GoTourist
The Neoclassical facade of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney

No. 28 Top 100 Most Visited Art Museums 2025 · 2,400,965 visitors in 2025

Art Gallery of New South Wales

Sydney, Australia · City guide: Sydney

Sydney's great art museum in the Domain, with a Neoclassical home, a new SANAA building and free entry.

Open in Maps Apple Maps

Photo: Chris Olszewski, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The Art Gallery of New South Wales is No. 28 in The Art Newspaper's survey of the world's most visited art museums, with 2,400,965 visitors in 2025, up 1% on 2024. Founded in 1871, it stands in the Domain parkland near the Royal Botanic Garden and Sydney Harbour.

Its campus has two buildings: the Neoclassical Naala Nura, with its sandstone facade, and Naala Badu, a light-filled building by the Japanese architects SANAA that opened in December 2022. Entry to the collection is free.

The Naala Badu building of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
The Naala Badu building of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. Photo: Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Best time to visit

Weekday mornings are the quietest. The museum stays open late on Wednesdays for Art After Hours; check the official website for hours.

Highlights & collections

  • 1

    Yiribana Gallery

    A major display of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, at the entrance level of Naala Badu.

  • 2

    Australian art

    Paintings by artists such as Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Margaret Preston and Brett Whiteley.

  • 3

    European art

    Grand 19th-century galleries hung with European paintings in the original building.

  • 4

    Naala Badu

    Contemporary art from Australia and around the world, with terraces looking over Woolloomooloo Bay.

  • 5

    The Tank

    A vast former underground oil tank beneath Naala Badu, used for art installations.

Getting there

The gallery is on Art Gallery Road in the Domain, about a 15-minute walk from St James or Martin Place stations through the park. Bus 441 stops outside.

Visiting tips

Tickets & hours
Entry to the collection is free; some exhibitions charge. Check the official website for hours.
Time needed
Two to three hours for both buildings.
Currency
Australian dollar (AUD). Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere. Tipping is not expected.
Visa & entry
Everyone except New Zealand citizens needs a visa or an electronic travel authority before travelling. Citizens of the US, Canada, the UK, Japan and several other countries can apply for an ETA through the official AustralianETA app; EU citizens can apply online for a free eVisitor. Apply only through official Australian government channels (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au).

Official information: Art Gallery of New South Wales (official website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.

Map

Open in Maps View larger map Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors