About Australian National Maritime Museum
The Australian National Maritime Museum is a national cultural institution located on the waterfront at Darling Harbour in Sydney, New South Wales. Opened in 1991, it explores Australia's maritime history and connection to the sea through extensive permanent and temporary exhibitions. Notable for its fleet of historic vessels moored on the harbour, including naval ships and a replica of Cook's HMB Endeavour, it is one of Sydney's major waterfront museums.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect a large waterfront museum complex with indoor galleries and outdoor wharves on Darling Harbour. Inside are permanent exhibitions on Indigenous watercraft, navigation, immigration and naval history, plus temporary exhibitions. Outside, visitors can board historic vessels moored alongside the museum including the destroyer HMAS Vampire, submarine HMAS Onslow and replica HMB Endeavour. The site includes viewing decks over the harbour, a museum shop and cafe, and guided vessel tours.
Key highlights
- 01
Fleet of historic vessels moored on Darling Harbour including HMAS Vampire, HMAS Onslow and HMAS Advance
- 02
Full-scale replica of Captain James Cook's HMB Endeavour
- 03
Permanent galleries covering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander maritime heritage, migration and naval history