The Cobar Sound Chapel has locked gates at all times. To gain access to the inside of the Sound Chapel, please pick up the key from the Great Cobar Museum (also known as the Visitors Centre, on the Barrier Highway at the Eastern end of town) seven days a week during the business hours below -
Mon-Fri, 8.30 am - 4.30 pm Sat-Sun, 9.00 am - 4.30 pm
Visits to the Cobar Sound Chapel are possible during the day as well as at night. Please read on for details.
Access to the Sound Chapel is free, but we kindly ask visitors to leave some proof ofID and a $100 cash bond, which will be returned to you in full upon returning the key - as soon as you have completed your visit, or by 4.30 pm on the same day at the latest. We do realise this is a bit of an imposition - the ID and bond are unfortunately necessary to keep the Chapel safe in its remote location. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding! Please note that after every visit the premises will be checked for vandalism. If all is in order, and if you have locked the gates and returned the key, your bond will be reimbursed to you in full.
Only one key will be given out at any time. If you are coming from afar and are planning your visit ahead, we recommend you might want to reserve the key for your chosen day and time to be sure you don't miss out. Please ring the Museum on (02) 6836 5806 or email them at visitcobar@cobar.nsw.gov.au.
Important: Upon leaving the Chapel, visitors must securely lock both gates, and they must return the key THEMSELVES to the Museum by 4.30 pm at the latest! Do not hand the key to third parties, or you will not get your bond back!
NIGHT-TIME VISITS - The Cobar Sound Chapel is a permanent sound installation that plays day and night, seven days a week. At night, low-level lighting comes on automatically inside the Chapel, so visitors can peep in through the gates, as well as hear some of the sound emanating from the artwork, even without having the key. Bring your own torch (for ex. the one on your phone), as there are no lights outside the Chapel.
If you are particularly interested in visiting the inner chamber of the Cobar Sound Chapel at night - a much more edgy and intense experience, and in fact probably the one closest to the creators' heart - please feel free to contact us by email at the bottom of this page and introduce yourselves. Tell us who you are and exactly why you are interested in having access outside of business hours - are you an academic, a musician / musicologist / composer, an architect, a journalist etc...? We may then approve your request and grant you after-hours access. This process is all about keeping the Sound Chapel safe in its remote location - we thank you for your understanding. Please note night-time visitors will still need to pick up the key from the Museum during business hours, and proof of ID and the refundable $300 cash bond will still apply.
Should you wish to sit in total darkness during your night-time visit (which we recommend), there is a light switch located at the back of the central seat, which manually overrides the automatic lighting inside the Chapel. Please make sure this switch is back in the ON position as you leave, so that the place is not left in complete darkness. Thank you.