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Front View of Experiment Farm Cottage — Image credit: National Trust Australia (NSW)

Galleries, Museums and Collections

Experiment Farm Cottage

Experiment Farm Cottage offers a rare opportunity to step back in time and explore one of Australia's oldest surviving colonial homes. Located in Parramatta, this National Trust property sits on the site of Australia's first convict land grant, awarded to James Ruse in 1789. His successful experiment in self-sufficient farming helped lay the foundations of Australian agriculture. Visitors step inside a charming Indian-style bungalow, built in the early 1800s by colonial surgeon John Harris, who bought the land from James Ruse in 1793. While the exact construction date is debated, the house remains a significant example of early colonial architecture. Each room is furnished with authentic artefacts and rare pieces from the early 19th century, offering a glimpse into the daily lives of settlers. The property stands on the lands of the Burramatta Dharug people. The experience invites thoughtful reflection on the impacts of colonisation and First Nations resistance and resilience. Guests can enjoy guided tours, hands-on education programs, and seasonal events in a peaceful garden setting. Just a short walk from Parramatta Station, it's an ideal heritage destination for families, school groups and history lovers. Experiment Farm Cottage is part of a wider historic precinct. Nearby attractions include Elizabeth Farm, Hambledon Cottage and Old Government House. Step into Australia's colonial past. Discover where its agricultural story began.

Harris Park NSW

1.5 km away

Rosehill Gardens — Image credit: ATC

Sports and Recreation Facilities

Rosehill Gardens Racecourse

Hosting 25 race meetings annually, this dynamic venue is home to the $10 million Golden Eagle in spring, the iconic $5 million Golden Slipper in autumn as well as a calendar full of immersive experiences. With its sweeping turns and specialist track, Rosehill Gardens delivers one of Australia's most engaging and immersive racing spectacles, welcoming everyone from racing enthusiasts to first-timers. Immaculate gardens surround the specialist track with sweeping turns that make this premier racecourse one of Australia's most picturesque. Corporates, fashion focused, racing enthusiasts and social guests can be seen taking advantage of the many entertainment options that are on offer. Just 22 kilometres west of the CBD, and close to Parramatta CBD and Sydney Olympic Park.

Rosehill NSW

1.5 km away

Elizabeth Farm

Galleries, Museums and Collections

Elizabeth Farm

Commenced in 1793, Elizabeth Farm contains the oldest surviving European building in Australia. Once home to Elizabeth and John Macarthur, pioneers of the Australian wool industry, it is a rare example of an early Australian colonial homestead. It is also one of the most accessible house museums you will ever visit. There are no inhibiting room barriers, so you can wander freely through the house, draw up a chair to a table, read family letters and newspapers, relax on shady verandas or warm up before an open fire and imagine life in the early colony.

Rosehill NSW

1.5 km away

Hambledon Cottage welcomes visitors — Image credit: Trevor Patrick

Galleries, Museums and Collections

John Macarthur's Hambledon Cottage Museum

John Macarthur's Hambledon Cottage Museum is home to the Parramatta and District Historical Society, founded in 1913. Experience the pleasure of yesteryear lifestyle with an interactive guided tour of Hambledon Cottage. Hear Beethoven's music played on the square piano developed in 1836. Discover Australian history researched by Society member guides. Exhibitions in the Lucas Gallery feature the Female Factory convict women and their treatment. Hambledon Cottage is a New South Wales State Heritage-listed historic cottage built in 1824, home to Penelope Lucas, governess to Elizabeth and John Macarthur's daughters. An elegant Georgian cottage filled with authentic nineteenth-century furniture and objects. Australian red cedar four-poster bed in the bedroom. Sandstock bricks, hand-made, laid in English Bond style with mortar strengthened with burnt shells from aboriginal middens can be seen in the kitchen and in the garden are heritage-listed Oaks planted in 1817. The Governor of NSW Professor Marie Bashir planted a new Oak Tree commemorating her years of service to the community. Volunteer guides conduct tours of the rooms of the cottage and garden .

Parramatta NSW

1.6 km away

From horse and lance to armoured fighting vehicles, over 130 years of Australian military history — Image credit: NSW Lancers Memorial Museum

Galleries, Museums and Collections

NSW Lancers Memorial Museum

The museum of Australia's oldest, most decorated Regiment in the mainland's oldest (1820), heritage listed barracks. Trace the evolution of the weaponry, uniforms and equipment of the NSW Cavalry and famed Light Horse - from horses and lances to tanks and modern armoured vehicles. With a retired Lancer as a guide, hear stories of the Regiment's ceremonial duties at home and overseas as Vice-Regal Escort, and of its active service in the Boer War, in WWI as the First Light Horse at Gallipoli and Palestine, and in WWII in New Guinea and Borneo where it mounted what is to this day Australia's largest ever tank attack at Balikpapan. View Australia's finest Boer War collection, including handwritten first known versions of Banjo Patterson war poems; clamber over heritage armoured vehicles, including the world acclaimed WW2 Matilda Tank named ACE, restored to full mobility and WW2 fighting condition. On the last Sunday of every month, at 11 am and again at 2 pm, watch one of their heritage armoured fighting vehicles start its engines and drive around the barracks, then look inside into the world of the "Tankie". Follow this with a discussion with the curator about one of the Museum's "mystery" objects and, possibly, help solve the mystery - altogether a unique experience in Australia.

Parramatta NSW

1.8 km away

Westfield Parramatta

Shopping and Markets

Westfield Parramatta

Westfield Parramatta services one of the largest markets in the country and benefits from the large office workforce employed in Parramatta, giving the centre a separate central business district and dormitory characteristics. The centre is a complete retail, entertainment and lifestyle destination that includes a concourse of restaurants and cafes and an 11-screen Greater Union cinema complex with three Gold Class theatres. A retail concourse joins Westfield Parramatta to the Parramatta Transport Interchange, train station and bus interchange.

Parramatta NSW

1.9 km away

Universal Fitness Parramatta

Sports and Recreation Facilities

Universal Fitness Parramatta

Universal Fitness is a high-end market, five-star offering that provides an exceptional facility and full service for all levels of fitness, unlike any other gym in today’s market. It is a professional premium wellness and fitness training centre, that incorporates the latest trends in today’s industry all under one roof. Their vision is to provide members with a unique fitness and wellness facility while having a strong focus on providing a practical lifestyle to members in an upbeat, friendly, yet adult-oriented atmosphere. They deliver the highest level of personal service and attention to members.

Parramatta NSW

1.9 km away

Old Government House within park setting — Image credit: National Trust NSW

Galleries, Museums and Collections

Old Government House

Take a step back in time and discover Australia's convict beginnings at this UNESCO World Heritage-listed site. Located on Burramatta Dharug Country in Parramatta, Old Government House is the oldest surviving public building in Australia and one of 11 recognised convict sites that tell the story of Australia's convict migration. Wander through the elegant Georgian house, get up close to rare colonial furniture, textiles and homewares, and hear real stories of the first ten Governors of New South Wales. Bring a picnic to enjoy in the surrounding parklands overlooking Parramatta River. Old Government House offers a variety of programs to suit different interests, tours are available for the general public, while larger groups of twenty or more can enjoy exclusive guided tours of the house. Educational programs are available that align with school curriculums while engaging younger visitors in the rich history of the house. The site is easily accessible, with nearby coach parking and convenient drop-off points, all set within the picturesque parramatta park. For those seeking a thrill, monthly ghost nights provide a unique experience in partnership with APPI. A visit to Old Government House offers a rare opportunity to step inside a nationally significant historic site and connect with the stories that helped shape the nation. Book your visit today and explore Australia's early colonial history in the heart of Western Sydney.

Parramatta NSW

1.9 km away

Middle Head Gubbuh-Gubbuh to Georges Head walking track

Natural Attractions

Middle Head Gubbuh-Gubbuh to Georges Head walking track

History buffs and kids alike will delight in this walk, exploring forts and learning about history. Middle Head – Gubbuh Gubbuh to Georges Head walking track seamlessly connects the two headlands. Parking is available at both ends, allowing you to choose your starting point. Keep in mind that it's a 6km walk if you need to retrace your steps to where you started. If you park at Middle Head, follow Governors Road past the 19th-century cottages to the Inner Middle Head Fort. Here you'll find two large gun emplacements sitting atop a tunnel network once used for shelter and ammunition storage. Continue south to Outer Middle Head and explore the maze of gun emplacements, canons, 'tiger cages' and structures dating from the 1800s to 1960s built to protect Sydney from potential invasion. Discover what life was like for the people who trained and worked here. Gain new insights with historic photographs, interpretive signage, and online videos.

Parramatta NSW

2.0 km away

Courtney's Brasserie — Image credit: Parramatta City Council

Shopping and Markets

Parramatta Farmers Market

Every Wednesday, Centenary Square comes alive with the Parramatta Farmers Market. Come early and enjoy breakfast whilst you shop or come later for lunch. The produce on offer will change frequently and includes a variety of fresh fruits, eggs, vegetables, nuts, bread, meat, honey, pastries and flowers sourced from the Sydney basin and regional NSW.

Parramatta NSW

2.0 km away

Pari, Parramatta — Image credit: Destination NSW

Galleries, Museums and Collections

Pari

Pari is an artist-run space where people and communities come together to talk, think, learn and do. They believe that artists play a vital role in processing and reflecting the important issues of the time, so art and artists are always at the core of Pari’s activities. Reflecting the social, the political and the deeply personal, their program draws out ideas that are particular to their location in Western Sydney on unceded Dharug land, and that resonate well beyond the local. Pari’s programming consists of a series of group exhibitions curated by members of the team, chosen from an open call out that occurs once a year. While the team will facilitate the space, what Pari is will be defined by the people who show there, the people who come and look and listen, the conversations that happen, the things that get said and thought and reconsidered.

Parramatta NSW

2.2 km away

Powerhouse Parramatta

Galleries, Museums and Collections

Powerhouse Parramatta

With its striking steel-lattice exoskeleton and mega-sized 18,000 sqm of exhibition space, Powerhouse Parramatta will be Sydney's largest museum when it opens in November 2026. It's also the biggest cultural landmark to emerge in NSW since the Sydney Opera House. This Western Sydney institution will launch with Task Eternal, an ambitious two-year-long exhibition exploring gravity-defying innovation, aviation and space travel. Standout pieces include a new perception-dazzling work by James Turrell (whose art is inspired by the 12,000+ hours he's spent navigating the skies as a pilot) and a major installation by Yolŋu artist Naminapu Maymuru-White, which evokes a river of stars and draws on Yolŋu cosmology. Powerhouse Parramatta's opening will also feature a spellbinding mirror maze and other installations by British artist Es Devlin, a First Nations exhibition exploring Water Country throughout NSW (thanks to films by director and Kamilaroi man Ivan Sen) and a children's exhibition called The Dark (where kids can encounter a crystal tunnel and encounter objects that Western Sydney children have loaned the museum). Make sure to head to the rooftop where you can marvel at the CBD skyline and the garden flourishing with Indigenous ingredients. Visitors can also dine at the ground-floor restaurant, which has a serene view of Parramatta River.

Parramatta NSW

2.3 km away

Parramatta Park — Image credit: Parramatta Park Trust

Historical Sites and Heritage Locations

Parramatta Park

World Heritage Listed Parramatta Park is a must see for visitors to Sydney. Colonists, convict and free, were first successful in growing sufficient food to feed themselves here. The park was too attractive to be reserved for cropping for long and was used by successive Governors as respite from the stresses of running a very large open-air prison. Following a determined public campaign, the area was gazetted a People's Park in 1858. Ever since then the parklands have been Parramatta's backyard! There are two fun playgrounds and children can ride safely on the sealed off-road area. Tucked in beside the Macquarie Street entrance is a large formal rose garden which contains a rare collection of unique roses. History enthusiasts will want to take the curator's tour of the convict built, 18th century dairy building. Check out the park's web site for booking information and other events and festivals.

Parramatta NSW

2.3 km away

George Street and Macquarie Street Gatehouses edit — Image credit: Brett Hemmings

Landmarks and Buildings

George Street and Macquarie Street Gatehouses

The Macquarie and George Street gatehouses were built to welcome people to Parramatta Park. The six gatehouses at Parramatta Park's entrances – on George Street, Ross Street, Park Road, Macquarie Street, Great Western Highway at Mays Hill and Queens Road – date from the 1870s. The Tudor-style George Street Gatehouse and the Gothic-style Macquarie Street Gatehouse are the grand entrances to Parramatta Park. The George Street Gatehouse was built on the site of Governor Macquarie's small stone lodge in 1885 and is now a local landmark. Today, these grand entrances have become a place for you to visit. The pop-up café - Good George by Circa offers takeaway food and drinks from the George Street Gatehouse.

Parramatta NSW

2.4 km away

Paperbark Playground — Image credit: Parramatta Park Trust

Parks and Gardens

Paperbark Playground

The Paperbark Playground in Parramatta Park interprets the cultural significance of Parramatta Park, while providing an inclusive and exciting play space for all. Paperbark Playground is an inclusive playground in the historic Gardens Precinct near the George Street Gatehouse. Ideal for children and toddlers, the playground features the latest in innovative playground equipment as well as traditional favourites like swings and a carousel. This can all be enjoyed by kids with varied mobility, including wheelchair users. Discover the centrepiece- the 'explorer dome', a huge maze made of nets, ropes, ladders and tubes for older children to climb through and balance on. Softfall pavements cover the playground floor and there's plenty of seats for parents and carers. You'll also get to learn more about the park's heritage, as the playground sits within the World Heritage-listed area of the park and near the sites where Aboriginal artefacts were recorded dating back almost 40,000 years. Kids can take shelter in geometric hut structures that take the form of early convict cottages, neutral colours are sympathetic to the surroundings and people of all ages and abilities are encouraged to enjoy the space, through unobtrusive structures with simple forms and materials.

Parramatta NSW

2.5 km away

David Lennox Blue Plaque — Image credit: Heritage NSW

Historical Sites and Heritage Locations

David Lennox Blue Plaque

Visitors can discover the stories behind the people, places and events that have helped shape NSW - where the history happened. A Blue Plaque visit offers more than sightseeing. It creates a direct connection between place and story, turning everyday locations into places of discovery. Each plaque reveals a unique piece of history, encouraging visitors to explore local areas from a new perspective and uncover stories they may never have known. This blue plaque commemorates David Lennox who was a renowned bridge builder and master stonemason who designed and oversaw the construction of the iconic sandstone Lennox Bridge in Parramatta in the late 1830s. Visit the blue plaque on Lennox Bridge, 340–330 Church St, Parramatta NSW 2150.

Parramatta NSW

2.5 km away

Riverside Theatre Parramatta

Entertainment Venues

Riverside Theatre Parramatta

Riverside Theatres is Western Sydney's premier performing arts centre. With over 1,000 events per year, Riverside offers something for young and old. Located on the banks of the Parramatta River, Riverside Theatres is nestled in the midst of the Church Street Restaurant precinct. A Bicentennial Project, Riverside Theatres opened in 1988 offering three venues under the one roof. The Rafferty's Theatre, the most intimate space seats around 100 people and suits small corporate events, seminars, stand up comedy acts, small scale productions, or even an exhibition. The Lennox Theatre is a flexible space seating approximately 220 people. The largest theatre, the Riverside Theatre, can house up to 761 patrons with comfortable, plush seating in a conventional proscenium arch stage with orchestra pit and fly tower. Larger scale productions including international acts are often seen on the Riverside stage including Shakespeare, comedy, drama, ballet, contemporary dance and musicals.

Parramatta NSW

2.6 km away

Observatory Transit Stones — Image credit: Brett Hemmings

Landmarks and Buildings

Observatory Transit Stones

Parramatta Observatory was the first site of the extensive cataloguing of southern skies in the European astronomical scientific tradition. It was built in 1822 and included transit stones – which originally supported a transit telescope – as the meridian mark for explorer Thomas Mitchell's first trigonometric survey of Australia in 1828. The observatory building fell into ruin and was demolished in 1848, with only the transit stones remaining. The adjacent stone obelisk, placed in 1880, indicates the position of the transit telescope. You'll find the obelisk and transit stones between Railway Parade and Governor Macquarie's Carriage Drive.

Parramatta NSW

2.6 km away

The Crescent — Image credit: Brett Hemmings

Landmarks and Buildings

The Crescent

Take in spectacular views of Parramatta River from this ancient natural amphitheatre, and learn about the cultural significance of The Crescent. Parramatta River has wound through this landscape for thousands of years, transforming the landscape to create Sydney Harbour and its tributaries within an ancient drowned river valley. One of the best places to view this ancient waterway is from The Crescent, a natural amphitheatre formed by a small billabong on the bank of the river. This area was inhabited by Aboriginal people dating back thousands of generations, making it one of the earliest cultural sites in the Sydney Basin. The Crescent offers a vantage point from which to view the Old Kings School, Brislington House and the spires of St Patrick's and St John's cathedrals – as well as the river. As a spectacular outdoor amphitheatre, you might find yourself enjoying the many concerts and major events throughout the year, such as Sydney Festival's Symphony Under the Stars.

Parramatta NSW

2.7 km away

Boer War Memorial — Image credit: Brett Hemmings

Landmarks and Buildings

Boer War Memorial

A local connection for the Boer War and Parramatta in 'The People's Park'. The Boer War Memorial was erected in 1904. It's one of comparatively few such memorials and is important because the first Australian troops to arrive in Africa in 1899 came from the Lancer Barracks in Parramatta. The 100 Lancers from the nearby districts who took part in the Boer War were representing Australia, as distinct to Britain, in what was the nation's first overseas military engagement. The memorial has its Doric columns and entablature (the architrave, frieze, and cornice) blocks recycled from the Parramatta Courthouse built in 1837. The gun placed on top was purchased by NSW in 1856 as part of the defence of Port Jackson. You'll find the memorial in a prominent position on the ridgeline, where it serves as a landmark when viewed from outside the park boundaries.

Parramatta NSW

2.7 km away

Moroccan Hammam — Image credit: Moroccan Hammam Sydney

Spas and Retreats

Moroccan Hammam

You’ll feel transported to the medina of Marrakesh stepping into Morroccan Hammam in Parramatta, an authentic women’s only bathhouse. Set inside a traditionally decorated space, the Deluxe Hammam experience begins with a body soak in hot water and Moroccan beldi (black) soap. You’ll then receive a body exfoliation, followed by a rinse to cleanse and refresh your skin. Next is a nourishing clay body mask, infused with detoxifying coffee and argan oil, and the experience concludes with a final wash using organic soap. Upgrade with extra foot scrubs, hair masks, massages, and tea and sweets to finish. There are also a series of other packages that can be booked, depending on your preferences.

Parramatta NSW

2.9 km away

Burramatta Landscape Trail — Image credit: Parramatta Park Trust

Natural Attractions

Burramatta Landscape Trail

Take a walk through the Burramatta Landscape Trail, along the eastern bank of Domain Creek in Parramatta Park. You'll see 40,000 years of traditional land management and seed collection practices in action thanks to an Aboriginal cultural planting program that restored the trail. Use the interpretative signage on the trail to gain a deeper understanding of the importance of this land and the connection between flora and fauna that for centuries provided Aboriginal people with food, medicine, resources and knowledge. By sharing stories about how to care for Nura, traditional knowledge is revitalised and shared. Some of the restoration activities included a day of planting using wooden dibblers (sticks) to make small planting holes and avoid damage to the archaeological subsurface layer beneath the soil. Aboriginal volunteers planted hundreds of Midyini (yam daisies), chocolate lilies and vanilla lilies - a staple part of the Darug/Dharug diet across the Cumberland Plain.

Parramatta NSW

2.9 km away

Little Coogee — Image credit: Brett Hemmings

Natural Attractions

Little Coogee

Take in Parramatta's natural swimming pool between 1880s until the 1950s - Little Coogee. Little Coogee, on the banks of the Parramatta River, was a swimming and picnic spot as far back as the 1880s. With change rooms for men and women on opposite banks of the river, and a lifeguard, it was a popular place to while away a sunny summer's day. The inaugural lifesaving carnival in Parramatta Park was held in this spot in 1912 by members of the Coogee Life Saving Club, which is how Little Coogee got its name. Today, it's a pleasant spot for a walk by the river- access it from Button's Bridge.

Parramatta NSW

3.1 km away

The Dairy and Rangers Cottage — Image credit: Parramatta Park Trust - Jamie Williams

Landmarks and Buildings

The Dairy and Rangers Cottage

Explore one of Australia's oldest colonial sites at The Dairy and Rangers Cottage - one of the 11 Australian Convict Sites listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Register. The Dairy Cottage was constructed between 1796 and 1805, making it one of Australia's oldest surviving, intact cottages. It was later converted to a dairy, with a pavilion on either side, one of which still houses a cellar beneath the Rangers Cottage (built around 1870) Known as the Dairy Precinct, the Dairy Cottage and the Rangers Cottage form part of Parramatta Park's UNESCO World Heritage-listed area. It is rare to find such an intact building as the Dairy Cottage, which has remained substantially unchanged since 1820. It allows you to understand the techniques and materials used by early European settlers. You can explore the Dairy Precinct grounds and gardens for free or take a paid guided tour with Parramatta Heritage and Visitor Information Centre to delve deeper into Australia's multi-layered colonial history.

Parramatta NSW

3.1 km away

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