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Sydney Attractions and things to do

Attractions & Things To Do

Sydney Opera House Bennelong Point, Circular Quay (02) 9250-7111

Australia’s most instantly recognized and enduring symbol, the Sydney Opera House appears to sail the harbor on billowing white wings. A world-class cultural center, the Opera House also hosts the city’s symphony orchestra, ballet, dance and drama, and offers free concerts most Sunday afternoons along the outer walk. Hour-long walking tours are available on the half-hour, starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m.

Royal Botanical Gardens The Domain (02) 9231-8125 Cost: Free except for special exhibits Hours: Daily 7 a.m. to sunset

Originally established as a farm by convicts transported to Australia by the First Fleet, the Royal Botanical Gardens is a lush grove of botanical wonders situated beside picturesque Sydney Harbor. A Tropical Center features the exploits of the Venus flytrap and other intriguing tropical plants that live in the glass-house environment (A$5 adults, A$2 children, A$12 family). Pungent plantings populate the Herb Garden.

Bondi Beach Campbell Parade, Bondi Cost: Free

Pronounced bon-die, this magnificent stretch of sand is Sydney’s most famous beach, the place to see and be seen either from the sand or from one of the many hip cafes across the street. Prepare for a carnival atmosphere as tourists and locals alike flock to Bondi for an anything-goes frolic in the sun.

Art Gallery of New South Wales Art Gallery Road, The Domain (02) 9225-1744 Cost: Free, except for special exhibits Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Featuring some of the finest Australian works, the museum is particularly proud of its display of Aboriginal art. The permanent collection also includes European, Asian and contemporary art and photography, as well as ever-changing special exhibits.

The Australian Museum 6 College Street (02) 9320-6000 Admission charged. Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This natural history museum traces Australia’s rich culture over tens of thousands of years. Its Aboriginal section explores the impact of white society on the first Australians. Other exhibits feature the flora and fauna of Papua New Guinea, native insects and fossils.

The Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbor (west) (02) 9552-7777 Admission charged. Hours: Daily 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Australia’s history is vitally linked to the sea, and the museum explores those connections with its exhibits of antique racing yachts, WWII destroyers and an America’s Cup champion.

The Powerhouse Museum 500 Harris Street (02) 9217-0111 Admission charged. Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Housed in the shell of an enormous, abandoned power station, the museum presents more than two dozen exhibits themed around applied art, science and technology. Here, find a whole floor dedicated to steam engines, airplanes, computers and decorative arts. The museum also includes a NASA space station and a 1930s cinema exhibit.

Sydney Harbor Bridge (02) 9247-3408 Admission charged for Pylon Tower Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Completed in 1932, this bridge remains an engineering feat even today. At 1,650 feet, the bridge is the city’s most-revered landmark after the Sydney Opera House. Affectionately called “The Coat Hanger,” the bridge contains 8 vehicle lanes, 2 railroad tracks, a cycleway and a walkway. The southeast column of the bridge contains a museum that documents the bridge’s construction; walk 200 steps up the Pylon Tower for a magnificent view of the harbor and cityscape beyond.

The Sydney Aquarium Darling Harbor Admission charged. Hours: Daily 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Home to the most extensive collection of Australian marine life, the Aquarium features crocodiles, seals, fairy penguins and platypuses, as well as an enormous collection of sharks that lurk in its Open Ocean exhibit.

Taronga Park Zoo Bradley’s Head Road (02) 9969-2777 Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission charged.

One of the world’s great zoos, Taronga lets its guests visit nearly nose-to-nose with some of Australia’s most spectacular and exotic creatures - native koalas, of course, but also kangaroos, dingoes, Tasmanian devils and wombats. Scary creatures crawl through their Reptile House habitat. A Zoo Pass includes unlimited passages on the scenic gondola that meanders the 75-acre compound.

Centennial Park Oxford Street, Paddington (02) 9331-5056 Cost: Free Hours: Daily, but hours change seasonally

A prime spot for athletes and nature-lovers alike, Centennial Park’s 550 acres boast a wealth of wildlife that coexists beside miles of walking, cycling and horse trails. Visitors can picnic while they watch classic films shown at the amphitheater during summer months.

Luna Park Milson’s Point (02) 9922-6644 Hours: Rides open weekends and school holidays; call for seasonal hours Admission charged.

Built in 1935, modeled after Coney Island’s Luna Park and set against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour, this is a loud, brash, in-your-face amusement park that features a variety of classic rides. Visitors enter beneath the ghastly, grinning face of a painted clown, who has evolved alongside the park’s collection of attractions.

Family Fun Attractions

Art Gallery of New South Wales Art Gallery Road, The Domain (02) 9225-1744 Cost: Free, except for special exhibits Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Every Sunday afternoon at 2:30, families can enjoy special performances on various topics, including art appreciation, dance and storytelling. During school holidays, the museum schedules storytelling and performances, often in mime or Aboriginal dance, for children aged 6-12. Children can also participate in occasional hands-on art workshops.

The Australian Museum 6 College Street (02) 9320-6000 Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For children under 5, Kids Island is gaily decorated with a model hot-air balloon and features a slippery side and a shipwrecked boat with interesting cubbies to explore. The museum’s dinosaur exhibit appeals to children aged 5-12. A Science and Discover Room, with microscopes, specimens and reference books, allows children to conduct their own “research.”

The Powerhouse Museum 500 Harris Street (02) 9217-0111 Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum’s many interactive displays are geared to peak the interest of smaller children. A NASA space station will entice their older siblings. Occasionally, the museum offers supervised children’s activities from crafts to storytelling, free with entry

Sega World Darling Walk, Darling Harbour (02) 9273-9273 (note: this number is correct) Admission charged. Hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Kids clamor for the virtual-reality underwater trek and outer-space war games offered by this high-tech indoor theme park. Rides include a dodgem cars, a roller coaster, and a haunted house that lets adventurous kids hunt ghosts with a ghost-zapper. An arcade is populated by over 200 video games, and the Magic Motion Theatre requires viewers to strap into their seats for a wild sensory ride.

Australia’s Wonderland Walgrove Road, Rooty Hill (02) 9830-9100 Admission charged. Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with occasional later hours on summer Saturdays Featuring more than 80 rides in seven “fantasy lands,” Australia’s Wonderland guarantees screams from the Space Probe, a free-fall plummet of 23 stories that reaches speeds in excess of 75 mph. Kids can cool off at The Beach, a manmade stretch of sand complete with waterslide.

Luna Park Milson’s Point (02) 9922-6644 Hours: Rides open weekends and school holidays; call for seasonal hours Built in 1935, modeled after Coney Island’s Luna Park and set against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour, this is a loud, brash, in-your-face amusement park that features a variety of classic rides. Visitors enter beneath the ghastly, grinning face of a painted clown, who has evolved alongside the park’s collection of attractions.

Taronga Park Zoo Bradley’s Head Road (02) 9969-2777 Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission charged. Taronga lets children visit nearly nose-to-nose with some of Australia’s most spectacular and exotic creatures - native koalas, of course, but also kangaroos, dingoes, Tasmanian devils and wombats. Kids will squeal at the inhabits of the Reptile House.

Centennial Park Oxford Street, Paddington (02) 9331-5056 Cost: Free Hours: Daily, but hours change seasonally Rent children’s bikes and rollerblades to help youngsters burn off excess energy in the park’s beautiful setting. A nearly Equestrian Center offers horseback rides, and guided nature walks are available during school holidays.