Harbour Hoots

The Australian National Maritime Museum will celebrate International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend with a special family fun day focusing on the workhorses of our harbours – lighthouses and working harbour boats. Families will enjoy a lively day of crafts, circus workshops, tours and films. They can climb up the museum's Cape Bowling Green Lighthouse or hop on board a visiting historic workboat.

The full day of fun for all the family includes:

Cape Bowling Green Lighthouse and Lightship Carpentaria - 11am - 4pm

Climb to the top of the Cape Bowling Green Lighthouse for a bird's eye view of Darling Harbour or see our lightship Carpentaria from the wharf.

Harbour Hoots boat trips with Sydney Heritage Fleet - 11am – 3pm

Hop on board the visiting historic Sydney Heritage Fleet work boats Berrima and Harman to take a trip around the harbour. Learn about these adorable vessels and discover what life on Sydney Harbour was like when they were in service. The 40 minute rides depart regularly.

Harbour Hoots Family Tours with Captain Shawn Scuttlebutt - 11am, 12pm, 2.30pm

Join character guide Captain Shawn Scuttlebutt for a fun-filled family-friendly tour and games around the museum's harbour to discover the story behind our visiting vessels and our three lights, Cape Bowling Green, Carpentaria and the Tasman Light.

Lighthouse circus workshops – 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm

Join Charlie Truscott for an interactive circus workshop inspired by the movements of lighthouses and harbor vessels.

Lighthouse Larks Science Cart  - 2pm – 4pm

Investigate the harbour environment with interactive experiments and demonstrations to show how seagulls fly, boats float, lighthouses work and ways of watching weather.  

Kids craft activities – 11am – 3pm

Craft your own lighthouse model, make harbour prints and a souvenir badge. Experiment with reflectors and circuits to make a working lightkeeper's lantern or learn morse code ciphers.

Face painting - 11am – 3.30pm

Have your face painted with nautical inspired designs.

Photo opportunity with Blinky Lighthouse - 10.30am –11.30am and 3pm – 4pm

See if you can find our friendly red and white striped lighthouse roaming the shores of the museum for a picture perfect moment!