Sydney: Tours at Art Gallery of New South Wales
Description
Discover unique tours at the Art Gallery New South Wales, Sydney. NEW - AUSTRALIAN ART STORIES TOUR (daily, 75min) Expert-guided journey through Australia's stories and culture across both Art Gallery buildings including a focus on indigenous art, early access before gallery opens to the public, coffee at MOD Dining with your guide, 10% off the Gallery Shop, Cafe and Kiosk, and access to the members lounge. ***Meeting Point: Welcome Hub, Naala Badu (modern, glass building).
Tour Options
Itinerary
Located on Gadigal Country, 15 minutes' walk from Sydney's city centre, the Art Gallery of New South Wales stands as one of Australia's premier cultural destinations and Sydney's must-see art museum. Discover inspiring exhibitions, unique tours, and dining experiences from renowned Australian chefs. AUSTRALIAN ART STORIES TOUR (daily, 75min) Expert-guided journey through Australia's stories and culture across both Art Gallery buildings including: early access before gallery opens to the public, coffee at MOD Dining with your guide, 10% off the Gallery Shop, Cafe and Kiosk, and access to the members lounge BLOCKBUSTER EXHIBITIONS: Ron Mueck: Encounter | On until Apr 11 | World-renowned hyperrealist sculptor returns to Australia. Breathtakingly lifelike sculptures you must see in person. Early access ticket available. Dangerously Modern: On until 15 Feb | 50 trailblazing women artists who shaped international modernism. Australia's untold art revolution. Must-see event
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(11)
Went to see Dangerously Modern - terrific exhibition and the Tour Guide (didn't give her name and no identifying badge), was excellent. She talked about the social context of the time which spported the exhibition title. She was also very good on concise explanations of complicated art theory. Thank you for illuminating an excellent range of pictures
appalling waste of time Mike Hewson exhibition for kids. It is not for kids. There was a sandpit with very little sand It was advertised as bring their bathers. Wrong there was a garbage bin. you could pull on a rope and tip some water out. neither were safe. The sandpit was concrete with a bit of sand. the rope to pull the garbage bin over retracted and a little girl was yanked flying There was one small slippery dip and 2 single seat swings DO NOT GO We went to a park afterwards with a playground that functioned AND THE COST. He spent months sourcing these heavy concrete waste blocks and rubble. Who paid him and why. This is what is wrong with Sydney.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We understand that our free exhibition Mike Hewson: The Key’s Under the Mat, may not have aligned with your expectations and we appreciate you taking the time to provide feedback. Mike Hewson is known for his acclaimed public art commissions, including playgrounds in Southbank (Melbourne), Leichhardt and St Peters (Sydney). The Key’s Under the Mat is the artist’s latest project, transforming the Art Gallery’s Tank into an immersive art park for visitors of all ages to experience and explore. As part of the installation, Hewson has created a unique playground that invites children and families to engage with materials in unexpected ways. While it differs from conventional playgrounds, safety and accessibility were central to its design and installation. We acknowledge that every visitor brings a unique perspective, and your comments have been shared with our team for consideration. Warm regards, Visitor Experience Team Art Gallery of New South Wales
Extremely knowledgeable guide. Courteous and friendly. And knew so much about the gallery’s physical history as well.
Although the gallery is free- this tour was super informative and a great introduction to the artwork displayed at the gallery. Would recommend!
Amazing, we are so happy you enjoyed the tour! Our Program Assistants are wonderful and love to share stories.
Very interesting museum, beautifully laid out while many pieces of art, jewellery ceramics were donated to the collection
Friendly ,knowledgable guide with artistry and art history background of both architectural highlights of this world class museum and the various artworks displayed helped usto appreciate the artwork even more and lead us to areas we might not have found on our own.
This is a magnificient building bordering Sydney's Botantical Gardens. It is free entry and fully accessible. The building is jdivided into many areas, show casing some wondergful artwork and sculptures. There is a cafe and restaurant.
“Very beautiful museum. Interesting contrast between the old and new wings, Western and Aboriginal art, old and modern art. Book a guided tour so you don’t get overwhelmed by the works. Our guide was an art historian and selected 3 works to explain 150 years of art to us. Also interesting was the dialogue between our ‘European’ roots and those of an outsider. Afterward, we explored the new wing. Coming together to discover new insights is much more enjoyable than just ‘wandering’ in a museum. After 3 hours of exploration, we had a meal at the museum restaurant. A perfect morning.” 🎨🏛️
So glad we checked this out today! It’s a very good art gallery with pieces that range from Aboriginal art to classic paintings and sculptures. Right now it also covers the Sydney Biennale as well as a special exhibition on Louise Bourgeios. Definitely something for everyone, no matter what art style you prefet. There are four levels of art in the main buildings, plus an extra several levels in the modern addition, so lots to see! We spent about 3 hours here and could have spent longer. We particularly loved having Louise Bourgeois' Maman outside the building, adding some nice quirk to the building. Because Sydney got hit by such bad weather last week, sadly part of the Bourgeois exhibition was closed for maintenance but to compensate they offered the other part of that exhibition (there is usually a charge fir the special exhibition, however all the rest of the exhibitions are free to see). Great regulars tours too of both the main area and of the Louise Bourgeois exhibition. Definitely worth a visit.
I've been a member of AGNSW for a decade. The exhibitions are always impressive. A current standout is Kandinsky. What impresses me most is AGNSW's permanent collection. You have Monet, Bacon, Pissarro, Seurat, Grace Cossington Smith, Olsen, Whitely and my favourite - John Russell's In the Afternoon - a relatively recent acquisition. This is housed in the North Building along with many superb works of art. Then there's the new South Building, which is still finding its footing. This is a world-class museum with similar artwork you would have to travel to LA or NY to see. Resident or tourist, don't miss out on one of the best cultural gems of the city.
