Free entry to museums

Most museums and art galleries offer free or low price general admission. You do need to pay extra for special exhibitions, so it pays to check out what’s on in advance.

The Art Gallery of NSW, offers an interesting ‘Art after Hours’ program, held Wednesday nights. ‘Art after Hours’ includes exhibition talks and free films, so your budget doesn’t need to stop you from enjoying the finer things in life. A complimentary bus, running from Martin Place to the gallery every 15 minutes from 7.15pm until the last film, sweetens the deal.

Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art, located at The Rocks, also offers free entry, special exhibitions aside.

Sydney’s museums also offer quite a few good deals for the money-challenged. One option for YHA, Nomad, VIP, ISIC card holders is the Historic Houses Trust (HHT) ‘Ticket through Time’, for just $15. This handy ticket allows unlimited visits to HHT properties and museums for three months. If you don’t have any of the above cards, the ticket costs $30, which is still a pretty good deal. The Museum of Sydney on Bridge Street, along with Hyde Park Barracks, Government House and The Mint, on Macquarie Street are just some HHT highlights.  Go to any venue and ask about the ticket through time offer.

Some of Sydney’s other top museums include the Australian Museum, Powerhouse Museum and Sydney Observatory at The Rocks. General admission (tours or programs aside) to Sydney Observatory at the Rocks, is free during the day, however if you want to experience the observatory at night, you will need to pre-book and pre-pay. Night time tickets cost from $15 or $12 with a YHA card.