MONA
An art museum cut into the rock, provocative and underground, funded by a professional gambler.
Duration
3 hrs – 5 hrs
Best time
At opening
Open
Closed Tuesday
Entry price
39 AUD
MONA opened in 2011, founded by David Walsh, a professional gambler from Hobart who made his fortune developing racing betting systems. He funded the museum from his winnings and describes it himself as a 'subversive adult Disneyland'.
The building is cut into a sandstone cliff over three underground levels: you enter at the top and descend, which inverts the usual museum route. There are no labels and no signage — a handheld device tells you where you are and what you are looking at. The collection is deliberately provocative, from sex to death.
Getting there
Berriedale, twelve kilometres north of Hobart. The MONA ROMA ferry from Brooke Street pier is the best way, half an hour up the Derwent.
What the price covers
paid entry for non-Tasmanians, rate to be confirmed; the ferry from Hobart is extra
What to bring
- Swimsuit
Rules on site
Closed on Tuesday, and some of the work is explicitly sexual or violent: it is not a museum for young children. The ferry is booked with the ticket and there is no sale at the pier in high season.
Checked on 29 August 2026 at MONA — visiting
