Free things to do in Sydney

34 places in Sydney with free entry or no charge, based on guide listings and map data.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

SeeCity Centre
ANZAC Memorial
A large war memorial in the middle of the city, built after World War I. It is a focus of military memorial events in New South Wales and includes a museum which covers the experiences of NSW citizens who have served in the Australian military.
except Good Fri & Christmas DayFree
SeeCity East
Australian Centre for Photography
ACP established in 1973. The ACP initiated the first major retrospectives of work by photographers such as Max Dupain, Olive Cotton and Merv Bishop, and organised the early public displays of photographs by Bill Henson, Tracey Moffatt, William Yang and Trent Parke and has presented works by international photo-artists such as Bernd & Hilla Becher, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Larry Clark, Joan Fontcuberta, Nan Goldin, Roni Horn, George Platt Lynes, Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Duane Michals, Pierre Molinier, Erwin Olaf, Martin Parr, Man Ray, Cindy Sherman, Wolfgang Tillmans and William Wegman.
Tue-Fri noon-7PM, Sat Sun 10AM-6PMFree
SeeCity East
Australian Museum
With an international reputation in the fields of natural history and indigenous studies research, community programs and exhibitions, the Australian Museum was established as Australia's first museum in 1827 with unique and extensive collections of natural science and cultural artifacts. The skeleton room, displaying hundreds of animal skeletons, including a blue whale hanging from the roof, is an attraction in itself. The museum also has an exhibit on early man, including species like Homo heidelbergensis that did not reach Australia. There is a cafe next to the entrance that can be accessed without requiring payment for admission to the main exhibition area.
, closed Christmasfree, temporary exhibitions have additional fee
SeeDarling Harbour
Australian National Maritime Museum
Two floors of internal exhibits, outlining the maritime role in Australia's history. Houses significant full scale exhibits. Outside there are ships and submarines to explore.
Galleries & exhibitions: $7 adult, $3.50 child & concession, $17 family / free entry to permanent galleries on first Thursday of the month. Additional charges for vessels
SeeLower North Shore
Berry Island Reserve
Berry Island first connected to the mainland with a causeway from Wollstonecraft farm in the 1800s. Later quarried sandstone made a permanent land bridge to the island. The land bridge is now lawns with a playground, and a loop walk circles the island, which will take around 20 minutes. There are interpretive signs about the Aboriginal heritage of the area. The last part of the walk can be done rock hopping along the sandstone rocks on the coastline. There is an Aboriginal carving there, but it basic, and quite hard to make out. There is a lookout at the end of the point, with views across the harbour to Balmain and Birchgrove. You can also see across to HMAS Waterhen Naval Base.
free
DoSydney Olympic Park
Bicentennial Park
Other than having a barbecue, while you're there, walk, cycle or fly a kite. Bicentennial Park is a 100-hectare park created to celebrate Australia's bicentenary in 1988. Although older than Sydney Olympic Park, it is now part of the Sydney Olympic Park precinct. Facilities include electric barbecues, extensive gentle paths suitable for children cycling and for wheelchairs, and enormous amounts of grass on which to picnic or play sports. It is popular with families. Admission and parking is free but hard to find around lunchtime on some weekends, and it may be simpler to walk from the train stations.
Free
SeeSydney Olympic Park
Brickpit Ring Walk
The Brickpit
Homebush Bay was an industrial site before it was remodelled as Sydney Olympic Park. The brickpit area was preserved because the post-industrial area was also habitat to several species of rare frogs, including the endangered green and gold bell frog. The brickpit site has a high elevated walkway ringing the site. The engineering is quite impressive. There are interpretive displays as you walk the ring. It is unlikely that you will see any of the tiny frogs all the way down in the water filled pit, but there are binoculars if you wish to try your luck.
Free
SeeThe Rocks
Cadman's Cottage
The last relic of the small, relatively plain buildings that once ringed Sydney Cove in the early colonial period, this small sandstone cottage was built in 1815-1816. The building has survived largely because of constant government or institutional ownership. Restoration began in 1972 and the building is now used as an information centre by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. The Cottage was built by the water side, but with reclamation over the years, the shoreline of Sydney Cove is now 100 metres distant.
Mon-Fri 9:30AM-4:30PM, Sat Sun 10AM-4:30PM, closed Christmas and Good FriFree admission
DoSydney Olympic Park
Cathy Freeman Park
The Olympic Cauldron, which was the centrepiece of the water themed opening ceremony is now a large fountain that the kids (or adults) can run under. The park can also be used for picnics.
Free
SeeCity Centre
Government House
A stately home in the Botanic Gardens. The official residence of the Governor of New South Wales (the state's representative for the British Monarch). Open to the public Fridays & weekends.
Fri-Sun 10:30AM-3PMFree
SeeCity Centre
Hyde Park
An extensive city centre park of a formal design tradition dissected by Park St, elongated in layout and containing a large fountain (Archibald Fountain) towards the northern end and the Anzac War Memorial at the south - a favourite with city workers at lunchtime, joggers and sunbakers. The park occasionally hosts public and private events and functions.
Free
SeeCity Centre
Hyde Park Barracks
Built in 1818-1819. Constructed by convicts and housed by them, the Hyde Park Barracks provided housing for convicts working in government employment around Sydney from 1819 until its closure in 1848. Interior is restored with exhibits depicting the furnishings and life of the time. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Daily, closed Good Fri and Christmas DayFree
SeeCity Centre
Justice and Police Museum
Built as a police station to Court in 1856, and closed in 1886, the museum has now been restored to its 1890s facade displaying its theme of crime and punishment.
Sat-SunFree
SeeInner West
Macleay Museum
The oldest natural history museum in Australia, largely kept in storage, but they have quite a collection of insects from Darwin, Raffles and other keen entomologists.
Mon-Fri 10AM-4:30PM, first Sat of the month noon-4:30PMFree
SeeEastern suburbs
McKell Park
This small pretty park is the location of the Darling Point ferry wharf. The park comprises grassed landscape terraces stepping down to the harbour foreshore and the public ferry wharf. Set in the grounds of the original McKell mansion people picnic and relax amongst the footings and small remnant walls of the old mansion. It has become a popular site for weddings. The park was established in 1983-1985 with the heritage listed Canonbury Cottage becoming the centrepiece of the Park.
Park gates are open from dawn to dusk (i.e. approximately 7AM - 7:30PM) Access is available to ferry servicesFree entry with bookings and fees payable for Weddings and events
SeeThe Rocks
National Trust Centre
The headquarters of National Trust NSW, it was once a military hospital and state school. The SH Erwin Gallery is located within and hosts exhibitions every now and then.
Mon-Fri 9AM-5PMFree entry, prices apply for special exhibitions
SeeInner West
Nicholson Museum of Antiquities
Contains the largest collection of antiquities in Australia, featuring ancient artefacts from Egypt, the Middle East, Greece, Rome, Cyprus and Mesopotamia, collected by the University over many years. Also mummified cats and humans.
Mon-Fri 10AM-4:30PM, first Sat of the month noon-4:30PMFree
SeeEastern suburbs
Nielsen Park
Established as a public reserve in 1911. Nearby is a 1.5-km 'Hermitage Foreshore' walk through park and bushland running along the western edge of Vaucluse between Nielsen Park and Bayview Hill Road. Has a scenic harbour swimming beach protected by a shark net during the summer months, picnic areas, meals and refreshments available at the Nielsen Park kiosk. See map and details of locality.
Free
SeeCity Centre
Powerhouse Museum (Temporarily closed)
The Powerhouse Museum is closed (as of February 2024) for refurbishment and does not have an estimated reopening date. Usually, it has a variety of permanent and temporary exhibitions including the King's Cinema, an intact art deco cinema, Locomotive No 1, Experimentations, Ecologic, the Strasbourg Clock, the Steam Revolution and Interface. There is a cafe and museum shop.
10AM-5PMFree (plus paid exhibits)
SeeCity Centre
Queen Victoria Building
the QVB
The site of a market place since 1810, its current Romanesque facade was completed in 1896 and was extensively restored in the late 1980s as a prestigious shopping centre. The Christmas tree around Christmas time reaches through all the floors to the full height of the building. It contains a variety of small shops selling luxury fashion and cafes. On the top floor is a large albeit very cramped model and toy shop. Take time to check out the two mechanical clocks hanging from the ceiling, as well as the sealed letter which is to be opened in 2085.
Free
SeeCity Centre
Reserve Bank of Australia Museum
Hosted by the Reserve Bank of Australia in its city headquarters, this museum displays Australian bank notes and currency from the earliest issues to the present day. Interesting but basic. Drop in for 15 min or so if you are passing by Martin Place.
Temporarily closed as of June 2025; otherwise open Mon-Fri 10AM-5PM, except bank holidaysFree admission
SeeCity Centre
State Library of New South Wales
Includes a large exhibition space with changing artistic, historical and cultural exhibits. The Mitchell Reading Room is a historical large open book-lined room, and worth a look inside. The reference library is a modern addition, and really only of interest for research. The library collection includes a copy of every volume published in New South Wales, and many rare texts. There is a cafe on the ground floor near the entrance to the reference library and the bookshop.
Free
SeeThe Rocks
Sydney Observatory
Australia's oldest observatory. It has a variety of exhibitions, a “beanbag planetarium” and of course, telescopes. The parks and views of the harbour from the Observatory Hill are exceptional. It's worth a visit even if you have no interest in astronomy and are not even going into the building. You can book a night tour guided by an astronomer, where you're allowed to use the telescope and see what is visible during night time. The old telescopes here aren't the most powerful around; the portable telescopes set up are just as powerful as the large ones in the domes. It makes for a fun, informative night out. Children are catered for in both the daytime and evening sessions.
Daily 10AM–5PM. Closed Good Fri, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.Daytime admission is free. For night tours adults $20-22 and children $14-15
SeeCity Centre
Sydney Opera House
This world heritage listed icon on the harbour is one of Sydney's most beautiful and unusual buildings; its sail-shaped structure, designed by Jørn Utzon, is world famous, and it is the only structure in the world to have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site during the lifetime of its architect. The Opera House hosts most of Sydney's major classical music and opera events. You can walk all around the building and some of the foyer areas free of charge. Guided tours of the inside are available for $28, leave every 30 minutes and take about an hour. Some tours are run in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. Depending on ongoing rehearsals or performances, not all parts may be visited.
SeeCity Centre
The Art Gallery of New South Wales
the leading museum of art in New South Wales and Sydney, and one of Australia's foremost cultural institutions. It holds significant collections of Australian art, and presents nearly forty exhibitions annually. British Victorian art, along with smaller holdings of Dutch, French and Italian painters of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, and a collection of modern British masters, European modernists and European classical art. The collection includes work by Reubens, Picasso, Van Gogh and many others. There is also an impressive collection of Asian, South East Asian, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. The new North Building has an extensive collection of contemporary art, including the dark 'Tank' level in the basement - a cavernous and strange area that used to hold fuel for shipping. Not all of the collection holdings are on exhibition at any one time and the gallery occasionally rotates significant works on exhibition. The building itself is a much-photographed sandstone structure with a large formal entrance. There is a popular cafe inside the gallery, with views over Wooloomooloo.
Daily, Wed untilFree admission with charges to some 'feature' exhibitions
SeeDarling Harbour
Tumbalong Park
At first look, appears a bit like an oval, but is actually a large open space with a stage for outdoor performances. Something going on here most weekends, and a good place to lay out a picnic blanket
free
SeeCity South
White Rabbit Gallery
An Australian gallery dedicated to showing contemporary Chinese art, and claims to have one of the largest collections of it in the world. The teahouse serves an excellent selection of exotic teas along with dumplings and scones. The gallery is often closed in February and August to prepare new installations.
Wed-Sun 10AM-5PMFree
DoBondi Beach Not mapped
Bondi Icebergs
A popular rock swimming pool with restaurant and bar facilities upstairs that look over the entire beach. It is named for the brave swimmers who compete here in the winter months. Opening hours: M-F: 6AM-7PM, Sa-Su: 6.30AM - 6.30PM. Entry $4 Adults/$2.50 Children/Seniors. (Many other Sydney beaches have rock pools with no charge for access, including nearby Bronte and Clovelly.)
DoCity South Not mapped
Chinese New Year Festival
The biggest holiday in the East Asian community, it is celebrated with lion dances, fire crackers and dragon boating in the nearby Darling Harbour. The highlight of the festival is the Chinese New Year Twilight Parade, where floats constructed by the local Chinese, Korean and Viet populations travel down George Street. You can also walk a bit further until you hit Circular Quay, where you can see the Opera House go red and see large sculptures of each zodiac.
Held yearly to celebrate the Lunar New Year (varies from Jan to Feb)Free
SeeDarling Harbour Not mapped
Crown Sydney Sky Deck
Sydney's tallest building, the Crown Casino, offers free guided tours of its 83rd-floor observation deck perched 250 meters above the harbour, with great views towards the Opera House. The catch is that there's exactly one tour at 8 AM on weekdays only, with capacity for just 10 people. Tickets for the following week are released every Monday and are usually snapped up in minutes.
Mon-Fr 8 AM (reservations required)Free
SeeInner West Not mapped
University Art Collection
Houses more than two thousand artworks — a diverse collection of Australian, Asian and European paintings, prints, watercolours, drawings, textiles, photography and sculptures.
Mon-Fri 10AM-4:30PM, first Sat of the month noon-4:30PMFree
Do Not mapped
Vivid Sydney
Sydney's historic and landmark building illuminated. The best sights are around Circular Quay with the Opera House making an especially fantastic canvas. Martin Place is full of light shows and food stalls. And Barrangaroo laneways are decorated also. Some suburbs also have smaller light shows, including the centres of Chatswood and Parramatta. Expect large crowds and make sure to do some preparation – lots of road closures, light rail services get cut short to Wynyard, while trains don't stop at Circular Quay (meaning you'll need to walk from Wynyard or St James).
Free
SeeCity Centre
Mrs Macquarie's Chair
This park area has magnificent views of the harbour.
Free access
SeeHarbour Islands Not mapped
RAN Heritage Centre
Museum dedicated to the Royal Australian Navy.
Free

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Sydney (CC BY-SA 4.0).