Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales © Australian Museum

Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales © Australian Museum

12 of Sydney’s best museums, galleries and theatres

People viewing paintings and sculpture at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales © Felicity Jenkins

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales © Felicity Jenkins

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Top tip

On Wednesdays check out Art After Hours when the gallery stays open until 9pm. Check out the exhibitions, join a guided tour and catch a film screening.

Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, New South Wales © Tourism Australia

Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, New South Wales © Tourism Australia

Museum of Sydney, New South Wales © Lana Bogunovich

Museum of Sydney, New South Wales © Lana Bogunovich

Top tip

For further insight into Sydney’s past, visit The Rocks Discovery Museum which features an intriguing collection of images and artefacts housed in an 1850s sandstone warehouse.

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Aircraft display at Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, New South Wales © James Horan, Destination NSW

Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, New South Wales © James Horan, Destination NSW

Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, New South Wales, © Cultural Attractions of Australia

Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, New South Wales, © Cultural Attractions of Australia

Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales, © Abram Powell, Australian Museum

Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales, © Abram Powell, Australian Museum

SUPERNATURAL art exhibition being showcased at White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale, Sydney, New South Wales © Destination NSW

White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale, Sydney, New South Wales © Destination NSW

Women walking past street art on Phillip Street, Newtown, Sydney, New South Wales © Destination NSW

Street Art, Newtown, Sydney, New South Wales © Destination NSW

Read next

Australia's coolest neighbourhoods

 Sydney Opera House at sunset, Sydney, New South Whales © Keith Zhu/Unsplash

Sydney Opera House, Sydney, New South Whales © Keith Zhu/Unsplash

Unmissable experience

Book an exclusive Opera Australia experience to be part of a live performance with a walk-on role, a five-star dinner overlooking the harbour, private behind-the-scenes tours and other VIP experiences.

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 Inside the Sydney Lyric Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales © Sydney Lyric Theatre

Sydney Lyric Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales © Sydney Lyric Theatre

Capitol Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales © Capitol Theatre

Capitol Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales © Capitol Theatre

State Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales © Beaver Garland, 2021 Event Hospitality and Entertainment Limited

State Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales © Beaver Garland, 2021 Event Hospitality and Entertainment Limited

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Did you know?

The Koh-I-Nor chandelier hanging in the auditorium is the second largest hand-cut crystal chandelier in the world, weighing more than four tonnes.