Art Gallery of New South Wales

The Art Gallery of New South Wales is the city's great art museum, and since the opening of its Sydney Modern project in December 2022 it has become one of the most rewarding cultural visits in Australia. General entry is free, and it is open daily from 10am to 5pm, with late opening until 10pm on Wednesdays. The gallery now has two buildings linked by an art garden, at the edge of the Domain overlooking Woolloomooloo Bay. Naala Nura, the south building, is the original sandstone gallery with its classical portico, home to the historic collections: Australian art from the colonial period through Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton and the Heidelberg painters to Sidney Nolan and Brett Whiteley, European old masters and modern works, and Asian art. Naala Badu, the north building, is the Sydney Modern building designed by the Japanese architects SANAA, a series of light-filled glass pavilions and terraces stepping down the slope toward the water, with contemporary art, major site-specific commissions and the gallery's outstanding collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, presented in its own dedicated galleries at the heart of the building. Deep beneath it lies the Tank, a former naval fuel tank from the Second World War turned into a vast, dark, column-filled gallery for large installations; it is one of the most atmospheric art spaces anywhere. The terraces have wonderful views over the harbour and Garden Island, and there are restaurants and cafes in both buildings. Some major exhibitions charge a fee, but you can spend a full day with the free collection. The gallery is also home to the Archibald Prize for portraiture, Australia's most famous art prize, whose exhibition each year draws huge crowds.

The gallery was founded in 1871 and moved into its sandstone building on the Domain in the 1890s, with the familiar portico added in the early twentieth century. The new names of the buildings, Naala Nura and Naala Badu, come from the Sydney Aboriginal language and were given as part of the expansion: roughly, "seeing Country" and "seeing waters". The Sydney Modern project almost doubled the gallery's exhibition space, and its design by SANAA, the firm of Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, deliberately keeps the buildings low and open so that they read as part of the landscape. The art garden between the two buildings and the walkways down to the harbour make it a place to linger, not just pass through.

How to visit: start in Naala Badu for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collection and the contemporary galleries, go down to the Tank, then walk across the art garden to Naala Nura for the Australian and European collections. If time is short, choose one building. Free guided tours and talks run regularly; check the What's On page for the day's program and current exhibitions. Wednesday evenings, with the late opening, bring talks, music and a lively crowd and are a good alternative to a busy weekend afternoon. Families are well catered for with kids' programs and trails.

Getting there: the gallery is on Art Gallery Road in the Domain, about a fifteen-minute walk from Martin Place or St James stations, or a pleasant walk through the Royal Botanic Garden from the Opera House. Combine it with the garden and Mrs Macquarie's Chair for a full, free day. If you want more art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia at Circular Quay (paid adult entry since 2025) pairs well with a morning in The Rocks.