Sydney Open is returning in 2025
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Add more to your day by joining a talk, tour or special event to discover unique stories from participating buildings and event partners.
All Day
All Day
Wander through the lobbies of 6&8 Parramatta Square and view large-scale works on display from Parramatta Square’s collection of contemporary artworks. Guided by the curatorial theme ‘Dare to Dream’, the collection celebrates Australian and Indigenous artistic excellence while honouring Parramatta’s role as a historical and economic centre. Parramatta Open volunteers will be on hand to provide interpretation and information on the pieces.
All Day
Museums of History NSW members will have exclusive access to the award-winning Harrisford House. This includes access to the Members Garden Lounge, with complimentary coffee, tea and light nibbles served all day. Water bottle refilling, phone charging and bathroom facilities will also be available. Not a member? Sign up for a Museums of History NSW membership today and enjoy benefits immediately. Memberships start form $75.
All Day
Parramatta Open attendees can make the most of Parramatta Square’s buzzing activities, with pickleball, table tennis and chess games running throughout the day.
All Day
Visitors to St John’s Anglican Cathedral can have a turn playing the church bells with the resident bell ringers. This is a guided experience that will be running throughout the day.
All Day
A guide stationed at the cottages will share insights and stories about the buildings, their histories and the discoveries that lay within.
All Day
Guides stationed throughout the house will share insights into the history of the building, its role in early colonial governance, and stories of the people connected to the site. These unscheduled sessions are ongoing opportunities for visitors to engage as they move through the house.
All Day
Guides stationed on level 4 of PHIVE will share insights about the building and how it’s used by the local community.
All Day
Guides stationed in Parramatta Town Hall will share insights about the building and its history.
All Day
Re-fuel at Hambledon Cottage with a sausage sizzle. The barbecue will be firing all day from the cottage garden.
All Day
Shop from a selection of second-hand books at Hambledon Cottage, with a curated book stall running all day.
All Day
Visitors to the Sydney West Trial Courts can join informal tours of the cells. This is a guided experience that will be running throughout the day.
10am
10am, 10:30am, 11am, 11:30am
Join Thierry Lacoste, Founder and Director of Lacoste+Stevenson Architects, and Richard Does, former Director and Partner of DesignInc, on level 4 of PHIVE for a short talk on the award-winning architecture of the building.
10am, 11am
Join Andrew Burges, Founder and Director of Andrew Burges Architects, and Richard Does at PAC’s Studio 2 space for a short talk on the award-winning architecture of the centre.
10:30am
10am, 10:30am, 11am, 11:30am
Join Thierry Lacoste, Founder and Director of Lacoste+Stevenson Architects, and Richard Does, former Director and Partner of DesignInc, on level 4 of PHIVE for a short talk on the award-winning architecture of the building.
10:30am, 11:30am
30 minutes
Take a break at Parramatta Town Hall and hear local choir, River City Voices, perform in The Great Hall.
11am
10am, 10:30am, 11am, 11:30am
Join Thierry Lacoste, Founder and Director of Lacoste+Stevenson Architects, and Richard Does, former Director and Partner of DesignInc, on level 4 of PHIVE for a short talk on the award-winning architecture of the building.
10am, 11am
Join Andrew Burges, Founder and Director of Andrew Burges Architects, and Richard Does at PAC’s Studio 2 space for a short talk on the award-winning architecture of the centre.
11am, 2pm
Join Monsignor John Boyle in the cloister hall for a short talk on the history of St Patrick’s Cathedral, including tales of the fire in 1996.
11am, 2pm
Visitors get to see vintage military vehicles on the move. Rides in a weapon-mounted vehicle are available for the young and the young at heart.
11am
Stop by Leigh Memorial Church for an incredible performance on the church’s organ, originally built in 1878 by William Davidson.
11am, 2pm
Join a tour of the Mortuary Chapel and then hear about the feisty, whimsical and sometimes wild characters who have been laid to rest in the oldest Catholic cemetery in Australia.
11:30am
10am, 10:30am, 11am, 11:30am
Join Thierry Lacoste, Founder and Director of Lacoste+Stevenson Architects, and Richard Does, former Director and Partner of DesignInc, on level 4 of PHIVE for a short talk on the award-winning architecture of the building.
10:30am, 11:30am
30 minutes
Take a break at Parramatta Town Hall and hear local choir, River City Voices, perform in The Great Hall.
1pm
1pm
Don’t miss Leigh Memorial’s local Fijian choir, who will be performing just for Parramatta Open!
2pm
11am, 2pm
Join Monsignor John Boyle in the cloister hall for a short talk on the history of St Patrick’s Cathedral, including tales of the fire in 1996.
11am, 2pm
Visitors get to see vintage military vehicles on the move. Rides in a weapon-mounted vehicle are available for the young and the young at heart.
11am, 2pm
Join a tour of the Mortuary Chapel and then hear about the feisty, whimsical and sometimes wild characters who have been laid to rest in the oldest Catholic cemetery in Australia.

Plan your day
Plan your day to make the most of your Parramatta Open experience. Add buildings to your wish list, explore our walking trails and plan your travel to Parramatta.
Make a planCompetition
Be one of the first to go inside Powerhouse Parramatta.
To celebrate Parramatta Open, we’re offering you the chance to experience an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Powerhouse Parramatta on Saturday 29 August, guided by Powerhouse and Genton. Buy your Parramatta Open tickets before 12pm on Friday 14 August to go into the draw.
Learn more