From engineering feats, spectacular spaces for children, cutting-edge artistic commissions and scientific stories, Powerhouse Parramatta's opening exhibition program has something for everyone.
Revealed today, the opening program will make world-class culture accessible to all. All exhibitions will be free for visitors under 16 years of age when Powerhouse Parramatta opens its doors on Saturday 7 November 2026.
The $915 million project includes the building and delivery of Powerhouse Parramatta; a new collection storage facility at Castle Hill; and the digitisation and preservation of over 371,000 objects in the Powerhouse Collection.
The project also includes an ambitious philanthropic target of $75 million. Powerhouse Parramatta has surpassed that target, with $80.28 million secured from philanthropic contributions.
The first five exhibitions will showcase more than 3,000 objects, with more than 1,600 from the Powerhouse's own collection, with others sourced from collections around the world.
The full opening exhibition program is:
- The Dark: an immersive exhibition created for children aged 4 - 12-years-old. Developed in collaboration with creatives Kip Williams, Elizabeth Gadsby and Marg Horwell, The Dark is a bedroom, a crystal tunnel, a forest, and a gateway to a land of giants. It is magical with many things to be discovered one by one.
Featuring over 800 objects, including items from the Australian Museum mineral collection, newly commissioned First Nations animations and treasures loaned by children from all over Western Sydney who shared their special objects and stories reflecting on the times they've met The Dark.
- Es Devlin: The Turning is an exhibition of 5 major works by British artist, Es Devlin whose genre-defying work ranges from sculpture to film, architecture, language and performance. Her work immerses audiences into atmospheric environments that draw on Earth's vast biodiversity, maths and our collective imaginations.
Exhibiting in Australia for the first time, visitors can explore her work in 5 parts: Forest of Us; Memory Palace - an immersive 3D cityscape; Screenshare - a hybrid cinema and installation presenting sketches from 365 books Devlin has made; hand-drawn studies of flora and fauna in Redraw the Edges of Yourself; and Collective Portrait - a collaborative evolving installation where audiences are invited to draw portraits of a stranger.
- Overflow: A First Nations-led exhibition grounded in the living principles of Water Country, working with seven Aboriginal organisations to consider the importance and care of salt and freshwater systems throughout NSW. These stories are brought to life through the cinematic lens of acclaimed filmmaker and Kamilaroi man Ivan Sen.
The installation captures community projects spanning species protection, flood mitigation, sustainable and commercial fishing, water monitoring, language revitalisation and cultural water rights from Baramadagal Community; Gamay Rangers; The Goondee Aboriginal Museum and Keeping Place; Jagun Alliance; Joonga Land and Water Aboriginal Land Corporation; Moogalin Performing Arts; and Naru Aboriginal Corporation.
- Task Eternal: will explore the intersection of design, innovation and technology and trace humanity's quest to defy gravity, take flight and journey into the sky.
Highlights will include the historic Qantas Avro 504k aircraft; original drawings of flying machines by Leonardo da Vinci, loaned from Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Italy; a NASA Moon rock, the largest collected during the Apollo missions; and a new immersive light work by American artist James Turrell. Task Eternal will be ticketed, but free for visitors under 16 years of age.
- The Mall: across two storeys, the exhibition examines the history, evolution and cultural significance of the shopping mall, exploring Australian and global innovation across architecture, design, technology, engineering, and fashion.
Highlights will include the iconic Levi's 501 jeans worn by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, early designs for the first barcode, recently digitised material documenting the United States' first fully enclosed shopping mall, iconic 1980s arcade game machines and a bitcoin mining rig.
Minister for the Arts, John Graham said:
"Powerhouse Parramatta is a once-in-a-generation project. When it opens this November, Powerhouse Parramatta will bring extraordinary stories, ideas and experiences to the heart of Western Sydney.
"Visitors can spend hours exploring the exhibitions, immersing themselves in science, engineering, design, visual arts and special cultural artefacts - largely for free."
Parliamentary Secretary for the Arts and Member for Granville, Julia Finn said:
"The is a hugely ambitious engineering feat, bringing together world class design to create a museum made by and for people of Western Sydney. Powerhouse Parramatta will also collect stories from across Western Sydney, to share the visitors from around the world.
"Western Sydney is already a powerhouse of creativity and innovation. Powerhouse Parramatta will showcase our best local talent to the world while bringing world-class science, technology, and art right to our doorstep."
Member for Parramatta, Donna Davis said:
"The programming and free access will make Powerhouse Parramatta the destination of choice for so many Parramatta locals and visitors from across the city.
"Parramatta is buzzing with anticipation to experience the Powerhouse's exhibition program and simply explore the new "third space" on the block."
Powerhouse Chief Executive, Lisa Havilah said:
"Powerhouse Parramatta will redefine how museums connect with community, industry and learning. As Western Sydney's first NSW cultural institution, it will be a place that celebrates the creativity, ambition and diversity of our communities, connecting local stories and knowledge with international innovation.
"These five foundational exhibitions place audiences at the heart of the museum, bringing to life stories of technology, creativity and excellence. Together, they reflect our ambition to create a museum that amplifies community, creates new opportunities and helps define the future. We are deeply grateful to our patrons for their visionary support and for joining us on the journey to create one of the world's great new museums. We can't wait to open the doors this November."
