Elizabeth Bay House

Elizabeth Bay House: 19th-century Colonial home is a place that you must visit if you are in Sydney. You need to order tickets via website ( Museums of History NSW) for admission but ticket is free of charge. Open on Sunday & Monday only.

I have visited Elizabeth Bay House a number of times, and each time has been spectacular. I find the property to be so amazing not only in terms of the grandness of it but in the way it has been preserved. Every room is so ornate, pays attention to detail, and really tells the history of the families and area well. There is a small courtyard and underground cellar to check out, too. Staff and volunteers have always been so friendly, warm, welcoming, and helpful during my visits. The house is only open on Sundays and Mondays and currently has free entry. I would highly recommend coming to visit.

An interesting place to visit with a lovely position/views and airy rooms. Free to enter, I booked a slot online as the website requested and spent an hour here. You are given a leaflet with a floorplan and some information about the house in it. There is an introductory film on the 1st floor (which wasn't quite focused as I expected) and some information panels about the history of the house. There is no audio guide and no information panels in the rooms (identifying the room and commenting on furnishings, wall coverings, paintings etc) which I would have appreciated and would have made the visit more informative. The volunteers are however knowledgeable and willing and able to answer questions. The fabric of the building appears to be pretty much intact (albeit never finished). Little of the furniture currently in the house belonged to the family (it is either original to the period or reproduction) and the layout of the rooms seems to be a curatorial vision, rather than based on known fact. Toilets and some items for purchase.

On Monday, free entry to this beautiful old mansion, said to be one of the grandest homes when it was built in 1839. It is restored with beautiful paintings and objects as if the original Macleay family were still there. Pages of butterfly illustrations sit on the desks amongst shells as Alexander Macleay was a natural history researcher. It has lovely views out to the harbour and my favourite part, the elegant glass dome ceiling in the homes centre with a swirling staircase. The basement is kind of odd, I think it might have originally the kitchen and storage area, but parts of it look like an abandoned prison. Otherwise a very spectacular place.