Machu Picchu at the Australian Museum Sydney

Open until the 23rd of February 2025 at the Australian Museum in Sydney, Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru is a unique opportunity to experience Andean culture in Sydney. With over 130 artifacts from five Peruvian Empires to see it’s an amazing experience.

Getting There

The Domain carpark is the closest secure parking spot to the museum, being only a ten-minute walk away.

Getting there using Sydney’s public transport system is easy, with the Museum, St James and Town Hall train stations all within a ten-minute walk of the museum. Bus stops along Elizabeth Street, next to Hyde Park are another great option to get there.

Tickets

Access to the exhibition is by paid ticket. As this is proving to be very popular, it’s advisable to book ahead online to ensure you get in.

The Exhibition

Everyone starts with a short audio-visual presentation explaining the history and mythology of the Peruvian Empires. It concentrates primarily on the Mocha-culture and its hero-god Ai Apaec.

Once the presentation is complete, access to the displays is left to your own timing. An hour is recommended, but it would be easy to take longer. The initial exhibits show the beautiful craftmanship used to make jewelry, pottery and other objects. Many of them depict the struggles of Ai Apaec who ensures the return of the rains each season.

The final exhibits are magnificent gold funerary and religious regalia. Only the most important members of society were allowed to wear these gold and silver items. Being buries with them carried their status into the after life.

What Did We Think?

If you have an interest in history or South America, this is a must-see while it’s in Sydney. The amazing range of exhibits, particularly the gold regalia makes this a highly recommended exhibition to visit.