Art Gallery of New South Wales

The Art Gallery of New South Wales is the state's principal art museum, standing in The Domain on the eastern edge of the city centre. Its first public exhibition opened in 1874, and its sandstone building on Art Gallery Road, now called Naala Nura, has been joined since December 2022 by Naala Badu, a newer building that steps down the slope towards Woolloomooloo Bay. The two are linked by a public art garden, and together they form one of the largest art museums in Australia.

The collection spans Australian art from the colonial period to the present, a substantial holding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, and European and Asian works. Naala Nura holds much of the historical Australian and European collection in its grand top-lit courts, while Naala Badu concentrates on contemporary and international art. Underneath Naala Badu is the Tank, a former naval fuel tank from the Second World War that is now used for large installations in near darkness.

The gallery also hosts some of Australia's best-known art events. The annual Archibald Prize for portraiture, together with the Wynne and Sulman prizes, is exhibited here each year and draws large crowds, so expect busier galleries while those shows are on.

General entry is free, though some major exhibitions are ticketed. The gallery opens daily from 10:00 to 17:00 and stays open until 22:00 on Wednesdays, when the evening programme often includes talks and music. It closes on Christmas Day and Good Friday. The building is accessible, with lifts linking the levels, and there are places to eat in both buildings.

Allow two to three hours to see the highlights of both buildings at a comfortable pace. A sensible route is to start in Naala Nura with the Australian collection, cross the art garden to Naala Badu and finish with a coffee overlooking Woolloomooloo Bay. Quiet weekday mornings are good for families with young children, and Wednesday evenings suit couples and anyone who prefers smaller crowds.

The gallery is about fifteen minutes' walk from the city centre through The Domain, or a short stroll from the Royal Botanic Garden and Mrs Macquarie's Point. St James and Martin Place stations are the nearest. Harry's Café de Wheels and the Woolloomooloo wharf are a few minutes downhill from Naala Badu, making an easy lunch stop after a visit.