Port Arthur Historic Site

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Australian Convict Sites (2010). The Best Preserved Convict Penal Settlement In Australia, Operating From 1830 To 1877, With More Than Thirty Ruined And Restored Buildings Across The Tasman Peninsula Telling The History Of Transportation And Punishment, And A Memorial Garden For The 1996 Massacre · Port Arthur, Tasmania

Port Arthur sits on the Tasman Peninsula about ninety minutes south-east of Hobart, the best-preserved convict penal settlement in Australia and part of the UNESCO Australian Convict Sites listing from 2010. More than thirty ruined and restored buildings spread across manicured grounds beside the water, from the roofless shell of the penitentiary to the separate prison, the asylum and the commandant's house, telling the story of transportation and punishment from 1830 to 1877. A harbour cruise included with most tickets passes the Isle of the Dead burial ground and the Point Puer boys' prison site. A quiet memorial garden on the grounds marks the 1996 shooting that happened here, kept deliberately plain and separate from the convict-era displays. Costumed guides give included walking tours through the day, and after dark a lantern-lit ghost tour walks the same paths with a different, deliberately atmospheric focus. This is a full day out, not a quick stop, and most of it is outdoors on grass and gravel.

On the Tasman Peninsula about 90 minutes south-east of Hobart via Sorell and Eaglehawk Neck, Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia

Open daily year-round except Christmas Day, typically from around 9am to 5pm, with the last entry around an hour before closing. Included guided walking tours and the harbour cruise run on a timetable through the day and stop once the site closes. Ghost tours run most evenings after dark, booked and paid separately from day entry, and are sometimes cancelled in severe weather. The site's cafe and gift shop keep shorter hours than the grounds, usually closing mid-afternoon. A standard entry ticket is valid for two consecutive days, which is worth knowing before buying a single-day pass by mistake. Some interior buildings close earlier than the grounds for cleaning and conservation work.

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