Things to do in Bathurst, NSW: What are the best attractions?

The best things to do in Bathurst, NSW, include the Bathurst Rail Museum, Abercrombie House and driving the Mount Panorama circuit. Other Bathurst attractions include the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum.

What to do in Bathurst

The best things to do in Bathurst, NSW, are…

Abercrombie House.
Driving the Mount Panorama circuit.
The Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum.
The Bathurst Rail Museum.
The National Motor Racing Museum.

Bathurst, NSW, feels like where inland Australia begins. The Blue Mountains really belong to Sydney and the coast. But Bathurst is at the end of the Great Western Highway, on the other side of the Great Dividing Range. From Bathurst, you’re properly in country New South Wales, with the likes of Orange, Parkes, Forbes and Dubbo an hour or two down the track.

There aren’t too many tourist attractions in Bathurst, NSW, and it is certainly not on any of the usual tourist routes. But you’ll pass through on the drive from Sydney to Orange or Sydney to Dubbo.

Things to do in Bathurst, NSW: Museums

The best things to do in Bathurst lean towards niche interest museums and heritage buildings. The Bathurst Rail Museum offers more than a big room full of old rolling stock. It looks at the town’s history as a rail travel hub, and looks at the stories of the people connected to the railways. It’s surprisingly engaging, largely because the Bathurst Rail Museum tries to go beyond rail nerds who just want to look at old locomotives.

The Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum does similar. It’s not just thousands of fossils in glass cases – it makes attempts to explain the stages of life on earth. The Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum’s star attraction, however, is the Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton.

Things to do in Bathurst, NSW: Heritage buildings

On the heritage building front, Miss Traill’s House dates back to 1845 and is owned by the National Trust. It falls largely into the ‘random collection of old stuff’ school of museum curation, but the gardens are quite pretty.

Abercrombie House is more impressive. The Victorian Tudor-style stately home was built in the 1870s using sandstone and granite. It’s one of the grandest buildings in Australia, and occasionally Abercrombie House hosts high teas with plenty of pomp and ceremony.

Abercrombie House in Bathurst, NSW. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

What to do in Bathurst, NSW: Mount Panorama and National Motor Racing Museum

For many Australians however, Bathurst is all about motor racing. The Bathurst 1000 is arguably the most famous car race in Australia, and is currently part of the Supercars Championship. The race lasts 1,000km, held over 161 laps of the Mount Panorama Circuit.

The Mount Panorama Circuit is highly distinctive, partly because it uses public roads and partly because it really is on a mountainside. There’s a 174 metre gain in elevation from the lowest point of the track to the highest. For many, coming outside of race day and driving on Mount Panorama is something of a petrolhead pilgrimage.

The National Motor Racing Museum caters to those who want to know more about the race, and Australian motor racing in general.

Bathurst accommodation

Good value Bathurst accommodation options include the Alloggio Bathurst Apartments and the Mantra Bathurst.

The Rydges Bathurst is right next to the track, should you want to stay at Mount Panorama.

Bathurst restaurants

There are also a few good Bathurst restaurants if you fancy a night out. Good options include Dogwood Bathurst, El Guapo Cantina and Thai Terrace.

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