Powerhouse Castle Hill

Powerhouse Castle Hill is a museum site and collection facility on Dharug land, open on weekends from 10am to 4pm. It houses the Powerhouse Collection, more than half a million objects of national and international significance, bringing the museum’s extensive holdings together in one location for the first time in its 140-year history.

Visitors can see selected collection displays and named presentations including Locomotive No. 1, Fibro Majestic and Clement Meadmore furniture. The site also hosts Collection Highlights Tours, Collection Conversations, group talks and lace-making sessions, with additional programs scheduled during the school holidays. These provide different ways to explore the objects and the stories connected to them, whether you are visiting independently, with a group or as a family.

The setting is purpose-built rather than a traditional gallery alone. Building J, which opened in 2024, includes a large presentation space, a climate-controlled collection store, a conservation lab, research workspaces and photography studios. Behind the public displays, the Castle Hill team supports the Powerhouse’s curatorial, research, conservation, registration, logistics and digitisation work. It is a useful destination for visitors interested in design, technology, history and the practical work involved in caring for museum collections, with a programme that extends beyond exhibitions.