1 / 3Fort Scratchley
📍 Newcastle East, NSW
Historic 1882 military fort on Newcastle headland with free grounds access, guided tunnel tours led by volunteer historians, coastal views, and a daily one o clock cannon firing. Open Wednesday to Monday.
🏆 Family Action Verdict
Best for families with school-age children who respond to hands-on history told by passionate guides. The tunnel tour is the centrepiece — underground, torch-lit, and narrated with genuine enthusiasm by volunteer historians. Kids who arrive before one o clock get the cannon demonstration as a bonus.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →1,660 Google reviews
G Reviews from Google
L. Kennedy
8 months ago
“Absolutely wonderful tunnel tour for $15 per adult. The historical society volunteer guides are great and explaining everything and happy to answer any questions. They’ve done a wonderful job at keeping the fort open to the public and restoring a huge piece of local history. Amazing views from the top with plenty of ocean life to watch. Would highly recommend.”
Ivan Martín
5 months ago
“Great place, very well taken cared and shown by a very enthusiastic staff of volunters, witnessed the 13:00p cannon shot followed by a guided visit to the tunnels, that's really the part you have to pay for,the fortress itself is free, but if you ask me it's absolutely worth every cent.”
Jesse Arnautovic
5 months ago
“Loved the fort, it was awesome to see a real piece of history and how our land was protected. It's free to walk around but need to pay for the tunnels, which are pretty cool as well. If you go before 1:00pm make sure you stick around as there is the one o'clock gun that goes off.”
📊 Commonly mentioned in Google reviews
Based on Google review tagsTunnels
156 reviews
Fort
128 reviews
Tunnel tour
69 reviews
Knowledgeable guide
61 reviews
Cannon firing
57 reviews
Overview
Fort Scratchley sits on Newcastle headland and has operated since 1882. The fort grounds are free to access and include outdoor coastal views, historical displays, and outdoor exhibits. Paid guided tunnel tours are led by volunteer historians from the local historical society, covering the fort military role, the stories of those stationed here, and the tunnels construction. The one o clock cannon fires daily. Special events and the tunnel tours deliver the depth of the experience.
