Behind the Glass at TarraWarra Museum of Art: A Guided Tour of the Collection
Behind the Glass is a 45-minute guided tour of TarraWarra Museum of Art’s visible art storage in the Yarra Valley, run on Thursdays and Saturdays and limited to 10 people.
Most galleries show you what’s on the walls. TarraWarra also lets you walk in among the racks where the rest of the collection lives.
The tour takes you behind a 46-metre glass wall and into the Eva and Marc Besen Centre, where works by some of Australia’s best-known artists are stored and cared for.
Related reading: Day Trips from Melbourne by Public Transport: reader-tested ideas
“Behind the Glass” tour at TarraWarra Museum of Art
TarraWarra Museum of Art in the Yarra Valley is more than a gallery. It’s essentially two galleries, a cellar door, a restaurant and an architectural destination. Its lawns, vineyards, buildings, driveways and unexpected sculptural installations provide a beautiful backdrop for your visit(s).
Perhaps by chance, we chose the upper car park for our visit. This is the most accessible* entrance, not just because it’s closer to the main site, but because this car park sits just above the level of most of the action. After a few seconds in the elevator, we arrived at the Eva and Marc Besen Centre.
My companion decided against the “Behind the Glass” tour and I had my artist guide, Gina to myself for this experience. It was an unexpected adjunct to the renowned Tarrawarra Gallery and was an intriguing tour of the Museum’s art storage facility, where up to 800 of its works are kept. It was a tour not only of Australian masterpieces – think Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd, Grace Cossington-Smith and Fred Williams – but an insight into the exacting standards the Museum follows to preserve the art collection donated to the Australian public by Eva and Marc Besen.
The museum follows the Bizot Green Protocol for art conservation and for that reason, my phone and handbag were locked into a secure area of the reception desk before I entered the air-locked storage zone and crossed a “tacky mat” to de-contaminate the soles of my shoes.
It was a conversational tour, and I had the excitement of trying to identify the artists from the work I could see, rather than from guidance. That was my choice. It was a relaxed tour. There was no pressure at all if you just wanted to listen to the commentary.
The tour is available on selected days only, so I felt fortunate to have stumbled across the right day. Of course it’s best to plan ahead. Then you can look forward to wandering past the exhibited items with a human being, rather than museum signage, guiding your “up close and personal” viewing of artworks. These were by Brett Whiteley, Margaret Preston, Joy Hester, John Olsen and many others.
I left the tour with a great feeling of satisfaction. That feeling came from the intimacy of the viewings, the insight into art conservation guidelines, an understanding of the collectors’ vision and pride in Australian artists.
I have many more positive things to say about other aspects of the Tarrawarra Museum of Art. I’ll save them for another day!
About TarraWarra Museum of Art
TarraWarra opened in 2003 on a hilltop outside Healesville, with views across vines, farmland and the ranges beyond. The Museum specialises in modern and contemporary Australian art, and its collection grew from a gift of more than 600 artworks from founding patrons Eva and Marc Besen.
The Eva and Marc Besen Centre, designed by Kerstin Thompson Architects, opened in March 2025 and won a 2025 Victorian Architecture Award for Public Architecture. Its glass wall faces visitors as they arrive, with 64 storage racks behind it. You can look through the glass without booking anything, but the tour is what gets you inside.
The Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 5pm, and on most public holidays (closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day). Entry to the main gallery is ticketed, so check the current exhibition and prices on the Museum’s website before you go.
Behind the Glass tour: the details
- When: Thursdays and Saturdays at 11.00am, 12.30pm, 2.00pm and 3.30pm. Extra tours sometimes run on Fridays when the galleries are closed between exhibitions.
- How long: About 45 minutes.
- Group size: Up to 10 people per session.
- Booking: Essential. At the time of writing, at least one listed session showed as sold out, so book ahead rather than hoping for a walk-up place, as Marjie was lucky enough to do.
- Age: 16 and over only.
- Included: Your booking includes admission to the current exhibition (or a voucher for the next one if the galleries are closed for changeover).
- Phones and bags: Marjie’s phone and handbag were held in a secure area at reception during the tour, so travel light and leave valuables in the car or at home.
The Museum’s tours are led by a member of the Museum team, who talks through the works and how a collection like this is preserved.
Food and drink
TarraWarra Estate, the neighbouring winery, has a cellar door and offers both casual and more formal dining. Because the Museum sits beside a working vineyard, picnics aren’t permitted on the grounds.
Check the Estate’s own website for current hours and bookings, particularly on weekends.
Accessibility
- The Eva and Marc Besen Centre is wheelchair accessible, and Marjie found the upper car park the easiest way in, with a lift to the Centre.
- Accessible car parks and accessible toilets are available close to the Museum entry.
- A self-propelled wheelchair can be borrowed free of charge from reception. The Museum suggests bringing your own if you have specific requirements.
- Benches and seating are provided throughout the galleries.
- The grounds sit on a hill, so allow for some gradients if you plan to walk the sculpture pathway.
- TarraWarra Museum also offers wheelchairs and walking frames to guests at the site.
If you use a wheelchair or walker, or have any other access needs, phone the Museum on 03 5957 3100 or email museum@twma.com.au before you book so they can arrange access for you personally. It’s also worth phoning ahead on days of extreme fire danger, as the Museum has closed on Code Red days.
Getting there
Public transport: Catch a train to Lilydale Station, then take bus route 685 (Lilydale to Healesville). Allow plenty of time for connections and check the journey on the PTV website before you leave. For a car-free option, the Museum runs a return bus from Federation Square on the first Saturday of the month during exhibition periods (departing 11.30am, returning from TarraWarra at 4pm). Tickets are $40 general or $32 for Seniors Card holders, cover exhibition entry and transport, and places are limited to 24 per departure. Day trip passengers can add a Behind the Glass tour at a discounted rate, at 1pm or 3pm.
Driving: TarraWarra is about an hour’s drive north-east of Melbourne and roughly 10 minutes from Healesville. Most people take the Eastern Freeway and Maroondah Highway through Ringwood and Lilydale, or go via Yarra Glen. Free parking is available on site. Marjie recommends the upper car park, which is closest to the lift and the Besen Centre.
TarraWarra Museum of Art 313 Healesville-Yarra Glen Road, Healesville VIC 3777 For enquiries, please contact the Museum on 03 5957 3100.
More articles by Marjie Courtis can be found at www.ozimage.com.au
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