Since plans for its construction were first unveiled, Powerhouse Parramatta has been making headlines. It’s now 95% complete, and although the museum is yet to reveal its opening date, anticipation is high.
From debates over floodplain risks and the fate of the old Ultimo Museum, to excitement about its new home in Parramatta and the cultural boost it promises for Western Sydney, the Powerhouse Parramatta museum has captured the attention of Sydneysiders across the city.
The new Powerhouse site will be the largest museum in New South Wales, with over 18,000 sqm of exhibition and public space. Set to attract around two million visitors a year, Powerhouse Parramatta is the largest investment in cultural infrastructure since the Sydney Opera House, with a total estimated investment cost soaring over $1 billion.
We headed over to the new Parramatta Powerhouse museum and checked out its huge exterior and location with the help of a couple of tour guides. Here’s everything we found out about the new museum.
Table of Contents
1. The museum has been built on a floodplain. Will this be an issue?
While there’s plenty of excitement about the new Powerhouse museum landing in Parramatta, concerns arose when it was revealed that the site sits on a floodplain beside the Parramatta River, sparking fears over both the building’s safety and public risk.
We made our way round to the Parramatta River side of the building, and the tour guides were quick to point out that the building “sits up a little bit higher” on raised ground above the river. You can see this in the image above.
Other than the site being raised off the riverbed, the guides were not aware of any other protections the building has against flooding, and assured us it was not a concern.
The NSW Government has stated that, “Since the start of construction, the project has been exposed to large storm events, including flooding. The building’s design in response to flooding has performed as expected and not raised any concerns.”
“Flood modelling has confirmed that even in a ‘1 in 1000’ year (0.1% chance in any one year) Parramatta River flood, the museum ground floor level at RL7.5 would remain half a metre above flood waters.”
When the Powerhouse Parramatta Museum is open, it will take the following safety precautions:
“A flood management strategy will be developed and implemented when Powerhouse Parramatta is open and operating. The majority of exhibition spaces and emergency power supplies will be above any possible flood levels.”
Since Powerhouse Parramatta is all about innovation, technology, and design, it seems unlikely that any flaws would make flooding a real threat to the building or its visitors, but it’s definitely an issue critics will be watching closely.
2. What to expect from Powerhouse Parramatta’s exhibition spaces
We already know that Powerhouse Parramatta will kick off with its first major exhibition, TaskEternal, in the museum’s largest exhibition space, the 18-metre-high PS1. This space-themed flagship will headline the museum’s inaugural lineup, which will feature a total of five exhibitions.
Task Eternal will feature more than 600 objects, including those on loan from the British Museum, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and various space agencies and start-ups.
The building will also feature a large-scale demonstration kitchen, named the Vitocco Family Kitchen. Here, chefs and food producers will educate audiences of up to 200 people with innovative food science programs.
One of the most anticipated spaces at the new museum will be its Rooftop Terrace, offering stunning panoramic, near 360-degree views of Parramatta and the river (and of the Sydney CBD in the distance). Featuring a shaded pergola, solar panels and a landscaped garden (with native plants), the space has been designed especially for educational and community events. There will also be a garden here, supplying fresh produce to the Vittocco Kitchen.
The Rooftop Terrace will crown the smaller of the two buildings, while three link bridges will seamlessly connect them, making it easy to move between spaces.
There will also be an observatory featuring mounted telescopes and a retractable roof, no doubt taking inspiration from one of Powerhouse’s most-loved sites, Sydney Observatory.
The Holdmark Gallery will be the second-largest exhibition space in the museum at 2300-square-metres, featuring eight-metre high ceilings.
3. How much will tickets cost?
This is another question that is yet to be answered, and our tour guides stated that they did not know the ticket pricing figures.
At the original Powerhouse Ultimo, adult general admission was $15, and kids 16 and under got in free. If you wanted to see a specific ticketed exhibition, you might be required to pay an additional $10-30 for limited installations with high production value and unique on-loan artefacts.
Tickets are expected to stay close to Ultimo’s pricing, though any significant increase could spark some debate among visitors.
4. What will happen to the Ultimo Powerhouse Building?
Many Sydneysiders feel protective of the much-loved Powerhouse Ultimo Museum, which is temporarily closed for what Powerhouse is calling a $300 million “heritage revitalisation”.
The heritage renewal will “reorient the museum’s main entrance and create a new public square and entry via The Goods Line to enable better connection with surrounding precincts and public transport.”
This will improve visitor circulation, allow for expanded programming in the museum, and hopefully make it more practical for the surrounding community.
Key features of the new Powerhouse Ultimo design include:
- Four flexible exhibition spaces.
- New public domain spaces, including a 2000 sqm space at the northern end of The Goods Line, the Post Office Courtyard on Harris Street and an internal courtyard accessible from Macarthur Street.
- Dedicated spaces designed for Powerhouse learning programs.
- Conservation of the heritage-listed original Power Station buildings for their ongoing adaptive reuse by Powerhouse.
The biggest upset has been caused by the demolition of Ultimo Powerhouse’s Wran Building, which has had its roof and original steel sheeting peeled away. However, Infrastructure NSW has assured Sydneysiders that the building will retain its iconic arch shape, despite having its steel framework relined.
The NSW Government states, “The form and scale of the Wran building will be retained, and original heritage features across the museum will be revealed.”
Powerhouse Parramatta museum
Where: 34/47 Phillip St, Parramatta NSW 2150.
When: Opening late 2026.
For more information, click here.
