Things to Do in Sheffield: A Local’s Guide

TLDR

Sheffield is Tasmania’s Town of Murals, with over 200 outdoor paintings spread across the main streets. A self-guided 60 to 90 minute mural walk is the core of any visit. Add the Kentish Museum, the monthly Redwater Creek Steam Train, the Albert and Blue Tree galleries, and a drive to Mount Roland or Lake Barrington, and you’ve got a full couple of days.

What Sheffield Actually Is

Sheffield is a small country town in north-west Tasmania that reinvented itself in the late 1980s as an outdoor art gallery. A local committee, inspired by a Canadian town called Chemainus that had done the same thing to survive, started commissioning large-scale murals on shop walls and public buildings.

Four decades later, the result is over 200 murals across the town and into the surrounding Kentish villages. They cover local history, pioneer families, farming life, the Overland Track, and the landscape of the Kentish region. Many are genuinely large works of art. Some are small and tucked onto side walls.

That project is why the town is worth a dedicated visit, not just a stopover on the way to Cradle Mountain. It’s also why Sheffield has a more interesting small-town feel than you’d expect for a population of around 1,500 people.

Walk the Murals (Self-Guided, 60 to 90 Minutes)

The mural walk is the main event. Start at the Visitor Information Centre on Main Street (almost next door to Sheffield Motor Inn) and pick up a free walking map. There’s also a Kentish Walking Tour app with a self-guided audio version if you want more context on each piece.

Allow 60 to 90 minutes at a relaxed pace. The core loop stays in the town centre. Many murals are clustered along Main Street, with others on Henry Street, High Street, and through to the Mural Park. Stop for coffee at Blacksmith or a scone at Lazy Tea Rooms (43 Main Street) on the way around.

If you have more time, several murals sit outside the core loop. Drive extensions to nearby properties (including five murals on the Sheffield Motor Inn property itself, mentioned in multiple Booking.com reviews). A Booking.com guest specifically called it out: “Lovely murals round the property.”

Kentish Museum

Small, genuinely interesting, and undersold. The Kentish Museum is on High Street and holds the pioneering history of the Kentish region: early telephone exchanges, old farm gear, military paraphernalia, and the world’s first automatic petrol pump, invented by a Sheffield boy.

Expect to spend 30 to 45 minutes. Small donation rather than a set entry fee.

The museum is what makes the murals make sense. Many of the paintings illustrate specific events and families from the region, and the museum gives you the backstory. Order: murals first, museum after, and the murals retroactively mean more.

Mural Park and the Annual Mural Fest

The Mural Park is an outdoor gallery space holding competition entries from the annual Mural Fest. Free, open, and a pleasant 15 minutes to wander.

Mural Fest itself is the town’s annual event, held each November. Artists paint new pieces on-site during the week. If you can plan around it, the whole town becomes a live art event. Book Sheffield Motor Inn early for those dates.

Even outside the festival, the park is worth a stop. The pieces rotate over the years as new competition entries come in.

Redwater Creek Steam Train (First Full Weekend of Each Month)

A 60 cm gauge heritage steam train that runs from the old Sheffield railway station on the first full weekend of every month. Rides are short (about 20 minutes return) and the train pulls restored vintage carriages.

Worth timing your visit around if you’re a heritage rail fan, travelling with kids, or interested in local history. Tickets are cheap, around $10 to $15.

Check the Redwater Creek Steam and Heritage Society schedule before you book. Occasionally weekends are skipped for maintenance or special events.

Art Galleries: Albert and Blue Tree

Sheffield runs two independent galleries that are both worth a stop if you’ve got any interest in Tasmanian contemporary art.

The Albert Gallery is operated by Working Art Space Sheffield (WASS) and shows rotating exhibitions from Tasmanian artists. A genuine working gallery rather than a souvenir shop.

Blue Tree Gallery is on the road toward Cradle Mountain, housed in a repurposed shipping container. Smaller, quirkier, and a nice stop on the drive in or out of the mountains.

Neither takes more than 30 minutes. Both are free or donation-based.

Mount Roland Walks

Mount Roland is the long ridge that dominates the view from Sheffield. The Regional Reserve sits about 15 minutes west of town.

The summit walk is a full day commitment (around 6 to 8 hours return) and demands real fitness. 360-degree views from the trig at the top across to Bass Strait, Cradle Mountain, and Barn Bluff. One of the best ridge walks in north-west Tasmania.

For a much lighter option, drive to Round Mountain Lookout on Ollivers Road, about 20 minutes west. A short walk from the car park delivers a wide view for minimal effort.

Day Trips from Sheffield

Most visitors use Sheffield as a base for Cradle Mountain (60 km, about 1 hour), Tasmazia (15 km south), and Lake Barrington (15 km south). All three are realistic day trips, and Cradle Mountain plus Tasmazia can be combined in a single day.

Devonport is 30 minutes north, with the Mersey Bluff lighthouse walk, the Spirit of Tasmania terminal, and better dining options for a break from pub meals.

For a fuller round-up, see our dedicated day-trips guide. It covers drive times, route notes, and what’s actually worth the trip.

Evening Activities

Sheffield is not a nightlife town. The Sheffield Hotel across from the motor inn is the main option, open until 9 to 10pm depending on the night. A beer at the bar is a genuine evening activity here.

The RSL Citizens Club runs pub meals and has a casual bar atmosphere Thursday to Saturday.

After that, most evenings wind down early. Read your book, walk Main Street under the murals (many are subtly lit at night), or settle in with a bottle of wine at the motor inn. That’s what a Sheffield evening looks like, and most visitors come to like it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sheffield, Tasmania famous for?

The murals. Sheffield is Tasmania’s Town of Murals with over 200 outdoor paintings across the town centre and surrounds. It’s also known as a gateway to Cradle Mountain, for the annual Mural Fest, and for the Redwater Creek Steam Train that runs the first full weekend of every month.

How long does the Sheffield mural walk take?

60 to 90 minutes at a relaxed pace, depending on how often you stop. The core loop stays in the town centre. Pick up a free map at the Visitor Information Centre on Main Street or download the Kentish Walking Tour app for a self-guided audio version.

Is Sheffield worth visiting?

Yes, absolutely. Between the murals, the Kentish Museum, the monthly steam train, and the surrounding day trips to Cradle Mountain and Lake Barrington, there’s easily two days of worthwhile activity. It’s one of the more distinctive small towns in Tasmania.

What’s there to do in Sheffield with kids?

Tasmazia (15 km south, eight mazes including four botanical), the Redwater Creek Steam Train (first full weekend of the month), the mural walk at a kid-friendly pace, and a picnic at Lake Barrington all work. For older kids, Cradle Mountain’s shorter walks like the Enchanted Walk are manageable.

Is the Kentish Museum worth visiting?

Yes, genuinely. It’s small (30 to 45 minutes) but packs in local history you can’t get anywhere else. The world’s first automatic petrol pump was invented in Sheffield and is on display here. Small donation rather than a set fee. Do it after the mural walk, so the context lands.

When is Mural Fest in Sheffield?

November each year. Artists paint new pieces on-site across about a week and the town fills up. Book Sheffield Motor Inn well in advance if you want to be here for it. Outside the festival, the Mural Park holds competition entries year-round.