Powerhouse Museum

Powerhouse Museum

Locomotive No. 1 in Powerhouse Turbine Hall
Location within Sydney
Former name	Technological, Industrial and Sanitary Museum of New South Wales (1879–1882) Technological Museum (until August 1893 – March 1988)
Established	1879 as the "Technological, Industrial and Sanitary Museum of New South Wales"
Location	3 locations in Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia: *500 Harris Street, Ultimo *Observatory Hill *Castle Hill
Coordinates	33°52′40″S 151°11′58″E / 33.877898°S 151.199573°E / -33.877898; 151.199573
Type	Technology museum
Visitors	757,166 (2018–19)
CEO	Lisa Havilah
Owner	New South Wales Government
Public transit access	Powerhouse Museum, Harris Street Exhibition Centre Powerhouse Park
Website	powerhouse.com.au

The Powerhouse Museum, formerly known as the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences (MAAS), is a collection of museums in Sydney, and owned by the Government of New South Wales. Its main centre is in Ultimo, New South Wales (Powerhouse Ultimo), the others being the historic Sydney Observatory at Observatory Hill, and the newer Powerhouse Castle Hill (previously^[when?] known as the Museums Discovery Centre) at Castle Hill. Powerhouse Parramatta is due to open in 2025.

The Ultimo site was scheduled to be closed for three years from February 2024 for redevelopment.

Although often described as a science museum, the Powerhouse has a diverse collection encompassing all sorts of technology including decorative arts, science, communication, transport, costume, furniture, media, computer technology, space technology and steam engines.

The museum has existed in various guises for over 125 years, previously named the Technological, Industrial and Sanitary Museum of New South Wales (1879–1882) and the Technological Museum (August 1893 – March 1988). As of 2022,^[update] the collection contains over 500,000 objects collected over the last 135 years^{[needs update]},^[1] many of which are displayed or housed at the site it has occupied since 1988, and for which it is named – a converted electric tram power station in the Inner West suburb of Ultimo, originally constructed in 1902 and is a well-known and popular Sydney tourist destination. The Federation-style building is listed on the New South Wales Government's State Heritage Register.^[2]

The Ultimo building, designed by Lionel Glendenning for the Australian Bicentenary in 1988, won the Sir John Sulman Medal for architecture.^[3] It includes a specially installed reticulated steam system, run from the old boiler house, to drive the large, rare steam machines in its collection.