New Norcia Benedictine Community: Visitor Centre, Tours & Museum + Art Gallery

An amazing place for a day visit or a short stay. Stay at the Monastery Guesthouse for the full monastic experience or even just for a few days of tranquility. Beautiful history, nature walks and sights ...eco therapy at it's best.

A place of peace and retreat to rest and pray. Committed kind staff at the guesthouse. Very hospitable atmosphere and well prepared meals at fair prices. The museum and art gallery are well worth visiting, beautiful quality art honouring Jesus. Very inspiring.

We decided to take a little road trip from Perth to New Norcia today, and we were not disappointed.

Driving into town I can understand the reviews saying it’s all closed up, but if you have the time to do one of the tours you will be treated to an entertaining and informative experience, and get to see inside many of the buildings there.

Today we were hosted by Sue, who has been working there for 50 years. She was engaging, funny, and had so many stories to tell. We were also lucky enough to see a monk perform on the organ and piano.

After the tour we went into the museum and the art gallery, which was much bigger than we anticipated with lots of art work, including historic, contemporary and from Aboriginal artists.

We really enjoyed the trip and would thoroughly recommend it.

Lovely and serene town with plenty of history to go around. It’s a lovely place to take a walk and read about the rich history of all the buildings located in this town. There are guided tours available if that’s your thing as well. The products from the bakery are great, even if you can’t visit the bakery itself. All up you could spend a couple of hours here - worth it if you’re passing by!

If travelling in a RV vehicle you can camp behind the petrol station/cafe or park on the oval for $10 per self contained RV but still have use of toilets in the village. Cafe serves great food. New Norcia sell their own bread, beer and wine at the information centre. Did the 2 hour guided tour, this place is amazing you can hear a pin drop at night. Should be on your bucket list.

Very interesting place to visit. Two hour tour of buildings well with $13 fee for senior. Guide very informative Husband is chef for the hotel on-site. Artwork and museum very good. Plenty of useful items in monastery shop at reception centre to purchase.

The New Norcia settlement is an absolute must do! We did the 2 hour tour & an exta 2 hours on our own & could still have done more as it is so expansive.

My friend and I didn't check the web and as a result we were 10 minute late for the afternoon group tour ...
Thank you for the lady at the visitor centre, we could find nice places around on our own and utilize our 4-hour drive, return ...
The old church is one of a kind ... the college is amazing ... the hotel, well, I wish I could check in ...
Not much, of course, of the places for us to get in ... but from the impression, the placard, the building ... I could tell that they are important to our present being and to learn for a better present and future ...

A very peaceful place. It was wonderful to join the monks in their prayer times.
But it's also a very sad place if you know about the history and the bad things happened to the indigenious people here in the name of the Christian faith. For more information there're information displays but they don't tell the whole truth. Better pay a visit to the Museum of Western Australia in Perth - there's a whole section just dealing with this topic.
Anyway: New Norcia nowadays is a lovely place and well worth for a visit.

Loads to look at. Super tidy. Walking through the different sections felt like I was living in the 1860s. If you are driving by stop and visit here. 2 minutes from the highway.

Love it here. Great place to take in the peace and quiet. Love staying in the guest house.

We did the guided tour today with Melissa as our guide. She was fantastic! So very knowledgeable. We heard about the monks way of life, saw inside the beautiful buildings & learnt about the history. Melissa finished our tour with an impromptu singing of Hallelujah in a room with perfect acoustics. She has the voice of an Angel. Thank you for a fantastic experience

Went to attend a holy mass last Friday, its my first to be here and I was fascinated by the architectural design, needless to say the choir who sang during the mass was outstanding.

New Norcia is Australia's only monastic town, established in 1847 by Spanish Benedictine monks and still operates as a Benedictine Monastery today. It has a fascinating an alternative history of the colony of WA as recorded and lived by the early Spanish missionaries.

A 'MUST DO' TOURIST ATTRACTION OF WA.
Awe inspiring!
The tour was an information packed journey into the history of New Norcia. Our guide was delightful and so open with answers as well as been very accommodating.
The gift store full of wonderful items... Oh and the bread, delicious.
The cafe inviting also adorned with history of the community, with the standard fair of offerings.
No need to be religious at all to visit, athough Catholic the history shows New Norcia is open to all religious beliefs. *Controversy aside.

Amazing discovery of old European art and the story of Benedictine monks amazing skills and perseverance in a harsh 19th century environment. I realise I used the word amazing twice but I guarantee when you visit you will be amazed!

This is an excellent place to stay, comfortable room and the dining room was accessible 24hrs . The guest reading room is a great place.

Beautiful and peaceful place. Had a fulfilling pre-lent retreat.

Beautiful community and the views are spectacular. The local bread, olive oil and wine is excellent though a bit expensive. The monks are very friendly and the services are very spiritual and well conducted. The staff are friendly and helpful.

I give five star for the old historical building and will give one star for history behind it