Art Gallery of New South Wales

The Art Gallery of New South Wales, in The Domain, Sydney, is the most important public gallery in Sydney and one of the largest in Australia. It displays Australian art (including Indigenous Australian art), European and Asian art. Admission is free to the general exhibition space.

Don't miss

• Australian art including Indigenous Australian art
• European and Asian art collections
• Dedicated Asian Gallery (opened 2003)
• Yiribana Gallery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art (opened 1994)
• 19th-century Grand Courts (refurbished 2009)
• Contemporary galleries including the John Kaldor Family Gallery (opened 2011)

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Art Gallery of New South Wales

Cheapest way inAustralian National Maritime Museum Entry Ticket - See It All4.6★ · 155 travelers1-4 hoursFree cancellationFrom$25 per personSee dates →Most bookedSydney Opera House Official Guided Walking Tour4.7★ · 4,135 travelers~1 hourFree cancellationFrom$36 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleThe 3 Bridges Harley Tour - see the main iconic bridges of Sydney on a Harley5★ · 46 travelers~1 hourFree cancellationFrom$99 per personSee dates →

Know before you go

• Admission is free to the general exhibition space.
• The gallery is in The Domain, a short walk from the city centre and near the Royal Botanic Gardens.
• On sunny days, a long sleeved shirt, sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat are advisable for walking around Sydney.

A bit of history

The gallery was founded as the New South Wales Academy of Art in 1872. Its first public exhibition opened in 1874. The collection was first housed at Clark's Assembly Hall, then moved to a wooden annexe to the Garden Palace in 1879, officially opening as the Art Gallery of New South Wales on 22 September 1880. The Garden Palace was destroyed by fire in 1882, prompting a permanent home. Architect Walter Liberty Vernon designed the new building, with two picture galleries opening in 1897 and two more in 1899. The gallery was known as the National Art Gallery of New South Wales between 1883 and 1958. Major extensions doubled floor space in 1988. In 2003 a dedicated Asian Gallery opened. The Sydney Modern project, a major expansion, was proposed in 2013.