Powerhouse Ultimo

The story

Located on Gadigal land, this museum grew out of the Sydney International Exhibition of 1879–1880. It moved from the Garden Palace in the Botanic Gardens to Agricultural Hall in the Domain, then to the Technological Museum on Harris Street, before settling in the former Ultimo powerhouse. A revitalisation now underway will add expanded exhibition and learning spaces within a new creative industries precinct. A locomotive and carriages fill the entrance level. Elsewhere, working steam engines show how steam once drove everything from a printing press to a fire engine. The space galleries hold Apollo 11 displays and a zero-gravity experience. The hands-on Experimentations area lets children generate electricity and play a theremin. Spread over four levels, the museum has also staged fashion shows on Gucci and Zampatti and the sprawling 1001 Remarkable Objects.