Polly Woodside tall ship and museum

Place VIC

After travelling 1.7 million kilometres and circumnavigating the world 17 times, the Polly Woodside now welcomes you aboard.

Built in Belfast in 1885, the three masted cargo vessel carried coal and wheat between England and South America.

You can join the crew, come aboard for a tour of the ship and discover what life was like on a tall ship sailing the seven seas.

Polly Woodside offers a range of activities for visitors including a gallery with the story and history of the ship, children’s Crew Calls, Pirate Days and a wharf with picnic facilities.

Pirate Day – Sunday 3 November

Bring along your scallywags and buccaneers and join us for a day of adventures at Polly Woodside.

There are a variety of activities throughout the day including treasure hunts, scrubbing the decks, pirate games and art and craft!

Planning your visit

Address:

21 South Wharf Promenade
South Wharf 3006 VIC

Open:

Normal Trading Saturdays & Sundays 10am-4pm (last entry 3.15pm)
Pirate Day - First Sunday of each month (please check website for any updates)

School holidays every day (subject to change) 10am-4pm (last entry 3.15pm)

Groups and schools by appointment: Bookings Office (03) 9656 9889 Mon-Fri, 9am to 5pm.

A Virtual Reality headset is available for mobility impaired visitors courtesy of the State Trustees Australia Foundation.

Closed:

Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.

Phone:

(03) 9656 9889 Mon-Fri

Email:

[email protected]

Entry Fees:

Adults: $16
Concession: $13
Child (3-15years): $9.50
Family: $43 ( 2 Adults and 2 Children),
Single Family: $30 (1 Adult and 2 Children)
Additional Children: $5 per child.

What we offer:

Pirate Day

Come aboard on the first Sunday of each month for a day of adventures. There are treasure hunts, decks to scrub, pirate games and arts and crafts.

Daily Crew Calls

Join in the fun with our Children's Crew Calls. Running every hour from 10.30am to 2.30pm.

Storytime

For the little ones aged 0 to 5yrs, join us for storytime at 10.15am daily.

What's happening at Polly?

We're revitalising the much loved Polly Woodside by undertaking conservation works to the rigging and masts.

Ahoy there!

Due for completion by May 2019, the Polly Woodside will be undergoing extensive conservation works to her masts and rigging. The purpose of this major project is to restore the masts and rigging to a sound and safe condition; repairing and refurbishing where possible and renewing where required.

Tusk Engineering, Ferdi Darley and the Polly Woodside Volunteer Association will be –

removing and replacing the rigging,
sanding, refinishing and replacing areas of the masts and
repainting or replacing associated elements like the blocks.

Preliminary non-destructive ultrasonic testing has shown that the lower steel sections of the mast (below deck level) are in very good condition however we do need to undertake work to the upper timber masts. To get these large pieces of timber down we will need a crane, so please watch your step!

All this hard work will make the Polly Woodside safe and able to support willing volunteers and pirates aloft, so we ask you to please be patient through this process.

The works will only be undertaken during the day however if at any stage you have concerns or are just interested in what’s happening onsite, call the contacts below or pop in to the Polly Woodside Museum.

For volunteering opportunities and how you can assist the Polly Woodside contact our People & Culture Department on 9656 9840 or [email protected]

Supported by the Victorian Government, Living Heritage Program

Mobility Impaired Visitors

Visitors who have difficulty navigating the stairs and narrow entrances of the ship can use a Virtual Reality Headset on request. These are provided courtesy of the State Trustees Australia Foundation.