Museum of Contemporary Art
I think the MCA was my favorite art museum. It was well curated and most of the exhibits on show while I was there were interesting and also had a real sense of whimsy and fun. The museum also is a really nice size – it’s the perfect to spend an afternoon, but compact enough that you can really take your time to see everything without feeling overwhelmed.
Art Gallery of New South Whales
If the Museum of Contemporary Art is good for an afternoon, you can easily spend a full day or more the Art Gallery of NSW. They do have a lot of very interesting work in many different genres. The audio tour is quite good and only $5 at the museum, or you can plan ahead and download it onto to your ipod for free. They also have a beautiful restaurant, café, and bar.
Museum of Sydney
A visit to the MoS is a good way to get a quick overview of the history of Sydney. You can also glimpse the remains of the first Government House, and they have cultural exhibits as well. The day I was there, they had a really fantastic photography exhibition by Martin Mischkulnig on small town Australia.
The Customs House
Nowadays, the Customs House is a beautifully renovated library. Additionally, they have a beautiful exhibit space on the first floor and a fantastic replica of the entire city below a glass floor. The café and bar on the ground level are a nice place to take in Circular Quay on a pretty day. And although I didn’t make it there, Café Sydney on the top floor is famous for its spectacular views.
The Justice & Police Museum
This is a tiny little museum that should take normal people about an hour to get through. I, on the other hand, got engrossed by the Femme Fatale exhibit that was on at the time and ran out of time. Still, it’s cool to see the courtroom and jail cells.
Australian National Maritime Museum
This place is huge and entrance is free. The exhibits depict the good, the bad, and the ugly of Austria’s history on the high seas, and there is some very cool stuff in there. You can also tour the ships and submarines docked outside on the harbour, including a replica HMS Endeavor on which Capt. James Cook first voyaged to Australia – although this will cost you extra. I’ll admit, Kate, her boyfriend Ryan, and I took advantage of the lighthouse, which we could climb up for free, and then just took pictures of the ships from the dock.
Hyde Park Barracks
The Barracks were built by convicts, for convicts. The buildings served many purposes throughout its history, including as lodgings for convicts working for the government, an immigration depot for female convicts, and as a female asylum. It’s definitely an interesting place to get an idea of how Australia’s early forced immigrants lived.
While you’re by the Barracks or the Australia Museum, take a stroll through Hyde Park. It's not a museum but it is beautiful and it has a lot of history, and it is the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon reading or to just take in some greenery.
Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi Art Walk
Alright, this isn’t a museum either, but if you happen to be in town during the Art Walk, DEFINITELY take advantage. You already know how much I loved the walk along the Bondi shoreline walk, now imagine the cliffs and beaches transformed into a sculpture park. There's one interesting, beautiful, and sometimes crazy sculpture after another. So much fun! I LOVED this and it’s amazing that this public arts event is sooo accessible and absolutely free.
So there’s the round up.
If that's not enough museums to satisfy, the Historic Houses Trust has a few more places to explore.
Here a few of the cultural spots I’ve already visited on this blog:
The Aquarium
Chinese Gardens
Wildlife World
The Opera House
Powehouse Museum
The Rocks
The Royal Botanical Gardens
Taronga Zoo
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