Wonderwater

22 December 2023 - 4 February 2024

Beat the heat with a fun-filled family day out at Wonderwater, the most refreshing ticket in town this summer. Play, relax and discover on, in and around the water.

Come and explore our beautiful, awe-inspiring, ever-changing ocean this summer – in more ways than an octopus has tentacles.

Explore six stunning feature exhibitions, films screenings, the Great Southern LEGO® Reef build-zone, hands-on activities for families. And more.

All in the one family-friendly Wonderwater price ticket.

See the world premiere photographic show, Ocean Photographer of the Year, our tribute to Australia’s First Lady of diving, Valerie Taylor: An Underwater Life and the immersive playspace, Octopus Garden, just one of the many things for the kids.

Catch the inside story of bringing Tim Winton’s wonderful book, Blueback to the big screen in Blueback: Sharing the Secrets , and meet a mermaid every Monday as part of the art installation, Rainbow, Mermaid, Fireworks.

Don’t miss our outstanding performances on offer: Sydney Festival’s free opera Il Tabarro, the shadow play The Sea is Still a Mystery and our daily roving entertainers. There’s plenty more too see including our unique collection of maritime vessels, artefacts and displays.

Scroll on to find out all the details of our fabulous summer offering and how to purchase tickets in advance to beat the crowd — and the heat.

To stay up to date with all our family programs and events, sign up to the museum’s family e-newsletter here.

Top header image: Mattia Panunzio

Can I purchase my tickets at the Museum or do I have to purchase my tickets online before going to the Museum?

Yes, you can buy tickets on the spot at the Museum on the day of your visit. However, we recommend that you pre-purchase your tickets online during weekends and school holidays as we expect the Museum to be crowded and busy. Pre-purchasing them online will allow us to validate your tickets via an Express Queue that shortens your waiting time. We recommend that you arrive before 2pm to get the most out of your day.

Can I pre-purchase my tickets for the Wonderwater?

Yes, you can! The Museum’s exciting summer program “Wonderwater” will start on 22 Dec 2023 and end on 4 Feb 2024 (with the exception of Christmas Day 25 Dec). Tickets for Wonderwater are now available on our ticketing page.

My child is under 4 years of age. Does he/she need a ticket?

Admission is free for children under 4 years old. However, when purchasing your tickets, please add the required number of “Child under 4” tickets to your cart and check these out at the same time. They are free but will assist you in securing a space for your child in case we are very crowded. Please note that children need to be 90cm in height to board our vessels for safety reasons.

Do you accept Companion Cards?

Yes, we do. Entry is free for visitors who have a valid Companion Card and are assisting a ticket holder as a carer. We recommend that the visitor who has the Companion Card pre-purchase one ticket online for their client. On arrival to the Museum, our Front-of-House team will issue another free ticket for the carer on presentation of their Companion Card.

I have bought my admission tickets online, but I have not received my tickets via email. What should I do?

After purchasing your tickets online, you should receive an email that includes a PDF document which are your e-tickets. In the case you do not receive this email, you can just come to the Museum and let our staff at the Ticketing Desk know and they can look up your tickets on the spot. It is extra handy if you have the order confirmation number, but if not, please just let us know and we will help you out.

I bought admission tickets for today, but would like to visit tomorrow (or another day) instead. Can I change the date of my visit? How can I do that?

Yes, you can visit on another day (on a different date). Just bring your tickets to the Museum (even if they were for a previous date and are within 12 months of purchase) and let our staff at the Ticketing Desk know and we can change it on the spot for you for immediate entry.

How can I become a museum Member or Annual Family Pass Holder so that Wonderwater is free for me to visit and I can come back to the museum as many times as I like during my membership year?

You can book in to visit the museum and see Wonderwater, then when you are here, visit the front desk at any time of the day and upgrade to a Membership or Annual Family Pass.

Memberships may also be pre-purchased online and then once it’s processed book in to see Wonderwater. We advise that over our popular Christmas/New Year dates, our membership team may not be able to turn this around as quickly as our front desk team can assist you.

Are there limitations to visiting the Museum?

For safety reasons:

Children (and all visitors) need to be at least 90cm in height to be able to board our vessels as steps and stairs are steep and can be dangerous. Parents are not allowed to carry young children in arms as vessels can rock on the water.
Pointed high heels (such as stilettos) are not allowed on board the vessels for your safety. Open-toe shoes such as slippers, flip flops, thongs and sandals, and heels higher than 3 inches are not recommended for boarding and touring on board the vessels. Covered shoes are best for protecting your feet.
Our vessels are not accessible for prams, wheelchairs, pushers or babies in carriers. Prams and wheelchairs must be parked in free and unmanned designated pram parking areas.
All large bags and backpacks will have to be cloaked or placed in a self-service locker before boarding the vessels. We provide a free cloakroom service at the Ticketing Desk. Self-service lockers are also available.

I have bought my admission tickets online, but I am unable to visit the Museum now. Can I request a refund?

Unfortunately, we are generally not able to provide refunds for ticket purchases.

If you are not able to visit the Museum on the day the tickets are bought for, you can use the tickets on another day within the next 12 months. Simply bring your tickets with you when you visit the Museum and our staff at the Ticketing Desk can change the date of the ticket for you on the spot for immediate entry. For general admission tickets, you are also welcome to gift the tickets to someone else for their use on another day.

Please note that tickets for programs (non-admission tickets) and member’s or annual pass holder’s tickets are not transferable.

Our Terms and Conditions for Admission and Event Tickets can be found here: Admission and Event Ticket Terms & Conditions - Australian National Maritime Museum (sea.museum).

I am a member / annual pass holder, but there is no option for members to pre-book tickets online. Can I pre-book my ticket?

As a member / annual pass holder, you do not have to pre-book your tickets online. We have allocated enough tickets for members / annual pass holders on a daily basis. Simply come to the Museum with your Membership Card / Annual Pass and an ID and we can issue you admission stamps on the spot via the Members Queue without the hassle.

What time am I able to get on board and tour the vessels?

Our vessels are usually open to the public from 10.30am and the last entry time for them is 3.10pm during normal trading hours (and 4.10pm during NSW school holidays). However, the opening and closing times of each vessel may vary from day-to-day. Please check with our staff at the Ticketing Desk when you arrive for your visit.

What time does the Museum open and close?

The Museum’s normal trading hours are 10am to 4pm. During NSW school holidays, we extend our trading hours and are open from 9.30am to 5pm. We are closed on Christmas Day.

When does Wonderwater close?

Wonderwater closes on 4 February 2024.