Had this art gallery on my list of must do's when visiting Sydney. For starter's its free to visit! They have so many great exhibit's and easy to get here. Located in the middle of the city, within walking distance. You are allowed to take photos here, avoid the flash. Came here to see their amazing European art collection. Claude Monet's Port Goulphar 1887, beautiful color with detailed brushstrokes. One of my favorite paintings. Vincent Van Gogh's hand of a peasant 1884 was great, lot's of people checking this one out. Another must see was Pablo Picasso's reclining women on a couch 1939. You can get lost in his paintings. I made sure to take time to walk through the Australian art section. I enjoyed seeing the paintings on the animal hides and showcasing so much history. Lot's of talented local artists. read more

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Love visiting this place. I walk up through the Botanical Gardens envying nature's beauty then into the art gallery. This trip was to view the 2018 Archibald Prize. The talent was amazing. I loved the diversity of the work. The building has the beautiful old facade them you are into a modern building. read more

I absolutely love this place! It's definitely one of my favorite museums of all time. There is just so much art here and of all styles and periods. The great thing? It's all free! As I was going through all the rooms, I couldn't believe that there is no fee. It reminded me of the art gallery in chicago, but so much better and way less strict. There is so much to see here. I really enjoyed the visit here and my sister was really happy that we added this into our itinerary as well. We were able to appreciate local artists as well. It's definitely great exposure for tourists like us. If I lived here, I definitely would venture here a lot. The art is so grand and impressive. I'll definitely be back! read more

Café at the Gallery - Art Museums Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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What a beautiful gallery and it's free! While they gallery definitely had some of the big name artists, I was interested in their commitment to modern Australian artists and got to see some works by people I didn't know so that was exciting. The building is a beautiful airy space with lots of room to roam. It seemed to have a couple of different spots to have a snack or a meal which is nice. While I was there the special exhibits included Lady & the Unicorn & a Robert Maplethorpe (for an extra fee) and ArtExpress which was student pieces. I LOVED the student art work, such innovative ideas and concepts. Be prepared to check your bag. From what I saw on other patrons, shoes were optional, but my feet would have been cold + ewww. read more

I can't believe the regular exhibitions are free! There are also free guided tours pretty much every hour. Great activity for a rainy day in Sydney. The various galleries will take you about 2 hours to browse through, or 3 if you're inclined to learn more. We did a highlights of the collection tour, which was very informative and covered a dozen or so key pieces in chronological order. Highly recommend! read more

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Pretty nice art gallery here. I really enjoyed the Asian exhibit here. It's in the middle of the city and surrounded by great green space so make a day in and around here! read more

I could be in here all damn day. I pretty much was. Free entrance, free bag and coat check, free tours, free WiFi, and the weirdest, coolest, most historical art this side of the continent. Everything from Van Gogh and Picasso and Cezanne to the most obscure Aboriginal carvings and paintings and jewelry. Totally my favorite museum thus far in Sydney. I can sincerely say that if you're visiting and not coming here, you're missing out on a lovely experience, even if you're not a museum nerd like me. read more

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Even though entry is free, there is still so much to see here! You can check in your bags, use the free wifi, and catch a free tour as well. There's a lot of interesting art to see and if you're really into it then I can imagine some people spending a few hours here. There are multiple floors, each with many things to see. There's also a cafe inside. I wasn't a fan of the contemporary art, but the rest was pretty cool. Good place to stop by and admire history for an hour or two. read more

Café at the Gallery - Front entrance - Art Museums Near Me - Sydney, NSW

Definitely a European feel in Sydney, and right across the domain and so near the botanical gardens. The Sydney town planners have nailed the location for their states art gallery. The moment you walk in (there is an abundance of free exhibitions available, otherwise the odd paid for one is great too) you feel like luxury awaits. That feeling of prosperity and opulences comes to you if you think that way. It is only as you get older (resonates more with older people) that you appreciate this gallery space, and want to hang out here for as long as possible. Even sit here and have a baguette and a cappuccino for lunch. That's the vibe here. 19th century and asian art belongs here. No arguments there. I so did not appreciate this space on high school excursions where I literally saw the gallery in 10 minutes much to the disappointment of my art teacher at the time who literally spent 30 minutes per image appreciating the aesthetics and beauty of it. The annual Art Express exhibition showcasing the top HSC artworks across the state gives the gallery a more trendy, contemporary feel which easily draws more people under 40 into this dynamic art space. read more

Café at the Gallery - Art Museums Near Me - Sydney, NSW

Sydney's art gallery, like many, has gone the route of "free to play", meaning admission is free but you have to pay to see the special rotating exhibition. I was fine looking through their permanent collection. The location is nice, and the crowds substantial. They have a level of Aboriginal art, art which I have to say I find rather baffling. If nothing else, it'll help you appreciate how culture shapes your perceptions. I must say that as a relatively non-partisan viewer, I found their collection less impressive than the Queensland galleries in Brisbane, but maybe that's just me. read more

Yep, it's got lots of art, and most of it is free to look at. It's a pretty grand building. Everything is appropriately housed: the classical art is in the old worn wood halls, and the modern art is in the industrial contemporary rooms. Whether you like what they have on display (some you will, some you won't) is entirely a matter of taste. This is, after all, art. One weekend afternoon when I was here (a Sunday, I think) there was a concert of classical pieces being put on by young people in the older class art section. It felt very cultured. read more

Café at the Gallery - Today will be culture day. - Art Museums Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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Amazing museum and it is free! This museum contains a ton of different types of galleries. When I visited, there was Asian art, Australian artwork, Aboriginal, Contemporary, and a special exhibit. There are four different floors. The lowest consists of the Contemporary arts exhibit, which was fascinating. I'm not the biggest Contemporary arts fan (and lack the background to completely understand it), but I enjoyed this exhibit more than the actual Contemporary Arts Museum in Sydney. I really enjoyed seeing the artwork done by Australian artists. It really exuded Australian pride and was different than what is exhibited in other museums. The special exhibit had a lot of video art, which was interesting to see. There is a cafe and a restaurant in the building. We ate at the cafe, which got really full at 1 p.m. (almost didn't find a seat). I got the Penne with Spinach and Semi dried tomatoes and it was really good. It was a really big portion size. I called it American sized. Also, take advantage of the free bag/coat check. I saw tons of people carrying their umbrellas, but why bother when you can check it. This is a must see if you are in Sydney. read more

This art gallery is a really cool place to go through! They have extensive galleries that are free to go through. Really cool Aboriginal art, modern art, and classical art. A really nice place to go on a hot day! read more

Café at the Gallery - Art Museums Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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Parking is very limited in this area. The museum is free and pretty interesting. We spent about two hours in this place and we had a blast. We would have stayed longer but we had another appointment. They have all types of work exhibits here and there is something for everyone. read more

Originally when I first visited the AGNSW, I wasn't a big fan, due to the atmosphere inside the buildings. I'm still not a fan of the hollow concrete block ceiling. However, it's grown on me over the years. I've attended many of the paid and free exhibits, and recently have enjoyed coming here to re-wander through the free permanent collections of 19th and 20th century art. It's actually a nice spot to relax during the afternoon, in one of the quieter galleries where lounges are tucked away in different locations, it's just a pity it's not that close to most of the city. read more

Café at the Gallery - The recent acquisition of Matisse's Jazz work - Art Museums Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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My husband & I were walking around the Botanical Gardens and noticed that we were close to the Art Gallery, and that it was opening soon. So, we decided to check it out. We got there a few minutes before it opened and hung outside with the growing crowd. Once it opened, everyone calmly entered and spread out. We were excited that it was free admission and I was impressed with how large and beautiful a space it is. We immediately went downstairs and made our way up. The contemporary art was a bit too avant-garde for my taste (lots of "dead body" sculptures), but I LOVED the Aborigine works on the main floor. This was also one of the few places in all of Sydney that has free wi-fi! That was a huge plus. read more

Always a GREAT place to visit on a rainy day. The food is 'ok', but the art is superb with some great masters on exhibition. read more

Really disappointing meal at your cafe today. Pathetically poor food at a laughably high cost. Your cafe used to be quite good. read more

Words cannot describe the beauty of this place! This place holds more traditional art but every room was a treat! The contemporary art side was really cool. I cannot say enough about this Art Gallery! Exquisite art and sculptures! I could almost live in a place like that! If you come to Sydney this should be on the must see list! read more

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The Art Galley is great to get your culture on. We went this time to the Archibald prize / the line was huge, so buy online (which is what I did whilst in the line). Great art on display, well organised. Exhibitions cost $18 but the general galley is free. There's a cafe there, chiswick restaurant (with a special deal for the archibald) and a gift shop. For easy access, park in the domain car park. read more

Café at the Gallery - Art Museums Near Me - Sydney, NSW

An excellent museum, and not what I was expecting at all. The permanent collection is free! as all museums should be. There's a ton of world class art here, and very little of it from NSW or even from Australia. Lots of European masters, Reubens, Rodin, Picasso, Pissaro, Monet, Van Gogh to name a few. Some incredible sculptures, lots of classical portraits of dead rich people, several giant canvases of battle scenes. On the lower levels there is an extensive modern art collection, and even further down there is a decent aboriginal art exhibit. There's also an excellent section on Buddhist and Hindu sculpture from around Asia, from Pakistan to the Phillipines. Also lots of pottery from ancient China, and samurai swords from Japan, in a pretty good collection of Chinese and Japanese art. There are some Papuan masks as well, although not that many. When I was there, there was an incredible Picasso exhibit - all the best works from the National Picasso Museum in Paris, which are on loan to the AGNSW while the Picasso museum is being renovated. They charge $25 for the Picasso exhibit and you have to get a ticket for a specific time. I used my Canadian student card to get in for $18, and it wasn't very busy on a Wednesday evening, so I was able to get in right away. *** There be ranting here *** The only thing that's bad about the AGNSW are the people. Apparently there are these things called "mobile phones" in Australia and you can use them to call anyone in the world, anywhere you may be, at any time. And what better place to make these calls than in an art gallery?? One guy was using his $25 Picasso ticket to yak to his girlfriend about what they were going to have for dinner. Also, a lot of people snapping A LOT of photos, and many guards shouting at people not to use flash. Look, it's ON DISPLAY. You don't need to take a picture of it. The level of recursion here makes my brain want to explode. Someone ought to take some pictures of the people taking pictures of the pictures. I also came across people TOUCHING THE 200-YEAR-OLD SCULPTURES. I was stunned, and by the time I had worked up enough indignation to yell at them, they were gone. And anyways I don't work at the museum, so who am I to yell at them except someone who knows that YOU DON'T TOUCH 200-YEAR OLD SCULPTURES. Argh. On the cafeteria level there was a very drunk, very shabbily dressed guy in his late 30s haranguing a group of 20-something girls who didn't speak English very well and had no idea what he was going on about. Some random guy was trying to escort him away while museum guards, who very reasonably are not trained to handle drunk art gallery patrons, looked on. I hope that kind of thing doesn't happen often. **** Anyways, great museum, full of excellent art and a few entertaining/frustratingly insane museum-goers. Worth spending an afternoon there. read more

Solid collection of European art, thoroughly enjoyed the ground floor halls. Gallery cafe on the 1st floor features pretty views of Sydney Harbour. Gorgeous grounds, located off the Domaine and near the Royal Botanic Gardens. read more

I was really pleasantly surprised to see the gallery packed on a Wednesday evening during their late opening hours. Had an enjoyable walk through the large, bright lit and spacious gallery. The place is pretty big. I'd recommend at least 2 if not 3 visits to have enough time to stop and enjoy everything. read more

This gallery will be the death of me. Sure the artworks are ok, but the tours?! The other day I went on a school excursion to the gallery and we looked at 3 paintings in 2.5 hours. My legs were numb and I couldn't feel my backside because we were sitting on the cold stone ground the entire time. We came to the gallery to see the Archibald prize, but we only got to look at it for 15 minutes, a waste of time because there were so many people and such little room. Yes I'm not a fan of art, but I was actually looking forward to seeing the Archibald prize. Can you blame me for being a teensy bit mad?? read more

Now in the very expensive city called Sydney, it's quite welcome to discover something that's free. Yep, free. The only asterisk is that their special exhibits are not free. Their main collection is in a perfectly pleasant space. It's respectable, but definitely not in the same league as any museum in a European capital, NYC, etc. They've got a mix of standard European fare (with a few good pieces) and a nice collection of local work. When I was there, they had a fantastic special exhibit on Pop Art, although it was pretty far from free (more like $20/person). Even though it was in a basement space, I loved seeing the Pop Art artists I knew and liked already (Warhol, Liechtenstein, etc..) combined with a number of Australian artists I'd never heard of...some of whom had fascinating works. It's not out of the way if you're doing the standard tourist stroll through the Botanical Garden and by the Opera House, and as in our case, it was definitely a very good rainy day option. Definitely check what's on for the special exhibit, as I don't know that I would make a very big detour for their permanent collection. read more

The gallery always has a great mix of exhibitions running to make your experience smooth and enlightening. I recently went to the Archibald and Frida exhibit, both had been curated beautifully giving each work it's own showcase. It's nice to see the gallery getting busier and supporting more local artists as well. read more

You must visit here. I've been to various museums around the world this year, but the art here impacted me the most. And it was free! This museum has a certain hip factor which is balanced w/ great collections from Australia and Buddhist and Asian art. Some of the placards were lacking in the lower level (modern?), which made one room of many a tad too mysterious, but were generally informative. I also adored the (much smaller) contemporary museum near the circular quay station. The lowest floor was my favorite. This place has one of the best compilations. read more

I love this place. Great location, great exhibits, and lots of free events. Admission is free to the main galleries and I can happily spend an afternoon here any day. The Asian art is very good; they have a nice selection of Buddhas and other artifacts from the Far East. read more

Well, this seems to be the place where it all happens in the world of Australian Art. I note that Justine as made a comment that the older one gets, the more appreciative one becomes of Art Gallery space, and I have to say that I couldn't agree more. This is the second time that I have visited the Art Gallery, and that second time I realised that I really need to give myself a lot more time to truly appreciate this space. The European space is by far and away my favourite area, though I also note that there is a decent amount of Australian art here as well. In fact this is where the major Australian art competitions are held, and the candidates place their works for display. When I was last here they had the Archibald Prize (and another that I can't remember), though since you had to pay to enter the exhibit, I decided to stick with the European section (which is more than enough to keep me happy). I've really got to spend more time here the next time I go to Sydney. read more

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Lovely venue. Have come here multiple times over the last couple of decades and love the ever changing nature of events and art pieces. Highly recommended for both their free stuff and the paid venue, plus they have a nice couple of eating places onsite as well. read more

Since we had come to Sydney for an art + food tour, we had to visit the Art Gallery Of NSW first. We came here on a Sunday, so it was quite busy (which is a good thing to see!). I didn't know what to expect, since a lot of my favourites were in storage (always the way!). But I was very impressed with the amount of modern Australian art on display - quite a bit of Grace Cossington Smith, Margaret Preston, Grace Crowley, etc. Great to see these female artists getting the recognition they deserve! We came here when the 20th Biennale Of Sydney was on, which was fantastic. One of the highlights was the amazing Fiona Hall installation, with body parts knitted out of video tapes. The video tapes themselves were all movies glorifying war ... beautiful and disturbing at the same time. There is a certain energy about this gallery - I can imagine there are new exhibitions quite often that generate a certain excitement. I was also pleased to see Ben Quilty's 'Fairy Bower Rorschach' from 2012 ... though being a Sydney boy, I think there should have been more of Quilty's work on display! read more

Love the AGNSW and some of the current pairings: Quilty's Margaret Olley next to Dobell's for example. Kaldor's 'this is so contemporary' dance piece I did not like. At all. That said, as much as I didn't like it, I wasn't one of the poor staffmembers hearing the refrain again, again and again. read more

Solid, the Head of a Pheasant by Van Gogh was my favorite. Also loved one of the picassos and the San Marco piazzo who I forget who painted. read more

Café at the Gallery - 1 van gogh, 2 picassos. - Art Museums Near Me - Sydney, NSW

This place is located near one of my favourite places in Sydney (Mrs Macquarie's Chair), and also one of the most pleasant surprises in this awesome city. I had some low expectations for museums in a city like Sydney, but I decided to walk inside on a whim. The art collections here are impressive and the paintings are beautiful, especially the Australian paintings. They also have a pretty good collection of nice European paintings, that gave me the feeling that I was not in an art gallery in Australia, but somewhere in a sophisticated old city. The modern art inside and the gallery itself also gave this nice vibe that I felt like I was in the 21st century. Probably the best thing about this place is that the admission is free, so no need to buy any tickets to go inside the main exhibition. It's at a great location near the Royal Botanic Gardens. Overall, if you are looking for a place during the day to keep yourself preoccupied and if the weather is actually not that great in Sydney, then this place is an excellent choice. read more

Okay, museum. Good to pass time if your in the area, it's free so why not. They didn't have anything I was super interested in. Not a whole lot of exhibitions. And it seemed quite empty.. But maybe that's just me comparing it to amazing museums in New York, Paris, London, and Milan. If they have a cool exhibition I would go back. read more

So awesome! First time I came I went into the European art section and I thought that was it. I spent like over an hour in there and thought that was the whole gallery - nope that was about 10% of it! It has such a great variety and the building is beautiful. And to bring them over the top, they have free tours at set times. The people that lead the tours are so articulate, knowledgeable, concise and enthusiastic. I HIGHLY recommend this, and be engaged - they respond well to it. read more

I had an excellent time looking at the art during a rainy Sydney afternoon. The majority of art on display was free to view. I especially liked the contemporary art sections. read more

Café at the Gallery - Some cool art - Art Museums Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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Okay maybe I went to the cafe on the wrong night, because the entertainment was a cause for concern. I mean what a contrast, here I am in the big, bold building the anitpodes of the art world and in the badly designed cafe downstairs there are stage musical singers banging out their numbers. I think a lounge style, jazz or classical entertainment would have been more suited to my tastes, we really had to struggle to speak over the top of the shrill coming off the singers voice. Anyway I had Orange and Hazelnut cake, it was very moist and a nice small piece so I didn't get sick, but I didn't like the furniture and I didn't like the interaction between the cafe and the gallery. It seems they were torn between 2 ideas for the cafe and didn't really achieve a happy medium, but I think for a quick refreshment it's ok, although there are more hearty meals on the menu. We did catch a free screening of an old German film "Metropolis" by Fritz Lang and heard David Stratton, film critic give a talk on the German Expressionism movement. The Gallery can be a welcoming place and does offer much in the way of artistic pride to Australians. read more

Café at the Gallery - Art Museums Near Me - Sydney, NSW

The Art Gallery of NSW is one of the most significant art museums in Australia. They have permanent galleries and rotating exhibitions from their collection. General admission to these parts of the gallery are free. The Art Gallery of NSW also showcases some travelling exhibitions which helps to keep the content fresh and exciting. At present the Picasso exhibition is on display. You are able to visit by booking a time and day through the website. Tickets cost between $15-25. It is running until March 2012 and I would highly recommend people to visit it as it displays 150 paintings from Picasso's personal collection. Take your friends or family and enjoy a day of art and culture. read more

I mean this museum was descent. It wasn't one of those things to rave on and on about, but it had a decent amount of interesting art, specifically the ones from Australian artists. If I lived in Sydney, I'd def make it a point to come here more, since I do love museums and I'd say this is a good one, however if you only have a very short time in Sydney, there are sooooo many other things to see... and I wouldn't say that this museum is in particular that much better than many of the museums in the states .. so although I appreciate it and think the Australian art part of the museum is worth checking out on a visit to Sydney if you appreciate art ... I wouldn't say you have to go or your missing out on a big part of Sydney.. if that makes sense... it is a free museum though, so there's no harm in stopping by there and formulating your own opinion and taking in a little bit of art read more