Museums of History New South Wales

Visit us

There’s plenty happening every day at our museums, historic houses and gardens, with entry free for all!

Learning

Explore our curriculum-linked programs, excursions and resources for stages 1 to 6. Inquire or book now

Come and Discover

Find out how you can access diverse experiences through a unique calendar of donor events

Strategy 2025-2030

Our first MHNSW five-year Strategy marks a new chapter of immense possibility

Volunteer for Sydney Open 2026

The premier open-building event in NSW, Sydney Open takes visitors into buildings and spaces that are rarely open to the public. Every year, Sydney Open is made possible by our incredible team of volunteers

Useful and beautiful – new Caroline Simpson Library niche display

The new display in the niche just outside the Caroline Simpson Library gives visitors a chance to see an original Morris & Co chair with an Australian provenance

‘All In’ at the On Country experience

Learning team member Lucy Melville reflects on the lasting impact of an experience on Country in the lead-up to Reconciliation Week 2026.

Donors attend a special studio experience with Signature Handprints

In late May, a group of Museums of History NSW donors attended a special behind-the-scenes experience at Signature Handprints, a boutique design and print business in St Peters in Sydney’s inner west.

Uncovering stories beneath the floor at the Rouse Hill Estate overseer’s cottage

In June 2026, an archaeological team led by Matthew Kelly from Stratum Archaeology excavated beneath the timber floor of the sitting room in the overseer’s cottage at Rouse Hill Estate

Exploring the Augusto Lorenzini archive

Assistant Research Curator Anna Stewart-Yates reflects on discoveries and questions raised by months spent cataloguing the archive of Augusto Lorenzini, 19th-century decorator of vanished Sydney interiors. The archive is now fully catalogued and can be explored online

Five minutes with a Farm Manager at Rouse Hill Estate

We spoke with Andrew Scarsbrook, Farm Manager at Rouse Hill Estate, about the unique balancing act of managing a historic working farm, caring for its livestock and landscape, and preserving the heritage values that bring its past to life for contemporary audiences

Ten architectural terms you might hear on a Sydney Open tour (and what they mean)

Heading to a Sydney Open tour? Consider this your architectural phrasebook – ten concepts explained that’ll help you make sense of the buildings you encounter