Step back into a golden era on the Blue Mountains Art Deco Trail
This architectural journey showcases the region's 1920s and 30s glamour, from Katoomba’s main street lined with 1930s buildings, cafes, and shops, to Art-Deco styled gardens and historic landmarks. It’s a stylish tribute to mountain heritage.
Mount Vic Flicks
⦿ Mount Victoria
Starting from the top, Mount Vic Flicks is a beloved independent cinema housed in a public hall built in 1934, representing the golden age of Australian country picture theatres.
The interior maintains its authentic 1930s character with traditional seating and a cozy, nostalgic atmosphere, and a retro snack bar serving home-baked treats, choc-tops and mugs of soup, just as it might have decades ago, before you settle in for an eclectic mix of arthouse, international, and classic films. A rare, functioning window into the era's community entertainment culture.
Image | Destination NSW
The Victory Theatre
⦿ Blackheath
The Victory Theatre is a striking building in Blackheath that was once a 999-seat cinema and now serves as a massive vintage emporium. It’s easily recognised by its bold, stepped Art Deco exterior and side walls that are now a canvas for a giant mural by local artist, Jenny Kee.
The interior spans two floors, with the old stage and stalls areas now housing wares from over 50 antique dealers. Visitors can still see remnants of its cinema past while browsing through mid-century furniture and vintage curiosities.
Image | Victory Theatre Antiques Centre
New Ivanhoe Hotel
⦿ Blackheath
The New Ivanhoe Hotel in Blackheath is a striking monument to 1930s regional hospitality, standing as one of the most authentic Art Deco pubs in New South Wales. Rebuilt in 1939 after a fire, the building is an example of the ‘Streamline Moderne’ style. Its exterior is defined by bold, stepped brickwork and rounded corners that mimic the sleek silhouette of a luxury ocean liner.
Inside, the public bars feature original dark timber paneling, intricate leadlight windows with geometric patterns, and classic chrome accents. Even the etched glass partitions and tiled fireplaces remain, offering a connection to the era’s ‘machine age’ aesthetic.
Image | New Ivanhoe Hotel
The Hydro Majestic
⦿ Medlow Bath
The Hydro Majestic Hotel is a sprawling architectural icon in Medlow Bath thats glamorous identity was forged during the inter-war period. After a fire destroyed much of the original building in 1922, the hotel was reimagined with the sleek, optimistic lines of the Art Deco movement, transforming it from a somber sanatorium into a high-society playground.
The Casino Dome is an iconic Chicago-built dome that serves as a majestic centrepiece, featuring an ornate ceiling and a grand ballroom designed for the lavish parties of the 1930s. The Belgravia wing reflects the ocean liner aesthetic of the era, utilising curved walls, bold geometric shapes, and the main dining room embodies the luxury of the period, with massive arched windows that frame the Megalong Valley.
Image | Visit NSW
The Carrington Hotel
⦿ Katoomba
The Carrington Hotel is a grand Victorian landmark that embraced the Art Deco and Art Nouveau movements during significant early 20th-century renovations.
The intricate Art Nouveau stained-glass façade installed in 1912, is one of the most photographed features in the town.
Stepping through its doors is a journey into art-deco opulence. The hotel features a magnificent Grand Dining Room with vaulted ceilings and stained glass, the cozy Champagne Charlie’s cocktail bar, and its own onsite brewery and brasserie housed in the Old City Bank building.
Visitors can explore public spaces that blend Victorian stateliness with stylish inter-war updates.
Image | Carrington Hotel
The Savoy Theatre
⦿ Katoomba
The historic Savoy Theatre building is a prime example of the 1930s ‘picture palace’ era with its bold, geometric façade. The theatre had a capacity to accommodate an audience of 992 people, and has hosted everything from cinema screenings to rock & roll and stomp shows, to indoor roller-skating, and is now home to Avalon Restaurant & Cocktail Bar.
The restaurant now occupies the old dress circle, while the former refreshment lounge has been transformed into a cozy cocktail bar, preserving the theatrical spirit of the original venue. The decor inside pays homage to the 1930s, 40s and 50s, creating a wonderfully atmospheric dining experience.
Image | Avalon Katoomba
The Paragon
⦿ Katoomba
Currently closed for restoration, this iconic café and restaurant on Katoomba Street underwent a stunning Art Deco transformation between 1925 and 1936, to become an local legend.
The ‘Blue Room’ has a modern ocean liner aesthetic, complete with mirrored walls and a sprung dance floor. The opulent Banquet Hall boasts unique pre-Columbian and Aztec-inspired plasterwork, a rare and fascinating decorative choice for the era.
Throughout the Paragon, you’ll find original dark timber-paneled walls, marble soda fountains, and classical alabaster friezes that speak to its rich history.
Image | Friends of the Paragon
Updated | February 2026
Everglades House and Gardens
⦿ Leura
Everglades House & Gardens in Leura is a stunning example of how Art Deco principles can harmonise with nature. While the property spans different styles, its core is defined by the 1930s vision of owner Henri van de Velde and Danish-born landscape architect Paul Sorensen, who transformed the site into a modernist sanctuary.
The Art Deco residence, Van de Velde House features classic ‘Streamline Moderne’ elements, including a sweeping internal staircase, flat rooflines, and bold, circular windows that frame the garden views. The garden design blends European Romanticism with 1930s Modernism.
Image | National Trust
