Sydney Tramway Museum

Melbourne may be known for them, but Sydney was the OG tram city, with an extensive network that operated for 100 years until the mid 1900s – even the Harbour Bridge opened with two tram lanes. At the Sydney Tramway Museum you’ll get a first-hand feel for how families in the olden days got to the city, beach and everywhere in between. The Loftus museum operates vintage tram rides every Wednesday and Sunday over four kilometres of track to the Sutherland and Royal National Park. We recommend going for the latter option – you’ll end up at a picturesque little picnic spot so bring a spread (there’s a tiny kiosk for ice creams and sausage rolls), before heading back into the 21st century. Back at the museum they’ve got an extensive collection of tram cars lovingly restored by an army of volunteers, who meticulously log their progress online. The delight is in the detail – from wooden interiors to the vintage advertisements still lining the ceilings. They’ve also got specimens from overseas, including San Francisco, Nagasaki, Milan and Berlin, plus the city’s only “prison tram”, which carted crooks between Darlinghurst Courthouse and Long Bay Gaol.