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Sydney Harbour, nsw

Cockatoo Island Open Day

Get ready for the ultimate island adventure! On Sunday 4 May, Cockatoo Island will come alive as we celebrate the Australian Heritage Festival 2025 and offer a range of free and paid activities to excite families!

To coincide with theme of this year’s festival, Unearthed, the Harbour Trust are running a range of talks that peel back the layers of history at Cockatoo Island. These include a special talk by the heritage architect who, in 2009, uncovered the island’s convict era Solitary Confinement Cells. Throughout Open Day, you’ll also have a chance to enjoy live music, a historic dance lesson, delicious food, heritage steam crane demonstrations, paid boat rides and more!

PLUS: The island’s holiday houses and apartments, constructed between 1915 and 1916, will be open to the public at select times. Discover their authentic heritage charm and gain access to an EXCLUSIVE discount for your next stay!

Event date

04 May 2025

Event Details

Address:
Cockatoo Island, Sydney Harbour, NSW

Getting There: Cockatoo Island is free to visit and easy to get to by ferry. The F3 and F8 services operate to the island daily, departing from Circular Quay and Barangaroo as well as wharves along Parramatta River. For the quickest trip, jump on the F3 ferry at Barangaroo – you’ll arrive at the island in under 10 minutes!

Plan ahead: We anticipate Open Day will be quite popular and that ferries may get busy, so please allow extra time to travel to and from the island.

Accessibility: Cockatoo Island is a former industrial site with cliffs and steep drops as well as occasional unmarked and uneven surfaces, voids, and trip hazards. The lower island is generally accessible by wheelchairs and mobility scooters; however, there are uneven surfaces, and some buildings are not suited to mobility aids. Further, accessing the plateau requires visitors to climb stairs and ascend rises. The campground is wheelchair accessible, with a dedicated shower and toilet available; however, tents have a step to enter, which is not suitable for wheelchair access.

Times:

10:30am to 3:30pm

Entry fees:
Free
Booking:
Prebooking requiredhttps://events.ticketbooth.com.au/event/cockatoo-island-open-day-2025
Attendance limit:
no
Website:
https://www.cockatooisland.gov.au/en/whats-on/cockatoo-island-open-day/
Onsite facilities:
Social: