History · Hobart · Australia
8 historic sites to see in Hobart
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Barrylb, Public domain
Quick answer
Start with Salamanca Place, Battery Point and Arthur Circus and Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 10–12 hours across 5 areas; 3 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 3
- Time to see them all
- 10–12 hours
- Areas
- Salamanca, Battery Point and Waterfront and CBD
Historic sites in Hobart
Historic site · Salamanca
1.Salamanca Place
Today they hold galleries, restaurants and pubs, and the Salamanca Arts Centre runs studios and small theatres in the buildings behind.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- After dark
Neighbourhood · Battery Point
2.Battery Point and Arthur Circus
Arthur Circus is a ring of small Georgian cottages around a central green, and Narryna, an 1830s merchant's house, is now a heritage museum.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Couples
- Photo spot
Museum · Waterfront and CBD
3.Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Galleries cover Tasmanian Aboriginal culture, colonial art, Antarctic exploration and natural history, including the thylacine.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Rainy day
- History
- Kids
- Art
Historic site · South Hobart
4.Cascade Brewery
The site has a bar and garden, and guided tours explain the brewing process and history.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Food
- Architecture
Historic site · South Hobart
5.Cascades Female Factory
Little of the original structure survives, so guided tours and the dramatised 'Her Story' performance bring the lives of the women and their children to life.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
Museum · Waterfront and CBD
6.Mawson's Huts Replica Museum
Hobart is a gateway to Antarctica, and the museum's proceeds help conserve the originals.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Historic site · Taroona
7.Shot Tower, Taroona
A spiral staircase climbs to a lookout over the Derwent estuary, and it is on the scenic Channel Highway south of Sandy Bay.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Views
- Off the beaten path
Architecture · Waterfront and CBD
8.Theatre Royal
It stages drama, comedy and music, and seeing any show is the way to get inside.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours with a show
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- After dark
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Salamanca | Salamanca Place | 1 hour |
| Battery Point | Battery Point and Arthur Circus | 1–2 hours |
| Waterfront and CBD | Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Mawson's Huts Replica Museum and Theatre Royal | 2 hours + 45 minutes + 2–3 hours with a show |
| South Hobart | Cascade Brewery and Cascades Female Factory | 1.5 hours + 1 hour |
| Taroona | Shot Tower, Taroona | 45 minutes |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 3 free, 3 low cost, 2 mid-priced. Book ahead for Cascade Brewery. The longest visit is Theatre Royal; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Cascade Brewery: Brewery tours have limited places; book ahead at weekends and in summer.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Salamanca, Battery Point and Waterfront and CBD): Salamanca Place → Battery Point and Arthur Circus → Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Waterfront and CBD): Mawson's Huts Replica Museum → Theatre Royal, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (South Hobart and Taroona): Cascade Brewery → Cascades Female Factory → Shot Tower, Taroona, at least 3 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- August: highs of 13°C (55°F), about 12 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Cold and quiet, with the year's lowest prices; good for museums, whisky bars and cosy pubs.
- May: highs of 15°C (59°F), about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool and crisp with fewer visitors and some of the year's lowest hotel rates.
- July: highs of 12°C (54°F), about 11 rainy days, quiet crowds. The coldest month; snow often dusts kunanyi and the road to the summit may close, but city days are often clear and still.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Waterfront and CBD — Fishing docks, ferry piers and the compact grid of the city centre
- South Hobart — Mountain-foot village of the Cascade Brewery and the Hobart Rivulet track
More of Hobart
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Hobart?
Salamanca Place. This row of Georgian sandstone warehouses was built in the 1830s and 1840s to store whale oil, grain and wool beside the port.
+Which of these are free in Hobart?
Salamanca Place, Battery Point and Arthur Circus and Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.