To learn more about Australian culture and its Aboriginal roots, the best way is to take a walk through the interior of the various museums in Sydney. There are a number of interesting museums in Sydney which have been embracing many tourists who come to the city. Sydney has around 200 museums and it is almost impossible to visit all of them so we have selected top 5 museums that you can not miss. If you have decided to travel to Sydney, you can book an affordable car rental and make a visit to these museums in a comfortable manner, tailored as per your needs and requirements.
Australian Museum
The Australian Museum is the largest museum in Australia and houses an Aboriginal collection of more than 16 million artifacts which comprises of boomerangs, native birds, kangaroo drills, complete dinosaurs skeletons, and few of the country’s most dangerous predators such as crocodiles and Tasmanian Tigers etc. The exhibits at Australian Museum aren’t just confined to Australia but include artifacts from places around the Globe such as Pacific Islands, Asia, Africa and America. It also hosts several dedicated programs for young ones; these programs facilitate effective learning by the means of several playful activities and exclusive set of exhibitions for children.
Powerhouse Museum
A flagship venue for the Museum of Applied Arts and Science, the Powerhouse Museum, is located on the site of old Ultimo Power House building just next to the Darling Harbour. The exhibits represented at the Powerhouse Museum are devoted to the technologies that changed our World and the way we lead our lives. Visitors here may discover facts like how and why a magnet attracts metal, watch the “Shocking show” which demonstrates how, when, and why lightning strikes, discover more about nuclear science, space and steam travel and much more. The highlighted exhibit at the Powerhouse Museum is the 3-story-high “Boulton & Watt steam engine” which was built back in 1785 and is the world’s oldest working steam engines till date; indeed, it is one of the most educational and kid-friendly museums in the entire Australia.
Nicholson Museum
Nicholson Museum, located on the grounds of the University of Sydney Campus features the largest collection of artifacts in the Southern Hemisphere. The collection of exhibits represented here comprises of artifacts from the Ancient Egypt, Middle East, and Europe. It is the only place in the entire Sydney to house an original mummy , a 2,50,000-years old axe from France, a plaster skull from 6,000 B.C, and mosaic glass inlays dating back to 1st Century A.D. The Nicholson Museum was inaugurated in 1860 by Sir Charles Nicholson, who is also amidst one of the founders of the University of Sydney.
Hyde Parks Barracks Museum
Hyde Parks Barracks Museum represents the grim penal historical colony of Australia where convict boys and men were housed as soon as they arrived the city. Now a museum, it earlier served as an immigration depot, a courthouse, and also an asylum for Impoverished women’s. Though, not so charming and appealing to visitors because of its architecture and infrastructure, it is quite famous for the fact that palpable ghosts haunt this place. Dedicated tours are offered by the museum for the better understanding of the convict’s life behind the bars during the first half of the 18th Century.
Australian National Maritime Museum
Australian National Maritime Museum is undoubtedly the best place in Sydney to discover Australia’s maritime treasures. Visitors here get to learn more about the naval history of Australia and also discover ships, submarines or destroyers, explorers, and Navigators etc. The museum represents a varied range of seafaring, a naval, cultural and coastal theme of Australia with a number of artifacts being displayed through the permanent and rotating exhibitions, and guided tours .
Yots cafe, an open-air cafe sits just next to the museum and offers delicious seafood while visitors at Australian National Maritime Museum can also spend some time searching for a good book and picking the right gift and souvenir for their loved ones at the museum store.
