Susannah Place Museum

I love historic homes and tours so this was perfect for me. We were the only 2 people in the 4:00 tour and learned so much about the former residents and their lives. Our tour guide was excellent and really considerate as he had to deal with me and my foot in a boot (cast). He kept offering places for me to sit and make sure I could make it up the steep steps. They have a very different approach then on the US where we keep the homes more intact- here they leave them to deteriorate. If you like learning about history you will love this- I did.

Had an amazing private tour here today. Be sure to book your tour, as there is only one at two, three, and 4 PM. The tour takes you through the story of multiple families that lived in their homes since the 1840s, and our tour guide told us stories in an excellent way. Definitely worth an hour of our vacation.

Walking through The Rocks after their fantastically fun Sunday Market in Sydney, this charming little museum caught my eye with a group of old fashioned whisk brooms piled out front. Ducking in, the staff member shared the purpose of the Museum and we determined to swing by on Monday.

If you enjoy "slice of life" historical properties, then I recommend a visit here. One hour is plenty and there are mandatory, guided tours on the hour. The four terrace flats are the real show here -- along with the stories shared by your guide/ interpreter. Vaguely reminiscent of NYC's Tenement Museum in its approach, the stories of the families who lived in Sydney in these spaces can inspire the imagination. Each Terrace highlights several different eras - there is no one single era kitted out completely in one home.

One tip: The Museum Pass for $18 (as of Dec 2013) is well worth it if youre planning on seeing the Hyde Park Barracks as well. Doing this will also get you into the Museum of Sydney and the Police/Crime Museum open on Weekends for the same price. If you have to discriminate, the Hyde Park should be the priority followed by this little gem.

A must visit if you're in the rocks. Wonderful preservation of history in the best location in Sydney.

Its not visually spectacular and theres no fabulous antiques or rare and priceless artifacts but it is a fascinating insight into working life through the 1850's - 1970's in Sydney. Inside these four terraces everything seems tiny and truly reflects how restrictive living space would of been in those times. The laundries and bathrooms are outside and our guide says they are among the oldest in Sydney. There are floor coverings and some wall paper. resembles a dairy or general store. The handrails have been worn smooth and there are many stories under each layer that makes Susannah Place Museum.

From the Historic Houses Trust you can purchase the Ticket Through Time where you can visit 12 historical houses in Sydney over a 3 month period. A family ticket is $60.

We had Ivan for our tour guide and he was great! Quick witted and very informed! This was my favorite museum in Sydney! I am even debating on going back with my husband as we wasn't able to come this time. You walk through the store front and two of the houses. Amazing that they were able to preserve this piece of history. So amazing how all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together and hearing about the many families that lived there!!

No need to visualize how the early Sydneysiders of the 19th century lived, just go to Susannah Place museum in the heart of The Rocks. It consists of four working-class terraces build in the 1844 by immigrants from Ireland and has been continuously occupied until about 20 years ago. Interestingly, over 100 different families lived here. That's a lot of history! Luckily for us, these four houses survived a complete reconstruction of the entire Rocks area, which used to be a place of slum-like conditions for the working class. This museum displays the efforts of domestic archaeology, which attempt to peel back all the layers of decoration and reformatting that each one of these 100+ families contributed. The museum tells the stories of select families who inhabited the houses over the past two centuries. Imagine living here in deplorable living conditions during the bubonic plague outbreak in 1900. Times have sure changed!