museum celebrates all things Sydney including its cultural, historical and Indigenous heritage.
✅ We’ve been!
White Rabbit Gallery
Type: Art
Location: 30 Balfour Street, Chippendale
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 10am-5pm during exhibitions
If you’re looking for an alternative to the no-longer-free Museum of Modern Art, consider White Rabbit Gallery in Chippendale near Central Station. It’s home to a large collection of Chinese contemporary art, rather than featuring Australian pieces like the Art Gallery of NSW.
Justice and Police Museum
Type: Justice and policy
Location: Corner Albert and Phillip streets, Sydney
Opening hours: Saturday and Sunday from 10am-5pm, with extended weekday hours during school holidays
A bit of a niche museum, the Justice and Police Museum is actually housed in a former police station and courthouse, making the location worth a visit as well. Australia’s history of crime, gangs, forensics and punishment are all on display here, and considering we are technically a nation built on convicts, there is plenty here to keep you busy.
Anzac Memorial
Type: Memorial
Location: 126 Elizabeth Street, Sydney
Opening hours: Daily from 9am-5pm
How much time do you need? 30-60 minutes
For a long time, we had no idea there was a museum underneath the Art Deco-style memorial at the south end of Hyde Park. Many times we’ve had lunch by the reflection pool here. Inside though, you’ll find statues and sculptures memorialising World War I.
While not a traditional museum in the sense that there are exhibits, but if you’re curious about Australia’s connection to the Great War and aren’t planning on a trip to the War Memorial in Canberra, then this relatively quick (and free) stop in the city will do.
✅ We’ve been to the external parts of the memorial and the reflection pool, but haven’t yet been inside.
Wondering where the Museum of Contemporary Art is? While the museum was free for years, an entry fee was added in early 2025. It’s now $20 to visit, or $35 if you also want to see the special exhibits.
