Port Arthur Historic Site [official]

Must visit in Tasmania since it offers such insight

Came to lutruwita/Tasmania to learn more about my convict ancestry and, although I don't think any of my ancestors were actually at Port Arthur, it was an excellent memorial and introduction to those who were here and what they went through.

A great short tour with a lot of information about Port Arthur Historic site.

Excellent experience. The history of the settlement comes alive when supported by the audtio guide and informative talks available. Download the times of the talks prior to your visit so that you can plan your day to make the most of these. There is a lot to see and it can feel overwhelming to cram it in all at once but as the ticket lasts 2 days it is possible to visit at a more leisurely pace if you are able to. Tickets include the trip around the bay which gives information about the boys prison...a decision to seperate based on good judgement but poorly organised: a sad story. Highly recommend this trip.

Port Arthur Historic Site The site was very clean and tidy, the walk between buildings is considerable and maybe a lot for kids or elderly. It’s a Tasmanian must see for history enthusiasts, however, we noted that indigenous Australians may find it confronting to see no acknowledgement of our existence in Australia prior to colonisation in any of the site, or the genocide that followed. The massacres in the area were some of the most brutal in Australian history, but the whole area and history of the state has been whitewashed. There are monuments all over Hobart to remember the colonists and military figures, but we saw not a single mention in Hobart or Port Arthur, in remembrance of the Indigenous people. We did the ‘Essentials Tour’ (40 mins) which was only $10. The American guide was entertaining and knowledgeable, and he did mention the local Pydairrerme of the Palawa people as predecessors of the area, but if we hadn’t done the paid tour, we wouldn’t have heard any mention at all. We were impressed with but how clean the toilets and facilities were, and although we didn’t eat, there was a fancy restaurant and a really nice looking cafeteria style cafe, with a tray style service. Sandwiches and pies, fish and chips and desserts, and seating area as well as a gift shop. The parking onsite was free but entry was $53 per adult, cheaper for kids and pensioners

One of the most iconic landmark associated with Tasmania was the Port Arthur Historic Site. After originally being sold off after it shutdown down the government has repurchased then renovated some of the historic buildings to recognize Australia's convict history. The parking lot was free and plentiful over three rows plus an overflow lot. The visitor center was modern and contained sit down and casual restaurants, gift shop and the museum. Here they sold all the tickets and guided tours. Every ticket included a cruise around the bay and to the Island of the Dead and full access to the site. The museum itself was small but packed with artifacts, history and profiles of those incarcerated or oversaw the prisoners. A good introduction. Talks were scheduled throughout the day at different buildings and lasted for a few to 20 minutes or so. All except one was well worth catching and all were free. Those definitely helped since we didn't pay for a guided tour. We wandered the ground at our own pace with roughly half restored while the other half just the shells. My recommendations on what to see would be the Commandant's House, Penitentiary, Asylum's Prison, Government Garden and Separate Prison. Tickets were valid for two consecutive days so that added flexibility to our visit since we stayed overnight in the area.

Always an amazing experience. Budget for two days . One is not enough

Wonderful experience, lots of interesting history and artefacts! The harbour cruise also very good and historic commentary. Well worth a visit

We did a guided tour. It was fantastic. In fact the whole place is a great experience. I would recommend doing a guided tour even though it was extra on top of your entry fee. Only disappointing thing was the Commamdant House wasn’t open until 10am and that’s what we missed the first day. We also missed the ghost tour but that’s as we didn’t do our research prior to arrival.

Don't book the premium guided tour we stood in a oval 1 hour of the tour while the guide talked and then we only saw 1 building during the rest of the 2.5 hour tour You are better off doing the self guided tour and save your money