Parramatta’s Hidden Heritage Buildings Will Open To The Public This August

Parramatta is throwing open the doors to some of its most fascinating buildings—and many of them are rarely accessible to the public.

Making its debut on Saturday 29 August, Parramatta Open is the first event of its kind in Greater Sydney, inviting visitors inside 16 significant buildings, heritage landmarks and contemporary architectural icons across the CBD and surrounding precincts. Part of the long-running Sydney Open program, the one-day event offers behind-the-scenes access to everything from Australia's oldest surviving public building to award-winning civic spaces and normally restricted areas.

Whether you're into architecture, history or simply love exploring parts of Sydney you've never seen before, here's why Parramatta Open deserves a spot on your calendar.

Jump to:

• What Is Parramatta Open?
• Which Buildings Will Be Open During Parramatta Open?
• Why Parramatta Open Is Worth Visiting
• How To Get Tickets For Parramatta Open

What Is Parramatta Open?

Image credit: OLMC | Supplied

Presented by Museums of History NSW as part of the Sydney Open program, Parramatta Open celebrates one of Australia's oldest cities through its architecture, heritage and evolving skyline.

Ticket holders can curate their own itinerary using an online event planner, with the freedom to explore buildings at their own pace while joining guided tours, talks, performances and special experiences throughout the day.

The event showcases both Parramatta's colonial past and its rapidly changing future, highlighting the city as one of Australia's fastest-growing cultural and commercial centres.

Which Buildings Will Be Open During Parramatta Open?

Image credit: Parramatta Council | Supplied

The program spans centuries of architecture, with locations ranging from nationally significant heritage sites to some of Western Sydney's newest public buildings.

Highlights include:

• Old Government House, Australia's oldest surviving public building and a UNESCO World Heritage site
• Parramatta Female Factory, the former convict institution where thousands of women and children lived between 1821 and 1848
• PHIVE and Parramatta Town Hall within Parramatta Square
• Parramatta Aquatic Centre, one of Australia's newest award-winning public sporting facilities
• St John's Anglican Cathedral, Australia's oldest continuous site of Christian worship
• Sydney West Trial Courts, one of the country's most advanced court complexes
• Lancer Barracks and Museum, the oldest continuously occupied military barracks on mainland Australia
• St Patrick's Cathedral and the rarely opened St Patrick's Cemetery Mortuary Chapel

Visitors can also step inside restricted areas that aren't typically open to the public, including spaces within Parramatta Square and parts of the Parramatta Aquatic Centre.

Why Parramatta Open Is Worth Visiting

Image credit: City Of Parramatta | Supplied

Rather than simply opening doors, Parramatta Open tells the story of a city that's continually reinvented itself.

Across a single day, visitors can move between convict-era landmarks, grand colonial homes, award-winning contemporary architecture and civic spaces shaping Parramatta's future.

It's also a rare opportunity to experience many of these buildings beyond their everyday function, with volunteers, architects and historians sharing the stories behind their design, purpose and significance.

How To Get Tickets For Parramatta Open

Parramatta Open takes place on Saturday 29 August from 10am to 4pm, with tickets available online.

Tickets are $35 for adults, $28 for Museums of History NSW members and $25 for students, while children under 16 can attend free with a paying adult.

Those who purchase tickets before 14 August will also go into the draw to win an exclusive preview tour of Powerhouse Parramatta, ahead of the museum's official opening later this year.

Main image credit: Katherine Lu, Museums of History NSW | Supplied