Looking for a holiday with a difference? Take a historic Blue Mountains luxury escape today.
Only a short drive from Sydney, you can start your historic tour on the way to your Mountain Whispers properties, or spend a day or two traveling the full Greater Blue Mountains Heritage Trail. We’ve got a series of blogs coming up following the heritage trail, and today we’re going to start at the Lower Blue Mountains.
Arms of Australia Inn Museum
Located in Emu Plains, the Arms of Australia Inn Museum was once a staging post for travelers passing through to Bathurst and the Goldfields. Built in two stages, the first in 1826, today it is one of the oldest buildings in the Penrith region. The museum contains artifacts that were either used or manufactured in the local region as well as hundreds of photographs.
If you’re spending your Blue Mountains luxury escape at Mountain Whispers with a group, book a Lantern Tour and be taken back to the 1800’s, and get a sense of what it was like to live without power or running water.
Glenbrook & District Historical Society
We next move onto the Glenbrook & District Historical Society. Open on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month, and you’ll find an expansive archive of local history. Open days coincide with the Glenbrook Rotary Markets, where you can stock up on local produce and hand made cakes and biscuits. Throughout the year the Glenbrook & District Historical Society conduct history walks through the region. Take a look at the 2017 walking programme here. Access to the Historical Society is via Park Street.
Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum
Another great stop on the Greater Blue Mountains Heritage Trail is the Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum. The museum will keep you occupied for quite some time with historical locomotives, tramway collection, carriages, and art exhibitions. The museum has a number of open days throughout the year, and it’s well worth calling into…you might even get the chance to ride the tram. Take a look at the website to confirm open days and times.
Blue Mountains City Libraries
Next on the list is a stop at the Springwood branch of the Blue Mountains City Libraries. Here you can discover and inspect the Blue Mountains Local Studies collection which is full of historical photographs and documents. You may need to make an appointment, but if you don’t get the chance to call in, you can see some of the Blue Mountains Local Studies collection on the Flickr site.
Norman Lindsay Gallery & Museum
The next stop on the trail may take a little while to go through, but it’s a great option for a lunch or afternoon tea stop off. The Norman Lindsay Gallery & Museum is a National Trust Property and is located at Faulconbridge. The gallery is the home of The Magic Pudding and displays work from artist and writer Norman Lindsay. Open 7 days a week there is a specialist gift shop and cafe on site, as well as explore the gardens and the four gallery rooms. In the gardens you can visit the Etchings Room and the Painting Studio as well as the bush walk. The gallery is a great place to visit and is a must-do while in the region.
Woodford Academy
Last but not by any means least on the Lower Blue Mountains section of the Heritage Trail is the Woodford Academy, another National Trust Property. The Woodford Academy is the Blue Mountains oldest building and it’s a treat to visit on your historic Blue Mountains luxury escape. Built in the 1830’s Woodford Academy has been run as an inn, a gentleman’s residence, guest house, boarding house, and from 1907 through to 1936 as the exclusive Woodford Academy run by John McManamey. Today you can discover a building of historical significance and take a unique glimpse of colonial Blue Mountains life. Discover Woodford Academy at night with Blue Mountains Mystery Tours for something a little different.
Next time, we head off on the Upper Blue Mountains section of the heritage trail.
Mountain Whispers is just a short drive off the Heritage Trail, and offers a great stopping point while following the trail. All four Mountain Whispers cottages have been carefully restored back to their own former glory, and you can spend the night in pure historical luxury.
Book a Blue Mountains luxury escape today.
