Conditions of Entry
To ensure the safety and security of all our visitors and staff, please read our Terms and Conditions of Entry.
Mutual Respect
In order to create a safe environment and community, we ask you to use your 21st Century manners when you visit Sovereign Hill. Our costumed staff and volunteers are happy to share with you the stories of the past, but please be respectful. Do not touch our staff and volunteers without consent and please abstain from inappropriate or disrespectful language.
Standard Conditions of Entry
Tickets issued by Sovereign Hill are subject to the following conditions and the Sovereign Hill Regulations, which shall be made available upon request:
1. Tickets are sold on behalf of Sovereign Hill. A ticket is a receipt and is not transferable.
2. Sovereign Hill reserves the right to refuse admission or to request a visitor to leave Sovereign Hill’s facilities. Sovereign Hill’s Refund/Cancellation Policy will apply.
3. Proof of age and concession identification may be required.
4. General Admission & AURA ticket purchases are non-refundable.
In the event that you cannot attend on the booked date and advise us at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled arrival, a change of date may be offered subject to the discretion of Sovereign Hill. No more than one date change will be processed per booking. Date changes must be within 6 months of the initial booking. No-shows (failure to attend on the day without prior contact) will result in forfeiture of the booking. Tickets cannot be exchanged for credit or cash, transferred into another name or sold to another party. Requests for cancellation should be made in writing via bookings@sovereignhill.com.au
If the museum is unable to open due to conditions restricting our ability to operate, then a full refund will be processed.
Winter Wonderlight’s Tickets.
Ticket purchases for Winter Wonderlight’s are final. No refund or change of date is available. Please consider your date selection carefully. Sovereign Hill is an outdoor museum and opens in all weather conditions. Tickets are not refundable or transferable on account of inclement weather.
5. Additional charges apply to activities including, but not limited to, mine tours and coach rides. Extra charges may apply to entry prices during special events. Complimentary and discount passes are not valid during special events.
6. Tickets purchased may not, without the prior written consent of Sovereign Hill be resold, packaged or used for advertising, promotion or other commercial purposes (including competitions or trade promotions) or to enhance the demand for other goods and services. If a ticket is sold or used in breach of these conditions, the bearer of the ticket may be denied admission, or other action taken, without guarantee of a refund. Entry may also be denied if tickets are not purchased from an authorised point-of-sale.
7. Opening hours for the Outdoor Museum are generally from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm daily (closed Christmas Day). Sovereign Hill reserves the right to amend opening hours at any time including during daylight savings. Entry for private functions and Sovereign Hill Evening Experiences will be provided under conditions at the sole discretion of Sovereign Hill.
8. The daily program for activities within Sovereign Hill is provisional and subject to change as necessary without notice due to adverse weather conditions or other operational reasons. Sovereign Hill reserves the right to cancel, withdraw, postpone, relocate or reschedule activities and there is no guarantee of viewing any or all scheduled activities.
9. Red Hill mine tours are self-guided. Entry is at own risk. Gold Mine Tours are fully-guided. NO ONE MAY ENTER THE GOLD MINE without a Sovereign Hill staff member.
10. For safety reasons, visitors are not permitted to use drones at Sovereign Hill, Sovereign Hill Accommodation, Evening Experiences and Narmbool. Commercial use is subject to prior permission in accordance with Sovereign Hill’s Filming & Photography Policy.
11. Images of Sovereign Hill taken with a camera, mobile phone or other wireless device cannot be used for any purpose other than for regular private and domestic purposes without prior written consent of Sovereign Hill and payment to Sovereign Hill of such fee as is requested by Sovereign Hill. Images cannot be sold, licensed, published or otherwise commercially exploited. Flash photography is not permitted in our mines, during Sovereign Hill Evening Experiences, in the Red Hill Photographic Rooms or during performances in the Victoria Theatre. Wedding photography is only permitted with prior written consent of Sovereign Hill and after payment of an associated fee. Sovereign Hill reserves the right to instruct the methods used to obtain images or prevent any form of photography on its premises at any time.
12. Visitors consent to being photographed, filmed and recorded as visitors to Sovereign Hill and consent to the use of any such film, image or recording at the sole discretion of Sovereign Hill.
13. Making or distributing of broadcasts, commentary or news reports by any means in any format or media including any such commentary made by mobile phone or other device is not permitted without prior consent of Sovereign Hill. Prior written approval from Sovereign Hill is necessary for photography intended for publication.
14. Any personal information (except postcodes or country of departure) communicated to Sovereign Hill by the purchaser when purchasing a ticket is collected for the purposes of assisting with lost tickets. Sovereign Hill may also use such personal information for direct marketing purposes in its promotion of Sovereign Hill and related products. Where such use is made, the purchaser will be given prior opportunity to ‘opt out’ of receiving further direct marketing material.
15. For the comfort and safety of visitors, staff and volunteers, the following items are not permitted to be brought into Sovereign Hill and a Sovereign Hill employee may, in his/her absolute discretion, deny the entry of such items into Sovereign Hill: Alcohol, illicit drugs, animals (except assistance animals including guide dogs and on-duty dogs under the control and supervision of on-duty emergency or security personnel or dogs engaged in a performance approved by the CEO or his/her representative or Chief Warden in accordance with Sovereign Hill’s Assistance Animals Access Policy 2010); any item that could be used as a weapon; vehicles of any kind including bicycles, motor cycles, scooters, (except wheelchairs, electric wheelchairs & disability scooters), skateboards, and roller blades/skates; fireworks; balls, frisbees and helium balloons; large flags; musical instruments (unless by prior consent); amplification equipment; unauthorised advertising material or flyers; ‘laser pointers’; distress signals, whistles or loud hailers; dangerous goods or any other item prohibited by legislation.
16. Visitors who find gold in the creek by using Sovereign Hill’s traditional gold panning equipment may keep the gold they find. However, visitors must not use modern prospecting, panning or mining equipment. To ensure fair access to gold panning activities for all visitors, management reserves the right to ask a visitor to move on.
17. Sovereign Hill is a non-smoking venue; this includes all museums buildings, property, grounds and car parks. Smoking includes the use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes and vapours.
18. Whilst at Sovereign Hill, visitors are responsible for the security of their own property. All bags may be subject to search, and visitors are reminded to not leave bags or packages unattended at any time.
19. Children 15 years and under must be supervised by an accompanying adult. An adult is deemed to be any person aged 16 years or older.
20. Sovereign Hill does not take responsibility for personal injury, loss or damage however caused, including any negligence (but not gross negligence), breach of duty, default or omission on the part of Sovereign Hill’s staff, volunteers, contractors or agents.
21. Appointed Officers of Sovereign Hill reserve the right, with reasonable cause, to refuse entry to any person or to remove any person from Sovereign Hill without any entitlement to a refund subject to all laws.
22. WARNING: Visitors may experience some aspects of Sovereign Hill that are potentially hazardous including activities associated with: gold panning in running and potentially deep water, gunshot and other loud noises, wood turning demonstrations, coach, train and articulated vehicle rides, close proximity of horses and other animals, uneven and potentially slippery gravelled surfaces and board walks, variable light levels, hazards associated with underground mining and equipment, trains and steam operated machinery and pyrotechnics. Many areas of Sovereign Hill are exposed to direct sunlight and heat. Visitors are required to take appropriate care of their hydration and sun protection.
23. Sovereign Hill advises that it offers activities carried out by costumed staff and volunteers who may portray some of the behaviours and prejudices of the 1850s.
24. To avoid confusion with staff and volunteers, visitors may not wear historical clothing unless given permission to do so as part of a Sovereign Hill program
Additional terms and conditions of entry to AURA
25. No refunds, cancellations or amendments within 24 hours of the show.
26. Ticket contains booking details. Please arrive 15 minutes early.
27. Sovereign Hill recommends warm, casual clothing and flat walking shoes.
28. Latecomers may only be admitted during a convenient program break.
29. Consumption of alcohol and food, other than that purchased as Sovereign Hill, is not permitted during the show.
30. Strollers/prams are not advisable because of the nature of show.
31. Flash photography is strictly forbidden during the show.
Privacy Policy
32. Sovereign Hill undertakes to comply with the terms of its Privacy Policy in relation to the collection and use of your personal information.
33. Sovereign Hill may disclose your personal information to third parties to complete a transaction on your behalf or provide you with a service you have requested.
Purchasing Security Policy
34. When purchasing from the Website, your financial details are passed through a secure server using the latest 128-bit SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption technology.
35. No transmission over the internet can be guaranteed as totally secure. Whilst Sovereign Hill strives to protect such information, Sovereign Hill does not warrant and cannot ensure the security of any information which you transmit to Sovereign Hill. Accordingly, any information which you transmit to Sovereign Hill, including your credit card details, is transmitted at your own risk.