Last week I visited the Powerhouse Museum with my inlaws, nephew and my son. The only question I have in my mind from the trip is trying to work out who had more fun. I am still not sure.
The Powerhouse Museum is located in Darling Harbour, Sydney. Its unique and diverse collection of 385,000 objects spans history, science, technology, design, industry, decorative arts, music, transport and space exploration. The Museum has an ever-changing program of exhibitions covering approximately 20,000 square metres. It presents 22 permanent exhibitions and several temporary exhibitions, complemented by more than 250 interactives.
The museum has something for everyone … and this includes little people. A visit to the powerhouse museum would not be complete without visiting Zoe’s House. Zoe’s House is An internationally renowned interactive playspace for 3-6 year olds (however smaller kids can play with parent’s close supervision). What is Zoe’s House? It is an unfinished house surrounded by tools for little builders – a crane, conveyor belt, rubble chute, rail network, wheel barrows, lifts, even hard hats and jackets. Kids can roll up their sleeves and get to playing with the toy bricks and work together to build Zoe’s House. It is very easy for time to just pass very quickly when they are playing here.
Another activity is the MBF Magic Garden. Here children learn about healthy eating and healthy activity and have fun within this self-contained interactive unit. The Magic Garden is an imaginative environment, developed in consultation with health experts, where 2-8 year olds can play among pumpkins and mushrooms, chase fish in a digital pond or catch butterflies at the garden gate.
For bigger kids there is the Cog’s playground. This outdoor climbing euipment is just perfect for older kids to play on while Mum has a rest and a cup of coffee/tea at the cafe.
For the grown-ups there are some really interesting tempory exhibitions on at the moment including the Star Wars and Modern Times exhibits. Star Wars costs extra … unless you are a member.
One of the best things I did on the day was to purchase a Family Membership. Membership IMHO is very cheap and offers many benefits. We bought the Standard Household membership that covers two adults and all students up to 18 at the same address and costs $105.
This membership entitles you to
- Free general entry to the Powerhouse Museum and limited special exhibitions (this includes Star Wars … that normally costs $25 for a single adult to visit)
- Free day entry to Sydney Observatory, including the 3D space theatre
- Discounted night viewings at Sydney Observatory. Bookings essential
- Free entry for Public Open Days and discounted entry for Booked Group Visits at the Powerhouse Discovery Centre, Castle Hill
- Six free general entry guest passes for the Powerhouse Museum
- Reciprocal benefits to many related museums nationally
Since buying the membership we have visited twice and I am sure we will visit many times throughout the year.
