Kid’s Museums in Sydney

Maritime Museum, Sydney

Keeping to its reputation as a great place to bring your family, Sydney has a range of educational, fun museums that will keep your kids occupied for hours. Indeed, most of the museums within Sydney offer options that will appeal to young, old, and in between. Below we’ve listed some of our favorites for kids of all ages.

The Australian Museum holds a number of exhibits that your children will adore. For young scientists, Australia’s entire vast array of biodiversity is on display, including a fascinating view of prehistoric life (including the always popular Dinosaurs exhibits). This museum is especially popular with children under the age of five. On Kid’s Island, opportunities abound for the young ones to learn all about the natural environment in terms that they can understand.

Budding engineers will appreciate the Powerhouse Museum, an interactive collection devoted to science and technology. Indeed, the Museum itself is actually built within the shell of a power station constructed at the turn of the last century! Closing in 1963 after the demise of the tram system which it once powered, the Powerhouse Museum opened its doors in the late 1980’s.

For over 140 years, the Sydney Observatory has offered great views of the heavens to both astronomers and amateurs. Even aside from the enormous telescopes and complex instrumentation that are truly fascinating, the Observatory holds exhibits that explain the questions of modern astronomy. You’ll also find a number of prehistoric instruments used by Aborigines to map the stars. Head to the Sydney Observatory at night for special viewings of celestial events.

Everyone knows that Australia has its historic roots as a destination for convicts, so it’s worth your time to check out the Justice and Police Museum. This exhibit is more appropriate for older teenagers, as there are numerous displays of crimes which could prove too graphic for younger kids. Still, it’s an interesting display of Australian crime from the late 1700’s on. Best of all, the Museum is located in an old courthouse that has been preserved and carefully renovated to its former glory.

Perched on the south side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Pylon Lookout offers a view into the complex history of this icon. While you appreciate the difficulties and trials faced by those charged with erecting this enormous structure, your kids will be wowed by the incredible views across the city. This is one spot where you want to be sure not to forget your camera.

Each of the locations above offers a great way to spend the day exploring Sydney with your family. If you plan on visiting more than one of these museums, you should look into purchasing a DayTripper, which is an all-in-one day ticket that gives you unlimited travel on CityRail trains within the Sydney suburban area, unlimited travel on Sydney Buses and Sydney Ferries and to make your Sydney trip even better, it includes discounts into some of Sydney’s top attractions including the museums.

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