Visit Elizabeth Bay House
By public transport
We are located about 4.5km east of the Sydney CBD.
Bus
The 311 bus will bring you to Greenknowe Avenue, a 10-minute walk from Elizabeth Bay House.
The bus runs from Railway Square to City - Millers Point via Darlinghurst, Kings Cross, Elizabeth Bay and Woolloomooloo.
Train
Elizabeth Bay House is a 7-minute walk from Kings Cross train station, which is on the Eastern Suburbs/Illawarra line.
For up-to-date timetables or to find the quickest public transport routes visit the Transport Infoline or call 131500.
By road
Onslow Avenue is a one-way street, so from Elizabeth Bay Road you need to turn into Ithaca Road.
Parking
The nearest reliable parking to Elizabeth Bay House is the Kings Cross Car Park, located on Ward Ave, approximately 500m walk from the house.
Rates vary depending on the time and day of your visit, but range from $8 for an hour to $15-$40 for up to 12 hours.
For full details and to book, please refer to the Kings Cross Car Park website.
Cycling
We do not have secure parking for bikes at Elizabeth Bay House.
Most of our properties reopened to the public in July 2020 following a brief closure as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. Some properties remain closed, some due to ongoing social distancing restrictions, while at others we have taken the opportunity to undertake conservation work and develop new audience offers. Subscribe to our eNews or check our property pages for current opening days and times.
Self-guided visits & guided tours
Explore the house on your own or ask our friendly staff for a guided tour. Note that if you are making a special trip for a guided tour, please call before to make sure a guide will be available at that time. Tours take about 45 minutes.
An introductory video (17 minutes, with subtitles) plays on a loop in the exhibition room on the first floor.
Printed guides
We also provide printed guides to the house in the following languages: English, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Italian, Korean, Japanese and Spanish.
Group bookings
We offer a range of tour options for groups of 10 or more and recommend booking in advance. Please visit our Groups page to find out about our various tours and how to book.
Accessibility
Mobility
There is one designated accessible parking space outside the southeast corner of the property. There are 9 steps into the house via the front entrance but for people in wheelchairs or with limited mobility we can open the back gate, which has level access into the house from the road. Please ask at reception or call beforehand to arrange.
Inside the house, only the ground floor is accessible to people with low mobility, and ground-floor only tours can be arranged on request. For visitors who are unable to access other areas directly, folders with captioned images are provided. Accessible toilets are located on the ground floor.
Hearing and visual
The introductory video is subtitled. Bold-print maps of the house are available from the reception desk.
Tours
We are always happy to try and accommodate individual visitors with specific needs into our regular guided tours, but we are best able to do that if you call ahead to let us know about any particular requirements you have. For groups with specific needs, we can develop customised tours to support those needs. Please call ahead to arrange on +61 2 9356 3022.
Venue hire
Conveniently close to the city, Elizabeth Bay House is ideal venue for elegant business lunches, cocktail parties, dinners or events; its outstanding architecture and positioning also make it a highly desirable location for smaller, more intimate wedding ceremonies and receptions, including the increasingly popular cocktail-style wedding celebrations.
Bookings & enquiries
Contact the Venues Team today
Photo © Lindy Goodwin
Other information
Children & families
Experience how wealthy families lived in the 1830s. Ask a guide to take you up to the servants quarters and down to the cellars under the house. Admire the beautiful butterfly collection in the library, be the first to spot the lion hiding in the saloon and find the grotto that was once hidden in the gardens. While most of these gardens no longer exist, the house is across the road from McElhone Reserve and a short walk from Beare Park on the harbour’s edge.
During the school holidays, we also offer family friendly tours and activities.
Shop
Don’t miss our stylish range of gifts, cards and books inspired by Australian history, and house and garden design.
Things to remember
- All umbrellas, heavy coats, bags over handbag size and other large items must be cloaked.
- Professional camera equipment, including tripods, lighting etc, must be left at reception unless you have organised permission beforehand.
- Strollers are not allowed in the main house, but can be left at reception.
- Bring a coat in winter – the sandstone house can get very cold with the breeze blowing in from the bay!
Customer Service Charter
Sydney Living Museums cares for 12 of the most important historic houses and museums in NSW on behalf of the people of NSW. Our vision is to create a living future for the past. Our mission is to cherish, protect and share our places and stories.
Please read our Customer Service Charter to learn more about our commitment to providing you with the best possible experience when you visit one of our museums and historic houses.
Photo © Haley Richardson & Stuart Miller for Sydney Living Museums