For science lovers staying at a hotel in Sydney, there are two branches of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, both mandatory destinations: The Powerhouse Museum and the historic Sydney Observatory.

The Powerhouse Museum is a science museum dedicated to 400,000 artifacts related to technology in science, communication, costume, furniture, the decorative arts, computer technology, space technology, and even steam engines. The museum itself has been around for about 125 years, and has been at its current site, a converted electric tram power station, since 1988. The building itself, though, has been around since 1902. This familiar and popular destination even boasts its own magazine, the Powerline, which is sent free to members and available at the museum. The museum first began at the Sydney International Exhibition of 1879, and was known variously as the Technological, Industrial and Sanitary Museum of New South Wales (1879) and later as the Technological Museum (1893).

On a hill in the center of Sydney, travelers will find the Sydney Observatory , developed from a fort that was built on Windmill Hill (now known as Observatory Hill) in the early part of the 19th century. During the rest of the 19th century, an astronomical observatory was constructed here. It’s now a museum where visitors may observe planets and stars through a 29 cm refractor telescope that was built in 1874, the oldest telescope in Australia that receives regular use.

From observing stars through the oldest telescope to observing unique exhibits such as the oldest operating rotative steam engine in the world, a visit to both sites will give travelers insight into the scientific advancements of humanity on Earth and the wonder of the stars.