Cockatoo Island
Three centuries of institutional history compressed into a walkable island 25 minutes from Circular Quay. Convict tunnels from the 1840s, girls' reformatory dormitories, and the massive drydock that launched warships are all freely accessible. The audio app from Sydney Living Museums provides site-specific context. For teens, the ghost tours focused on the reformatory history run in evenings.
- Hours
- Ferry runs 9:30am-5:30pm daily
- Price
- Free entry
- Duration
- 3-4 hours
- Booking required
- No
Tips
- Ferry F3 from Circular Quay. Opal card. 25 minutes.
- Audio app from Sydney Living Museums for site-specific context.
- Evening ghost tours for teens. Free daytime entry for everyone.
- Allow 3-4 hours to cover the tunnels, reformatory, and shipyard areas.