Mona (Museum of Old and New Art) is the brainchild of David Walsh, who made millions as a professional gambler and used his newfound wealth to build one of Hobart’s biggest tourist attractions.
Today, Mona is Australia’s largest private museum – a playground of art, food, music and wine. Attracting around 330,000 art-lovers a year, it is free for local Tasmanians.
It is known as being a subversive adult’s Disneyland, and the art will challenge you, and even disgust some.
Whether you’re exploring the 3.5-hectare site as part of Dark Mofo (Mona’s major music and arts festival featuring provocative large-scale light and art installations, live music, and night feasts) or enjoying a trip with friends, Mona will immerse you in three floors of subterranean architecture where the art and exhibits will no doubt reshape how you view the world.
Discover the best things to see and do at Mona, and prepare to have your mind blown.
A subversive adult’s Disneyland to shock, challenge and delight
To enter Mona, head down the rabbithole to the ground floor and borrow one of the museum’s custom iPods (known as The O) to learn about the exhibitions and pieces on display. Or, download The O as an app before your visit. There are no wall labels at Mona, so The O is your guide to all exhibitions and performances.
Mona’s collection is always growing, so displays change several times a year. Permanent highlights include the Pharos wing, which opened in 2017 and features a tunnel to nowhere known as Siloam. The tunnel network takes you from Mona’s underground galleries to the Pharos wing, and is decked out with installations. Listen out for Chris Townend’s sound installation, which is the largest multichannel sound-based artwork in the world, and make sure to stop at the bones of a Qing dynasty house, created by Ai Weiwei.
To experience the most of Mona’s 3200-item collection, check out the general collection ‘Monanism’. The ever-evolving exhibition celebrates unique pieces in the Mona library on a rotating basis, so you’ll discover something new every time you visit. Keep an eye out for Sidney Nolan’s snake, a giant Rainbow Serpent mural made of 1,620 paintaints, old Egyptian mummies, and a machine that turns food into poo.
Bibliophiles will love Mona’s library, which houses David Walsh’s expensive collection of books, rare volumes, maps and manuscripts. Browse more than 30,000 books in the subterranean space, including valuable pieces such as a copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio from 1623 and handwritten documents from David Bowie, Albert Einstein and Issac Newton. You are welcome to study, work and flick through the items, but books cannot be taken out of the library.
Music to excite and delight
Excited musos will find much to delight in at Mona, where performance is always encouraged.
From 1-3pm every day, you can enjoy free live music on the lawns, or inside the Ether building if it’s raining. Local artists from all genres are invited to play, so you could be listening to acoustic renditions of classical Indian songs one day, and then improvised modern jazz the next.
Inside the museum, you will also find seasonal acts. Recently, local man David Edmondson enjoyed a three month residency, where he would arrive with no idea what to perform. Visitors were invited to submit song prompts via The O, and Eddie would then spend the afternoon writing and composing before performing at 4pm daily.
To watch talent in action, head to the Round House and have a peek at the artists inside Mona’s recording studio. Known as Frying Pan Studios, this space was built to house the legendary REDD.17 mixing desk, a vacuum-tube mixing desk designed in 1958 specifically for Abbey Road Studios.
Feed your eyes, then feed your stomach
When it comes to delectable dining, you’re spoilt for choice at Mona.
For sweeping views and fine food, The Source does it best. Perched atop the museum, with views along the River Derwent, the restaurant is known for its seasonal menu and award-winning wine list. Dishes change to match the best Tassie ingredients, but will always include wild-caught seafood and invasive meats. You can choose to dine à la carte, or enjoy a four-course Chef’s Menu with matching drinks, or even a six-course tasting menu with seating at the best table and matching drinks.
Mona is home to an on-site winery and one of Tasmania’s oldest vineyards. At Moorilla, the small-batch, premium wines are made from estate-grown fruit, and can be enjoyed at any of Mona’s bars and restaurants. Or, head to the cellar door for a guided tasting, followed by a tour of the gravity-assisted winery where you can learn all about the craft of winemaking with an expert.
Also a part of Mona, Moo Brew is a craft beer brand started by David Walsh in 2014 when he found a unique bottle in eastern Europe and wanted a local beer to fill it. The brewery produces seven unique beers year round, plus some seasonal specials, which can all be enjoyed in Hobart at Manky Sally’s, or at any Mona restaurant. Make sure to try the dark and rich stout, clean and crisp pilsner, and the most-popular beer: the pale ale.
For relaxed dining with a twist, check out Heavy Metal Kitchen on the Mona lawns. Whether you choose to sit, stand, or pull up a beanbag on the grass, you can expect fire-cooked, flame-grilled dishes from the largest privately-owned barbecue in the Southern Hemisphere. The Ottoman Pita includes Baharat spiced wallaby with hummus, chargrilled cauliflower, sumac & honey dressing with zaatar flatbread, while the “Feral” Bear Sandwich is slow cooked venison shoulder, pickled Italian giardiniera, peppers and olives on a crispy French baguette.
If you’re looking for an elegant restaurant with an artistic twist, Faro Bar + Restaurant is for you. This cavernous, light-drenched space has been built into the museum and suspended over the river, so you are literally part of the scenery. The menu is designed by executive chef Vince Trim, while artworks from James Turrell decorate the walls. Choose from a la carte dining featuring wild-caught and sustainable meat and seafood, a range of paired wine, and river or mountain views, indulge in a four-course hand-picked Chef’s Lunch Menu, or enjoy a comprehensive seven-course dinner tasting menu with matched wines and private access to James Turrell artworks. If that wasn’t enough, there’s always live music and performance to compliment your meal.
Stay a little longer
At Mona, you will find luxury dens perched on the River Derwent. Choose to stay in any of these contemporary accommodation options, and you will also have access to the shared gym, sauna and heated infinity pool.
Each pavilion includes private artworks from the Mona collection, complimentary museum entry, a daily breakfast in the Source Restaurant, and a complimentary Moorilla wine tasting. Every room has been architect-designed, with waterfront seclusion, a sunny deck for morning coffee or afternoon cocktails, waterfront spa baths, heated floors and more.
Stay in the Sidney to sleep beneath an artwork by Sir Sidney Nolan, or bring some friends along to enjoy Roy, a three-storey, two-bedroom penthouse named after Sir Roy Grounds (the architect behind Mona’s Courtyard House and Round House). Each pavilion offers something entirely unique, and celebrates an important Australian artistic figure.
Getting to Mona
Although the museum can be reached by car in just 15 minutes from Hobart CBD, the best way to get to Mona is on a relaxing 25-minute ferry ride. In fact, David Walsh intended for his museum to be approached by water, and he built 99 steps from the dock to the entrance specifically (don’t worry, there’s also an accessible entrance via tunnel).
Daily ferries depart from Hobart to Mona every 30 minutes. On your journey, you are invited to grab a drink from the bar, sit on a sheep or tiger statue, and marvel at the mountain views. Or, to upgrade your journey, book a Posh Pit ticket to access the ferry’s private lounge, bar and deck. The ticket includes complimentary drinks and canapés.
Can’t get enough of these amazing things to see and do at Mona? Check out the best family experiences in Hobart here.
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