Elizabeth Bay House

A lovely historical house, with so much to see and enjoy. Well kept, original furniture and furnishings - an insight into that time in history. A beautiful outlook to Elizabeth Bay.

Amazing history. I lucked it by getting Howard, a guide with an encyclopedic knowledge of the place. Being interested in building methods and architecture, Howard explained it all and answered all my questions. Highly recommended if you have an interest and a couple of hours to spare. I went on a Monday in November. It was quiet. A sunny spot to enjoy harbour views.

A magnificent and well organized. Last month we decided to visit here and just look around very interesting and the view up here down the garden are fantastic.

A hidden gem! With harbour views, sweeping staircases and spectacular landscaped gardens, Elizabeth Bay House is known as the finest house in the colony. Easy access with public transport. Free access and guided tours available. Spot 30 min to explore its beauty and walk through its history. Highly recommended!

Elizabeth Bay House is one of 12 free museums you can visit for free in NSW and a very interesting part of the early settlers history. It's also an amazing piece of architecture and definitely worth visiting! We visited it as a family and it's definitely worth the trip.
You'll be transported back in time and learn a lot about the family of colonial secretary Alexander Macleay, after the governor, the most important public official in Sydney. It's one of the most beautiful houses I've ever seen, and that staircase is incredible!

Worth seeing and learning about this piece of Sydney history.

You won't be shocked to learn how a real estate agent stuffed the property up in the name of profit. But it all worked out in the end.

Next thing is to get the government to agree to returning the original furniture to it's rightful place. It belongs to the people, why wouldn't it be housed in the original location.

Get a tour provided by a volunteer, it's totally worth it.

Beautiful heritage house. Great place to spend the weekend. Really enjoyed walking through the history, beautiful furniture, interiors, and shapes of the building. Very friendly and helpful stuff guides us and helps to learn history. Now, free tickets.

A wonderful example of colonial architecture. Macleay was also an entomologist. He owned one of Europe's largest insect collections, including specimens collected by the expeditions of Captain Cook and the First Fleet. His garden was celebrated worldwide. His collection was on view for important visitors, Charles Darwin among others and was extended by his son and his nephew. It was presented to the University of Sydney becoming the Macleay Museum in 1892 (now part of the Chau Chak Wing Museum).
The site has potential for better interpretation, in particular interpretation of the garden, the setting and views to the harbour. This could be improved by giving access to the first floor front room and balcony (general public). Same with the views to the garden from the breakfast room (e.g. Paintings).

I loved the house and the family who built it are really interesting. The views across the harbour are so beautiful. A lesser known jem of Sydney. Really easy to reach by train and a short walk. I gave it four stars because knowing something about the family already, I found that I was being given some wrong information by the tour guides. Even though they are volunteers, which is wonderful, they still need to be given proper training. It takes away from the thrill of visiting the house if the story is wrong. Also, the introductory video definitely needs remarking. It's stuck in a 1980s time warp, which admittedly was a much nicer time than now but it wouldn't appeal to all visitors in 2023.

Beautifully restored Elizabeth House. Staff and volunteers on hand and happy to share insights into this historic house

My 88 year old mother took a tumble out the front entrance on uneven flooring, big egg on the back of her head, but the lovely staff members were incredibly attentive and concerned and rallied to find ice for her. Thankfully we were able to complete the tour of this beautiful house and it's well preserved artefacts offering a true sense of history of the era. The mainly volunteer staff were knowledgeable & enthusiastic in answering our questions. Bonus.the stunning views and picnic areas overlooking the bay. Definitely worth the visit.just watch out for trip hazards!

A wonderful experience going back in time to explore this beautiful historic home. Very friendly and helpful volunteers. Highly recommend a visit

Fascinating history of the people who lived in, built and developed Elizabeth Bay House. It was easy to step back in time and imagine what life was like for these settlers in the 1800s. Free entry, friendly staff, a good place to spend an hour or two.

Stunning colonial house in Potts Point designed by Verge. Well restored with beautiful rooms and magnificent gardens over Sydney harbour. Definitely worth a visit.

Beautiful and grand. With seaviews. An informative display of a bygone era in several rooms, has a staircase and a large cellar.

I have carried out visual termite inspections and remedial work to this heritage building. I have seen all of it. History exudes from all its sandstones and old timbers.

Amazing location with a nice view, but also really interesting history about the Elizabeth Bay house which was built between 1835 - 1839 for Alexander Macleay.
Wonderful history if your around the area or have nothing to do, defs must come visit place if you love history and victorian style furniture.
Only opens on Sunday.

We did the Who Dunnit open House murder mystery. Lots of fun and would recommend to folks with good analytical skills who wish to apply them in a different way.

Great experience. We signed up for the murder mystery night. Just walking around the house alone is gorgeous and intriguing, and the game added an extra layer of fun. Highly recommend

A piece of Sydney history not to be missed if you are into stately homes with a view. If you are into solving problems aka crimes, and love a game of 'Murder Mystery', the interactive game is now being held at the Elizabeth Bay House. A great way to kill two birds with one stone.