Sovereign Hill is a living museum presenting the story of Ballarat as a goldrush boomtown. Gold was discovered here in 1851, triggering the greatest alluvial gold rush the world has ever known.The sleepy pastoral settlement of Ballarat grew rapidly into a fine provincial city built on the wealth derived from its gold.
Covering 15 hectares of a former gold mining site, Sovereign Hill’s Outdoor Museum brings the gold rushes to life through a living township with diggings, underground mines, costumed characters, coach rides and 1850s shops, trades, schools and dwellings.
The Outdoor Museum experience is supported by AURA, an evening sound-and-light show illustrating the history and importance of gold in our region. Accommodation, meeting spaces and dining are all available onsite making this outdoor museum the ideal venue for incentive group visits, single day or full residence conferences, meetings and planning days, team building or corporate family days.
Sovereign Hill opened in 1970. It was born from a vision in the 1960s when community groups sought to preserve the city’s vibrant goldrush heritage and the story of its impact on our nation. Now an Australian tourism icon and a winner of major tourism awards, Sovereign Hill attracts some 450,000 visitors annually. The Outdoor Museum enjoys international renown as a living museum featuring rare trades, working machinery and exhibits, costumed interpreters and visitor participation.
