Summer School Holidays
Buy your holiday ticket before 19 December to get 20% off.
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Summer is here, and with it comes the familiar, seasonal pull towards the water. The air is warmer, the days stretch longer, and the city starts to shimmer with the promise of holidays. This year, the museum captures that feeling, bringing the beach to the heart of the harbour with a program that celebrates sunshine, culture, and the simple pleasure of being in, on or by the water.
Inside the Lighthouse Gallery, The Beach beckons, an intergenerational, immersive playscape that captures the spirit of the season. It’s bright, breezy, and full of surprises: digital storytelling, exhibition, play, and performance all come together to explore how the beach connects us, shapes our stories, and brings communities together. Visitors are invited to slow down, reflect, and get lost in a space that feels both nostalgic and new – a summer escape without leaving the city.
Early morning yoga and evening life drawing offer moments of calm reflection, while art and maker workshops and artist talks invite everyone to imagine and create.
We have something for everyone.
Family favourites
The Boatbuilding Bay
Design and build your own miniature boat using LEGO® bricks in this hands-on creative space inspired by the museum’s fleet and Australia’s boating traditions.
Visitors of all ages are invited to create a custom vessel whether guided by real boats on the harbour or by their own imagination. Once built, boats can be displayed as part of the shared installation.
Alongside the LEGO® building tables, experienced model makers will demonstrate their craft and share insights into boat design and construction, offering a practical look at how vessels are shaped, assembled and finished.
Included with the Holiday Ticket, this drop-in activity combines play, design and maritime craft in a relaxed summer setting.
Suitable for ages 3+
Mermaids take-over
Make a splash after dark as mermaids take over The Beach in a special after-hours, ticketed live performance event for families and young ocean lovers.
On select evenings these summer school holidays, a shimmering shoal of Darling Harbour mermaids will transform The Beach with live performances, mythic storytelling, dress-ups, creative activities, and sparkly face and body art, all presented in a unique evening atmosphere.
A ticketed family event
This is a limited-capacity, ticketed after-hours experience, designed especially for families and primary-school-aged children looking for a magical evening.
Friday 16 and Saturday 17 January, 4.30 – 6pm and 6 – 7.30pm
$35 General Admission, $30 Members
Beach Babies
On selected Wednesdays and Fridays in January, our summer interactive exhibition The Beach opens early exclusively for babies aged 0–24 months and their parents and carers.
Enjoy a calm, immersive start to the day with shimmering large-scale light projections, soft sand-free play structures and gentle instrumental music designed for young senses.
Parents and carers can relax with a drink from Ripples Café while their little ones explore a range of beach-inspired sensory play experiences, including bubbles, balance stones, inflatables, musical instruments, interactive rock pool animations, intertidal animal puppets and beach-themed stories. Vintage swimwear and surf culture displays sit alongside the play space, offering adults something to enjoy too.
Wednesdays and Fridays 7-23 January
$26 adult, $18 member adult, babies free
Admission includes a beverage and all-day access to our free galleries and experiences.
First Nations Workshops
Join in creative cultural activities for all ages with art making and workshops for the whole family.
Come aboard our fleet
Beach Flicks
From surf carnivals and family holidays to long afternoons by the sea, Australians have always been drawn to the beach. More than a destination, it’s a way of life - shaping stories, identities, and memories across generations.
Beach Flicks presents daily film screenings in the theatre, celebrating how our coastline and its culture have inspired filmmakers to capture the spirit, beauty, and rituals of Australian beach life on screen.
FREE - no bookings required
