Australian National Maritime Museum
Australian National Maritime Museum
Australian National Maritime Museum
4.5
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
We share stories of the sea. Visit us in Darling Harbour to explore tall ships and beautiful boats, dive under the sea on a submarine, discover contemporary exhibitions and enjoy creative family activities.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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AU$35.00
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Top ways to experience Australian National Maritime Museum and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Darling Harbour
The original docklands of Darling Harbour have been transformed into a tourist mecca with entertainment for the whole family. Cockle Bay Wharf offers dining options from budget to upscale and million dollar views of the harbour. Young crowds gather on weekends for nightlife that ranges from salsa clubs to Dj’s. Families can visit the Chinese Gardens of Friendship or the Sydney Aquarium, one of the largest in the world. The Sydney Maritime Museum and the IMAX theatre are also popular attractions. The Harbourside Shopping Centre is a site unto itself, with hundreds of shops, restaurants and bars. On Saturdays in the summer, the city puts on a spectacular fireworks show along the harbour's shore and there are plenty of other free events during the year - Darling Harbour Fiesta, VIVID’s light installations and the Sydney Festival, just to name a few.
How to get there
- Wynyard • 10 min walk
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
2,097 reviews
Excellent
1,231
Very good
696
Average
121
Poor
31
Terrible
18
Murray H
Brisbane, Australia228 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
The Maritime Museum was a great experience for the whole family. The ‘Big Ticket’ gave us access to everything and we spent most of the day exploring the ships and exhibits. The ships were fascinating and a great opportunity to go onboard a destroyer, submarine and tall ship. Inside, the exhibits kept our kids interested and the 3D movie was a hit. The many volunteers were helpful and friendly and we even had the chance go onto Kay Cottees boat. A great experience and I highly recommend setting aside a day to explore.
Written 28 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SueCincinnati_OH
Cincinnati, OH55 contributions
Feb 2020
Nice visit during a very rainy day. The museum was free as we did not plan to see the extra/traveling exhibits. Much history with excellent photos and interesting items in every area. Could have spent the entire day there! Easy access to all the exhibits with elevator and ramps. Interesting maritime art hanging from the ceiling in the lobby area. Nice gift shop. Outdoor ships and lighthouse available outside but did not visit these due to the heavy rain. Would recommend this museum for all ages!
Written 25 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew M
30 contributions
Feb 2020
Great value for money and so much to see, walk or crawl if you are over 6 feet tall below decks of a submarine, then plenty of bigger ships to walk around, followed by a stroll around the fantastic museum itself, all included in the one price, if you are over 65 ask for the Seniors discount ticket.
The Volunteer Explainers are everywhere and will be very happy to explain all and anything concerning the ships.
Well worth the visit but allow at least 3 hours to do most of it.
The Volunteer Explainers are everywhere and will be very happy to explain all and anything concerning the ships.
Well worth the visit but allow at least 3 hours to do most of it.
Written 15 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer H
Leicester, UK163 contributions
July 2020 • Solo
After checking out the website in advance of my visit I purchased my ticket online the site gave the impression that this was essential (I’m still not sure if you can buy tickets at the venue).
When I got to the museum the entrance way had lots of signage related to what they are doing to help prevent the spread of Covid etc but I couldn’t clearly see what they were asking visitors to do who had purchased tickets online. So I went to walk in to the exhibition space and I was stopped by a staff member who said I needed to get my ticket printed off, having it on my phone wasn’t sufficient it seemed. I found it frustrating that they don’t make this clear at the entrance and it seems counterintuitive to be trying to keep people socially distant yet encouraging them to then join a queue when they have already paid my money to get in.
I saw a good number of the exhibits though none of the outdoors attractions were open as it was a very rainy day I was visiting (some of these are actually temporarily closed because of Covid restrictions so don’t be expecting to be able to do everything there at the moment). The photography exhibition is very good but when I was there I didn’t think their timed entry system was really working to manage the social distancing, there are plenty of signs advising people to keep distant but the space in the exhibition area is fairly limited. All the other exhibition areas were spacious enough (or quiet enough) to be able to stay distant from others it really was just the photography exhibition that was snug (it was also very popular).
It’s an interesting museum with something for everyone, there are interactive parts which kids can enjoy and a good variety of exhibits. But I think they could still develop their visitor experience even in these challenging times.
When I got to the museum the entrance way had lots of signage related to what they are doing to help prevent the spread of Covid etc but I couldn’t clearly see what they were asking visitors to do who had purchased tickets online. So I went to walk in to the exhibition space and I was stopped by a staff member who said I needed to get my ticket printed off, having it on my phone wasn’t sufficient it seemed. I found it frustrating that they don’t make this clear at the entrance and it seems counterintuitive to be trying to keep people socially distant yet encouraging them to then join a queue when they have already paid my money to get in.
I saw a good number of the exhibits though none of the outdoors attractions were open as it was a very rainy day I was visiting (some of these are actually temporarily closed because of Covid restrictions so don’t be expecting to be able to do everything there at the moment). The photography exhibition is very good but when I was there I didn’t think their timed entry system was really working to manage the social distancing, there are plenty of signs advising people to keep distant but the space in the exhibition area is fairly limited. All the other exhibition areas were spacious enough (or quiet enough) to be able to stay distant from others it really was just the photography exhibition that was snug (it was also very popular).
It’s an interesting museum with something for everyone, there are interactive parts which kids can enjoy and a good variety of exhibits. But I think they could still develop their visitor experience even in these challenging times.
Written 7 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
geographyguy_11
Brisbane, Queensland517 contributions
Jan 2020
A very disappointing experience. The special Bligh: Hero or Villain exhibit was nothing special and hard to follow. The juxtaposition of the hero and villain version of the same story was clumsily done, with most of the 2 versions being near identical except for one or two sentences. The portrait of a young William Bligh and some of his original documents from the post-mutiny voyage to Timor were impressive but not enough to justify a special visit. The Navy, First Peoples, Passengers and Navigators areas were average and did not have much of note.
The HMB Endeavour replica outside should have been a highlight but from a visitor management perspective is mismanaged. It was not clear if access was guided or not. When I went onboard the lady at the base of the ladder down to the internal deck was forcefully making people move down to listen to the guide's commentary but after that everyone seemed to just do what they wanted, coming and going as they pleased, and the guides only spoke to people who asked questions. In such a small space it should be uniformly self-guided with free flowing access or VERY small groups escorted through the ship; no rules doesn't work.
After these lacklustre encounters in various parts of the museum I called it quits. Definitely one for the 3rd or 4th visit to Sydney; nothing really warrants making this museum a priority while in town.
The HMB Endeavour replica outside should have been a highlight but from a visitor management perspective is mismanaged. It was not clear if access was guided or not. When I went onboard the lady at the base of the ladder down to the internal deck was forcefully making people move down to listen to the guide's commentary but after that everyone seemed to just do what they wanted, coming and going as they pleased, and the guides only spoke to people who asked questions. In such a small space it should be uniformly self-guided with free flowing access or VERY small groups escorted through the ship; no rules doesn't work.
After these lacklustre encounters in various parts of the museum I called it quits. Definitely one for the 3rd or 4th visit to Sydney; nothing really warrants making this museum a priority while in town.
Written 23 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tony M
11 contributions
Feb 2020
We stopped off from a hop on bus in torrential rain but that did no diminish the impact of this museum. It has a wide range of displays to delight all ages. As a special it was holding displays of wildlife photography which was excellent.
The rain prevented us getting the most out of the 2 vessels available but the destroyer was interesting and a local guide helped us understand the ship a bit.
The rain prevented us getting the most out of the 2 vessels available but the destroyer was interesting and a local guide helped us understand the ship a bit.
Written 7 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
T_GC
Brisbane, Australia60 contributions
Apr 2021 • Family
We paid the family fee ($65 2a 3c + the $8 sub fee) and arrived on a Tues with pretty modest expectations. And we were so blown away.
The volunteers at the vessels were so friendly, welcoming and patient. They catered to our 9yr olds questions and 16yr old saltyness 🥴
Loved the sub tour, and the guides on all spots were so engaging we spent a lot longer than expected.
A super plus was the exhibitions inside (included) such as wildlife photographer of year etc
The volunteers at the vessels were so friendly, welcoming and patient. They catered to our 9yr olds questions and 16yr old saltyness 🥴
Loved the sub tour, and the guides on all spots were so engaging we spent a lot longer than expected.
A super plus was the exhibitions inside (included) such as wildlife photographer of year etc
Written 20 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David B
30 contributions
Feb 2020
This was one of our stops on the Red Bus tour. Well worth the time spent and a fascinating place to visit. We didn't have the time for the full visit but others told us it was definitely worth the extra to see the submarine etc. We chose to just visit the main halls, which were free! Loads of exhibits to stroll around and also a great display of early settlers trappings that highlighted the conditions that they faced during the early voyages out to the country. It was also nice to see that, in line with a lot of the places we visited, a lot of acknowledgement is being given to the indigenous peoples and how they were treated by the immigrants, and their real contribution to the early days.
Written 2 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ivan V
Melbourne, Australia1,211 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
There is an excellent wartime photographic exhibition now showing at this Museum. Here you can see photographs of Dorothy Lange and other war time photographers. Also there is some great indigenous sculptures made from cast off fishing nets in the foyer of the building. And lots of other things to see. Always well worth a visit.
Written 22 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Darlene J
14 contributions
Jan 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed this Museum even the teenager who didn't want to go initially!!! A hands on and visual museum. Being able to go on board a retired navy ship and submarine and when in dock a replica of the Endeavour. Lots of history and guides to help with questions. After spending time climbing around there is access to the indoor museum which ranges from information on migrants, solo sailing trips around the world with a sail boat to view, beginning of surfing competition in Australia and lots more. We spent a full afternoon wandering around all of this museum. Well worth seeing.
Written 14 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Trek53257940280
Nova Ves I, Czech Republic
I. need. You. TO. Confirm. My. Booking.
Written 18 November 2022
Australian National Maritime Museum
Sydney, Australia
Sorry we haven't been able to get back to you sooner. We hope you were able to visit and enjoyed your time.
If you need any more help please email info@sea.museum
Written 29 August 2023
Trek53257940280
Nova Ves I, Czech Republic
I. AM. waiting. TO. Hear. From. You. To. Confirm. My. On. Line. Booking
Written 18 November 2022
Hi, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I hope you were able to confirm your ticket. If you need to contact the museum in future please email info@sea.museum
Written 29 August 2023
I bought big ticket passes, are we able to go out for lunch and go back in to continue? Also is it possible to go around the vessel first then the exhibition?
Written 19 January 2019
Australian National Maritime Museum
Sydney, Australia
Hi Rosie, absolutely! You will receive a stamp at the front desk with your Big Ticket pass, and this will allow you to leave and come back to the museum as you wish on that day.You're also welcome to check out the vessels first and then the exhibitions - in fact, our visitors tell us that's the best way to do it! We hope you enjoy your visit.
Written 23 January 2019
Hi,
If I purchase the "Big Ticket" passes for my family, you reckon we can spend the entire day there? Or just half a day? I have 2 kids, aged 8 and 10 besides my wife and my mum. Need to know for planning purposes.
Thanks.
Written 2 December 2015
Australian National Maritime Museum
Sydney, Australia
Hi,
Most visitors stay at the museum for half a day, but you could easily spend the whole day exploring - with a submarine, navy destroyer, the replica of James Cooks endeavour, 6 permanent galleries and the new Action Stations exhibit with its interactive discovery tables there is plenty to see and do. YOTs café onsite is the perfect spot to stop for lunch when you need to refuel. If you are visiting during the summer school holidays, the Horrible Histories pirate exhibit will be perfect for your kids and there are plenty of extra kids activities on too - all included in the Big Ticket.
Hope that helps!
Written 9 December 2015
ive read somewhere that the admission to australian national maritime museum is free but some of the page mention that there is a fee to enter this museum..which was right?
Written 25 March 2015
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