Vaucluse House

History museum · Vaucluse ·

Vaucluse House

History museum · Vaucluse ·

19th-century mansion museum with gardens and tearoom

Information

69A Wentworth Rd, Vaucluse NSW 2030, Australia Get directions

@afar

25,132 Postcards · 3,702 Cities

"For a glimpse of Sydney 's high society, visit Vaucluse House, a beautiful villa and garden in the Eastern Suburbs near Watsons Bay. A gothic revival mansion built in 1803, Vaucluse House once belonged to ex-convict Sir Henry Browne Hayes, who was shipped to Australia from England for abducting a banker’s daughter. Some punishment. The mansion also served as the home of writer, explorer, and local dignitary William Charles Wentworth. Once you're done eyeing the antiques and memorabilia, check out the tropical gardens and settle in for a cup of English breakfast and a warm scone at the well-appointed tearoom. There's also Milk Beach and the Hermitage Foreshore Track nearby, a gorgeous coastal walk for those looking for a little more adventure."

The Best Things to Do in Sydney

Photo by Serena Renner

Vaucluse House

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25,132 Postcards · 3,702 Cities

Sydney's Best Museums and Cultural Attractions

Photo by Serena Renner

Vaucluse House

@afar

25,132 Postcards · 3,702 Cities

The Best Districts and Neighborhoods to Visit in Sydney

Photo by Serena Renner

Vaucluse House

Deb C.

Google

Loved it 😍 beautiful house. the history of the house, the rooms, the gardens, the stables, etc, everything was amazing. We really enjoyed looking through and learning a little bit more about the place. We liked it as much or more than Elizabeth Bay House. Highly recommend a visit there.

Kekona K.

Google

The Vaucluse House had amazing historical pieces that lets its visitors get a glimpse of what it was like living in the olden days. Some say the place is haunted, others say it's just a normal vintage home. I believe its the latter. The tour guide cleared up the whole “murdered family” story, saying it was just something a past caretaker made up to freak people out — which, funny enough, only made the place more popular with tourists. Plenty of parking, free tickets, clean toilets. Worth a visit if you're a history nugget!

N N (.

Google

Vaucluse House is surrounded by a beautiful landscape, complete with a kitchen garden, stables, a rill, a café, and a museum store that also serves as the entrance. The house itself is grand and luxurious, and my favorite room is the impressively spacious kitchen, which is even larger than the dining room.

JJ F

Google

My super sweet boyfriend took me to this unique historical house. It’s a surprise for me for our Friday date. He knew I will like this beautiful estate. So chill and well maintained building. We said to go back for the near park and beach. I’m looking forward next visit with him.

Robyn C.

Google

Wonderful evening visit to Vaucluse House where William Charles Wentworth raised 10 children with his wife Sarah. Excellent guide and plenty of staff to safely guide us through the candlelit sandstone flagged floors and staircases. Beautiful gardens where I have plein air painted in the past with the Royal Art Society.

Nick M.

Google

Moved to the area over 30 years ago and had never been inside Vaucluse house. All I can say is WOW!!!! Absolutely beautiful! Like stepping back in time, everything is so well preserved! They even had the fire going in the kitchen which really created an atmosphere of times gone by... highly recommended!

Artin H.

Google

Vaucluse House is absolutely beautiful—a perfect mix of history and nature. The house is so well-preserved, with lots of interesting details about how people lived back in the 1800s. The gardens are stunning and peaceful, perfect for a walk or a picnic. The café is lovely too, with great coffee and nice food. The only reason it’s not a full 5 stars is that parking can be a bit tricky on busy days. Overall, it’s a hidden gem in Sydney and definitely worth a visit.

Map R.

Google

I absolutely loved visiting Vaucluse House! The house and surrounding gardens have been very well preserved. I was fascinated by the way each room was set up and displayed. It really accurately showed what life at the time was like for the servants and family of the property. Staff and volunteers were very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. I would recommend coming to visit here!

t a.

Yelp

Fascinating historic house, very helpful docents, and you can't beat the price as admission is free!

Sharn G.

Yelp

I was all set to give this place all the stars it deserved, but a distasteful run in with someone on their security has dropped the stars here. You see, they offer a lovely tour of the house - with some great historical information passed down. Another lovely Yelper, Andrew H, even got to play the period piano for us while we swanned on the square couches and soaked in the history of this place. Climbing all those stairs in a corset was hard work and I was extremely happy that I had a fan. Let's not talk about getting down all those stairs in a corset either. Suffice to say we had a lovely lovely time here... Until we were taking some pictures before we left. The grounds shut at 4.30pm to the general public. It seemed like there was a party happening not too far away, which we didn't even give notice to. We were enjoying taking pictures and being a bit silly. As we gathered our things and started to head off as we noticed that the time was 4.30 the security guard came over to tell us we had to leave. We replied that we were obviously on our way off the grounds when he interjected that there's a private party and they paid to be here so therefore we couldn't stay. Wait, are you serious? You can't see that we have all our gear and are walking towards the gate that leads out?! He assumed that we were some kind of professional photographers because he kept asking what company we worked for and wouldn't take a "we don't work for anyone" answer very well. As you can imagine this was a really horrible way to end an otherwise fabulous day that we'd had starting with our high tea and then tour. And it's the reason why I've given it such a low rating. Being harrassed for no reason as we're leaving the grounds leaves a bitter taste in one's mouth.