- Lovely experience, and mostly accessible I absolutely loved my experience at the Pioneer Settlement. The bitumen pathways helped me to navigate the site using my mobility scooter, however I did have to get up and leave my scooter to enter most buildings. Accessibility could definitely be improved by adding some temporary ramps to the entrance of buildings.morelessA C16/04/24Excellent Worth the visit. Definitely recommend that you visit. If you like historical places then you have to visit. Also got a very nice little coffee shop/restaurant.morelessSantie R04/02/24Fabulous 2 day pass Absolutely amazing time. In our opinion much better than Sovereign Hill in Ballarat!! Not too busy and very easy to get around. We bought the 2 day pass for 3 people which included the settlement, evening light show(ancestor) , and paddle steamer river cruise. Thoroughly enjoyed. Really friendly staff,beautiful scenery and just great fun. Would 100% recommendmorelesshscameron03/12/23
- A great piece of history Swan Hill pioneer settlement is a wonderful testament to life from the 1850
So much memorabilia and excellent displays of bygone era. Added bonus is the horse and wagon ride and a lap in the old 1925 Dodge. Also attended the light show which is a MUST SEE , very cleverly done .morelessJoenFiona03/12/23A Must Do in Swan Hill We took advantage of all three options for seeing the Pioneer Settlement and had a wonderful time. This is really a must do when in Swan Hill. We arrived in Swan Hill in the late afternoon. After dinner, we went to see their nighttime laser show, "Legends of the Mallee". It uses images projected onto a water screen, lasers, and fire to tell the history of the area from the Aboriginal inhabitants and European settlers. The show was excellent.
We returned to the Pioneer Settlement the following day to explore the buildings in daylight. The Pioneer Settlement in Swan Hill is an excellent living history museum. There are free rides in a vintage car and a horse drawn carriage. You can see many historic buildings, some of which have hosts in period costume who are happy to demonstrate the exhibits contained within. There is a beautiful Rose Garden and a display of old tractors. The blacksmith was busy at work.
The third option was a cruise on the Paddle Steamer Pyap, built in 1896. This was a relaxing way to see the Murray River. By combining all three options, we were able to get a discounted ticket. Take the time to explore the Pioneer Settlement. You'll be glad you did.morelessRobert D10/11/23Day and night visits both worthwhile First time visiting since I was a teenager back in 1974.
It was a last minute decision to head to Swan Hill and I'm very happy that I did so.
I visited Pioneer Settlement during the day and then returned for the sound & light show in the evening.
Both experiences were great. There was a lot to see during the day and it was made even better by the super friendly and knowledgeable team of volunteers that went out of their way to make me welcome. They answered all my questions in a friendly and professional manner.
The return visit in the evening was an experience not to be missed the way they displayed the stories they were telling was unique in my personal experiences and it was excellent and informative.morelessswoodley6031/10/23 - Autumn 2023 This is a must do when visiting Swan Hill along with the night shows. We had a great time going through history and the paddle boat Pyda.moreless57pauln08/10/23Absolute must see for all ages An absolute must see for everyone. Give yourself at least a half day to look around, half lunch at the Paragon Cafe (great pies) and go on the Pyap steamboat. There are many shops and displays from yesteryear done in a very good way with soooo much information. There are old time cars and a horse and cart that can take you around the village for FREE. In some of the shops such as the music and toy shop there are staff dressed in period clothing that can show you things. We had a lovely lady in the music shop that showed the musical piano in use. Thanks. Overall there is so much to see and learn about. A real insight into the history of the region. At night there is a light show but we didn’t have time to go to it.morelessAussie_201201/09/23I have the best time ever I had an absolutely fantastic time at the Pioneer settlement! Thank you so much Nick for making matching horse shoes for my self and my best friend thanks for printing the letters into the horse shoes as well.
I also enjoyed being on the Murray River cruise and going on the horse and cart as well. I also love going to the Pioneer settlement.
from Milly Dendle
I also love how caring and kindhearted everyone is at the Pioneer settlement️
So thank you very much for the fantastic experience.morelessMilly D16/07/23 - Olsen’s of Hendra This a very interesting and well presented place to visit. Full of a lot of history from the past. They also have displays which you can watch, all included in the price. They also have a paddle boat if you wish to do this as well. Well worth a visit.morelessWendyO6402/05/23A great day for families The volunteer staff made this an amazing experience. Special mentions to the blacksmith, music store staff, the printer and rope making demonstrator.morelessDaniel P20/04/23Wonderful way to spend the day We had the best day at the Pioneer Settlement today! The blacksmith was the best and would highly recommend popping in to say hi, maybe even buy a marshmallow stick! We had a ball dressing up in period clothing looking like real ladies. All the employees are so lovely and the shops are set up amazingly!morelessRachel W07/04/23
- Thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. A few hours roaming the settlement then a trip on the Pyap. Followed by Heartbeat The next night. The only thing I would to suggest is that once a year they clean the sealed exhibits. I don't think that has been done since they were set up. Otherwise very enjoyable.morelessDenise Bant29/03/23A good day great day. I recommend allowing a full day. You don't need to, but if you want to have a good look at everything and go on the paddle steamer then I would definitely pencil in for a full day. I also recommend coming back for the night laser/water show.morelessGrotty66623/03/23Absolutely amazing Pioneer Settlement is a great place to visit we had lots of fun and would like to go back again someday. The light show was absolutely amazing. The Blacksmith Nick was an awesome person kids really liked visiting his workshop he is very knowledgeable and insightful and has alot of passon for his work ,which is great to see it engages kids in this field hopefully Nick's passon keeps the black smith industry alive thanks Nick, And to all the others who work there its a Great place.morelessanerssiaw29/01/23
- An unmissable experience in Swan Hill A great day out in Swan Hill! So much fun - highly recommend the drive in the 1925 Dodge car, the gorgeous little shops, very helpful staff in the visitor centre.morelessSinead W16/01/23Very good Definitely worth a trip. We brought a pass that included the paddle steamer ride and entry for light show. Once in there are a number of free things to do (horse and car ride). We went in summer so it was hot. Cafe was quite good for either snacks or lunch. Allow at least 3 hours minimum. Light show at night was quite impressive. Went for 30mins. No point getting there early as everyone is walked down at the same time.morelessEvan C12/01/23Cool Experience Very cool to experience this again as an adult, as I had been during a childhood trip. My bf hadn't been here at all, and he really loved this place and said it was way more than expected. It was very quiet which was sad to see, but I think this is because of the last couple of years of COVID, however we enjoyed the quiet as it meant we weren't struggling with crowds. All the people running the shops and exhibits were friendly and we would definitely recommend visiting.morelessMegan C26/12/22