Powerhouse Ultimo is a contemporary museum in the heart of Sydney with a focus on arts, science, innovation and design.
Located on the site of the old Ultimo Power Station, the Powerhouse opened as a museum in 1988 and is one of the largest in Australia. Inside you'll find a series of permanent exhibitions, temporary exhibitions, a reconstructed 1930s cinema showing films from that period, a steam-powered locomotive train the 1850s (in the foyer), and the Boulton & Watt steam engine (1785).
The fate of this beloved museum was uncertain for a little while, but in 2020 plans to shut down the Ultimo location in favour of a new Parramatta site were scrapped. While the Parramatta branch is still set to open in 2023, the original museum is getting a 500 million dollar makeover.
The museum is open daily 10am-5pm (except Christmas Day). Entry is free, some visiting exhibitions are ticketed, and no bookings are required.
The Powerhouse is located at 500 Harris St, Ultimo, close to Darling Harbour, Chinatown, Central Station (Sydney Terminal), Broadway bus station (Railway Square), and Exhibition Centre Sydney Light Rail Station.