Museums Discovery Centre, Castle Hill

Explore an Australia gone past in Castle Hill

The Museums Discovery Centre stores articles from three different museums: The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, the Australian Museum, and the Sydney Living Museums. Visitors can explore items that come from these different museums all over NSW. The Highlight Tour is available for free (after paying for admission) at 11:30 from Monday to Friday and a volunteer will give you a deeper insight into the items they have on display. There are other tours for individuals and groups for an additional fee where they have special access to collections not on display. More information can be found on the website.

The collections are separated into six stores. Store 1 displays art and creative pieces from designers such as vases, chairs, jewellery and you can marvel at the different styles of creativity through the ages. You can find technologies through the era in Store 2 ranging from industrial printing presses to the more modern contraptions such as the iPod or a camera.

Imagine yourself riding through history as you explore Store 3 with different types of transport. There are wagons, bicycles, aircraft, and more to occupy the imaginations of children and ignite the nostalgia of adults. Store 4 is for those who are curious about nature and biology. You can inspect fossils, animals, gemstones, and other scientific equipment. There is also a gigantic dinosaur skull to strike awe into your hearts.

Store 5 is more domestic and showcases household appliances – you get a brief glimpse into the life of the everyday Australian. The last one, Store 6 is dedicated to architecture and you can see models of historical buildings such as the famous Opera House. There are also different elements collected from important buildings and displayed.

Each item is tagged so you can read what they are but there is also a computer located at each storeroom for some more information on certain items. To look at one thing that seems merely interesting but realising exactly how intricate it actually is is fascinating.

Overall Experience

I had a great time at the Museums Discover Centre even though I went alone. As the tours are in the morning or at midday, I was the only person in the whole museum which was an eerie experience. I think it would be great to go with your whole family and the grandparents or parents can show their children how they used to live. There is also something that everyone can take away and learn from this experience. I recommend dedicated around 1-2 hours to explore – although the display store is not very spacious, take your time to observe and share about the things you see!

Reference Links

Castle Hill’s Museums Discover Centre reopens this weekend
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/hills-shire-times/castle-hills-museums-discovery-centre-reopes-this-weekend/news-story/395e2864574d6989df9b64e63395bf52

Museums Discovery Centre reopens
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/hills-shire-times/museums-discovery-centre-reopens/news-story/6696a177f1d8ee70b3623d196fa3edc2

Address: 172 Showground Rd, Castle Hill NSW, 2154
Phone: 9762 1301 (Enquiries); 9217 0111 (Bookings)
Prices:
Adult | $10
Concession | $8
Children under 16 | Free
MAAS/ Sydney Living Museum/ Australian Museum Members | Free
Opening Hours:
Monday-Friday | 10am-4pm
Website: https://maas.museum/museums-discovery-centre/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/museumsdiscoverycentre/