Best Canberra Galleries To Visit | Australian Traveller

There are a lot of treasures to be found in Canberra galleries. Use our guide to create an itinerary that loops in everything from major institutions to intimate galleries.

Canberra galleries contain a lot of treasures. I know this because I’ve spent years ducking into artist-run spaces, studios and landmark institutions in the nation’s capital to better inform this guide to the best galleries.

From major galleries housing collections of national significance to smaller Canberra galleries locals recommend should be on my radar, this guide brings together the best Canberra galleries, with insider tips on how to experience them.

1. National Gallery of Australia

admiring artworks at The National Gallery of Australia, Canberra — The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra celebrates art from Australia and the world. (Image: VisitCanberra)

If you only had 72 hours in Canberra, the National Gallery of Australia is where you’d start. Opened on 12 October 1982, the gallery brings together Australian, Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander, American, European, Asian and Pacific art into one incredible collection. All up, there are about 166,000 works that make up the permanent collection. The gallery was established in 1967 by the Australian Government as a national public art museum. Don’t miss the outdoor Sculpture Garden which showcases works by international and Australian artists.

Address: Parkes Pl E, Parkes, ACT

2. Canberra City Art Trail

The Canberra City Art Trail celebrates the artists who embrace brick walls as their medium. All up, there are about 350 murals painted around Canberra. Favourite places include Tocumwal Lane , a tourist attraction for its stylised Superhero-themed artworks by local artists such as Sprinkles, Josh Roy Barlow, George Rose and Anna Keightley. You will also see some of Canberra’s best street art along the Condamine Street Art Turner Trail that loops in works by local artists Happy Decay and Byrd. The entire PCYC building is considered a living canvas. Use Street Art Cities as a guide to map out your walking tour; it’s one of the best things to do in Canberra.

Address: See visitcanberra.com.au

3. The Gallery of Small Things

an art exhibition at The Gallery of Small Things — Find a carefully curated exhibition of works at The Gallery of Small Things. (Image: VisitCanberra)

The art on show in Anne Masters’ backyard studio is wide-ranging. Masters runs Canberra’s tiniest walk-in gallery and showcases everyone from up-and-coming designers to established artists. The Gallery of Small Things is a great snapshot of Canberra’s creative talent, while also offering a platform for local artists. Anne transformed her 1960s laundry into a tiny gallery so she could realise her dream of starting up workshops to assist artists with business basics. Masters’ big idea, to celebrate all things small, continues to grow. Visit the Watson Gallery to find a carefully curated exhibition of works in textiles, jewellery, photography, paintings and print media.

Address: 27 Wade Street

4. Canberra Glassworks

glassmaking at Canberra Glassworks — Observe the art of glassmaking inside the studio. (Image: VisitCanberra)

Canberra Glassworks is both a glass studio and gallery where you can observe the art of glassmaking and purchase bespoke pieces. It is the largest professional facility dedicated to studio glass in Australia. Visit Canberra Glassworks – housed in the heritage-listed Kingston Powerhouse – to gain insights into the practices of artists working in contemporary glass art, craft and design. Peer into the Engine Room to see the artists in residence developing glass art that ranges from pendant lighting and wine decanters to experimental installations. The gallery also offers courses and workshops to members of the public.

Address: 11 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston

5. National Portrait Gallery

an installation view inside the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra — Take a guided tour of the National Portrait Gallery. (Image: Lean Timms)

The National Portrait Gallery houses a collection of significant portraits of famous and infamous Aussies from across the ages. Those featured are considered important in their field of endeavour or are people whose lives set them apart as individuals of long-term public interest. The NPG’s soaring structure opened in 1968. But it continues to move with the times, with everything from exhibitions to events, live-streaming activations and apps. Expect portraits of singer Nick Cave, surfer Mick Fanning and Truganini, one of the most well-known names in Indigenous history amid the 1400 portraits on display.

Address: King Edward Terrace, Parkes, ACT

6. Craft + Design Canberra

Develop your sense of wonder with a visit to this not-for-profit organisation that presents a significant snapshot of Canberra’s creatives. A stroll around Craft + Design Canberra offers visitors the chance to connect with emerging and up-and-coming artists at every stage of their careers. Browse the gift shop to buy unique contemporary art and crafts such as bespoke bowls by Caslake and Pedler, stoneware vases from Lea Durie and Votive Vessels by Fran Romano. Time your visit to coincide with the annual Craft + Design Canberra Festival , one of the best things to see and do in Canberra.

Address: Level 1, North Building, 180 London Circuit

7. Canberra Museum and Gallery

artwork viewing at the Canberra Museum and Gallery — Admire a creative assortment of artworks at the Canberra Museum and Gallery. (Image: Penny Bradfield / VisitCanberra)

There’s a bit of crossover between what constitutes a museum and a gallery in Canberra. I’m drawn to Canberra Museum + Gallery because it ticks both boxes as places that document the country’s social history and celebrate its collection of art. From stories honouring our First Nations people, to moving images and narratives around identity and belonging, it tells the story of the place chosen to be Australia’s national capital in 1909. CMAG is home to the Foundation Collection of Sir Sidney Nolan’s paintings, donated by the artist in 1974.

Address: Cnr London Circuit and Civic Square

8. Aboriginal Dreamings Gallery

Aboriginal Dreamings Gallery is a private, commercial gallery that has a collection of ethically sourced art that dates back from the 1970s to the present day. The ethically sourced Indigenous art has been selected from Indigenous communities and art centres from around the country. The exhibitions change every four to six weeks and there is a gift shop onsite. The gallery has an offshoot at Artworld ADG – Canberra City London Circuit, corner of Gordon Street

Address: 19 O’Hanlon Place, Gold Creek Village, Nicholls; Artworld ADG – Canberra City London Circuit, corner of Gordon Street

9. Grainger Gallery

Grainger Gallery in Canberra — The space set up by Canberra artist Kacy Grainger features emerging artists’ artworks.

Grainger Gallery is where I go to see works by emerging artists in Canberra. The space set up by Canberra artist Kacy Grainger features everything from pencil drawings to landscapes and photographs that look almost like abstract art. Grainger Gallery serves to establish a place for local artists to show their works. And walking around the Fyshwick gallery is akin to a master class in a new way of seeing. The collections on show here move through different moods in celebration of art and nature, and all that is changing and ephemeral.

Address: Building 3.3, 1 Dairy Road, Fyshwick

10. M16 Artspace

M16 Artspace operates on the lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people and is an inclusive gallery that supports Canberra’s arts community. The gallery has developed a program of classes and workshops that appeal to everyone from the complete novice through to those with experience who want to develop their creativity. M16 runs three gallery spaces, manages some 30 artist studios and houses various arts organisations that offer a diverse array of art classes. The gallery, established in 1985, also runs residency programs.

Address: 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith

11. Canberra School of Art & Design Gallery

an art exhibition at the ANU School of Art & Design Gallery in Canberra — Canberra School of Art & Design Gallery presents the works of graduates and post-graduates in situ. (Image: David Paterson)

My husband and I are drawn to the ANU School of Art & Design Gallery as a way to tap into the energy of the art school. The cutting-edge gallery presents exhibitions by students, graduates and visiting artists that have been curated by world-leading creatives. The gallery presents an ever-changing roster of exhibitions, public programs, performances and publications. It also presents the works of graduates and post-graduates in situ, which reflects the standing of the school on the international stage.

Address: The Australian National University, Canberra

12. Drill Hall Gallery

Euan Macloed Flux, installation view, Drill Hall Gallery, ANU — The Drill Hall Gallery houses the works of Australia’s leading contemporary artists, collectors and curators. (Image: David Paterson)

The Drill Hall Gallery is housed in an historic drill hall that was established in the 1940s as a place for soldiers in Canberra to train for the Second World War. Located on the campus of the Australian National University, it’s considered one of the best Canberra galleries for its works by some of Australia’s leading contemporary artists, collectors and curators. The scale of the space allows works to breathe and I often find myself spending longer here than I’d planned. Check the website for highlights of the current collections.

Address: Kingsley Street, Acton

13. Civic Art Bureau

artworks on display at Civic Art Bureau — Civic Art Bureau provides opportunities for both artists and curators. (Image: David Hempenstall)

A former Australian National University student has founded a gallery in Canberra’s city centre. Civic Art Bureau is an amalgam of all former art history and curatorship students, and practising artist, Adam Bell, who learned at ANU. Established as a gallery to provide opportunities for both artists and curators, Civic Arts Bureau will feature a program of innovative presentations that reflect Bell’s experience curating music and sound art at Unsound festival.

Address: Upstairs in the Melbourne Building, 76 Alinga St

14. Belconnen Arts Centre

Galleries such as Belconnen Arts Centre rival some of the best in the country. This popular Canberra gallery honours mediums as diverse as dance, music, visual arts, theatre and more. The exhibitions at Belco Arts Centre are carefully curated to celebrate everything from the contribution of the Australian migrant population to nights of monthly live music. It’s one of the strongest suburban arts centres in the city, generous in scope and inclusive in tone. Fuel up while you’re in Belco, which has some of the best cafes in Canberra.

Address: 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen

15. Ainslie+Gorman

Ainslie+Gorman are twin centres located just 400 metres away in buzzy Braddon. While the Ainslie Arts Centre is the city’s new dedicated music hub, the focus at Gorman Arts Centre is more multi-disciplinary. Together, the two centres form one of Canberra’s most vibrant precincts. Ainslie Arts Centre is anchored by a restored concert hall hosting lunchtime concerts, while Gorman broadens the mix with poetry slams, experimental sounds, film and visual art. With dozens of resident artists and events running weekly, this is where to go to feel the city’s creative pulse.

Address: Ainslie Arts Centre, 30 Elouera Street; Gorman Arts Centre, 55 Ainslie Avenue

Beyond the winding bitumen and coastal views lies another side to Victoria’s most famous route.

There’s something hypnotic about this stretch of Victoria’s coast. Maybe it’s the way the road hugs the ocean so tightly, or how the cliffs catch the sun in colours you can’t name. Or, for local Victorians who drove this route as kids, maybe it’s the memories of winding through the impossibly tall trees as they seemingly guide you on your journey like wooden guardian angels. Most travellers know it for the 12 Apostles, but there are plenty of alternate experiences on the Great Ocean Road equally as worthy of your time.

So, next time you’re in that neck of the woods, park that car, stretch those legs and try these experiences.

1. Discover living culture at Budj Bim

Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Tourism — Walk across the world’s oldest known aquaculture system. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Breakaway Creek’s Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is a masterclass in educational storytelling. Join a guided tour with Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Tourism to walk across the world’s oldest known aquaculture system, where the Gunditjmara people built sophisticated eel traps and stone channels more than 6,000 years ago.

Budj Bim’s aquaculture system predates Egypt’s pyramids by roughly 2,000 years, making it one of the oldest examples of human engineering on Earth. If that’s not enough to get your history-loving family members involved in this road trip, we’re out of ideas.

2. Unwind in the hot springs at Warnambool

woman relaxing at Deep Blue Hot Springs — Let mineral-rich water heal you.

If your legs need a break after a long drive, Deep Blue Hot Springs is your remedy. The geothermal pools sit just metres from the coastline, filled with mineral-rich water that bubbles up from deep underground. Move between open-air baths, waterfall pools and quiet zones made for meditation.

The water in Deep Blue’s geothermal pools comes from an ancient aquifer nearly 850 metres below the Earth’s surface, which, in non-scientific terms, means it’s far more likely to have healing properties than the mineral water you’d find at the supermarket.

3. Take to the air at Princetown

12 Apostles Helicopters flight alternate experiences on the Great Ocean Road — See an icon from a different view.

You may have seen the Twelve Apostles from the trusty viewing platform, but a helicopter flight with 12 Apostles Helicopters shows you just how sprawling and rugged this coastline really is.

The trip covers everything from Port Campbell to London Bridge (not to be confused with the UK’s own), giving you a rare chance to watch waves carving the limestone cliffs from above. It’s worth noting that the limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles are said to erode by roughly two centimetres each year, so the longer you leave it, the less of the Apostles you’ll see.

4. Step into the past at Flagstaff Hill

Continue the tour through Warnambool at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village and Museum , a recreated 19th-century port town. Hear stories from the days when shipwrecks were as common as seagulls, with an astounding 180 ships believed to have sunk along the Shipwreck Coast in less than five years.

The night show, complete with lights, sound, and sea spray, brings the coastline’s most dramatic stories to life.

If you’re staying the night, Simon’s Waterfront offers relaxed dining with fresh local seafood and oceanfront views. Order the catch of the day and toast to the sailors who never made it ashore.

5. Learn to surf in Torquay, Lorne, or Anglesea

kid having a lesson with Go Ride A Wave — Learn how to hang 10. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Whether you’ve surfed before or can barely stand on a board, Go Ride A Wave will have you upright in no time. Torquay’s calm beaches are ideal for first-timers, while Lorne and Anglesea bring a bit more energy for those unafraid to get dunked.

Bells Beach, just down the road from Torquay, has even hosted the world’s longest-running professional surfing competition since 1962. So, for those eager to have a gander at pros using surfboards like they’re an additional appendage, the competition usually runs sometime in autumn.

6. Tackle the trails in Forrest

Barwon Flow Trails Otways Flow MTB — Hire a bike and explore MTB trails through the Otways.

Forrest is a haven for mountain bikers thanks to an expansive network of trails through stunning natural scenery. The Forrest trail network has almost 100 kilometres of singletrack across 36 trails, so there’s something for every level of rider. That’s including more than 60 kilometres of purpose-built mountain bike trails winding through the Otways’ dense forest. Cycle through ancient myrtle beech trees and towering tree ferns, with smaller ferns and soft mosses forming a carpet at your feet.

Hire a bike from Forrest MTB Hire and take your pick from easy, scenic rides to more challenging singletracks, such as Red Carpet or Rollercoaster.

7. See wildlife up close in Apollo Bay

bush rat on Wildlife Wonders tour — Get help spotting the locals. (Image: Doug Gimsey)

If spotting koalas and kangaroos in the wild feels like winning the lottery, Wildlife Wonders gives you guaranteed sightings without cages or crowds. Every visit to the sanctuary helps fund the Conservation Ecology Centre which supports endangered species across the Otways, so your business is appreciated by humans and animals alike.

The guided walk takes you through protected Otways habitat where you might spot potoroos (or joey lookalikes for those unfamiliar with a potoroo), wallabies, and sleepy koalas lounging in the trees.

8. Visit the Cape Otway Lightstation

Towering over the sea on a cliff above the Southern Ocean, Cape Otway Lightstation has been guiding ships since 1848. Before the lighthouse was built, Cape Otway was one of the most treacherous points on the Victorian coast, with dozens of shipwrecks occurring in its surrounding waters. Pick the right day, and you may bump into a local willing to tell you about the wreck of Eric the Red .

While at the Cape Otway Lightstation, explore the keeper’s quarters, walk the coastal trails, and take in views that only stop short at the horizon.

And no, contrary to popular belief, the Round the Twist lighthouse is actually located in Split Point, just shy of two hours in the direction of Melbourne. Nothing’s stopping you from embarking on a lighthouse crawl, though.

Plan your next no-stone-unturned journey along this iconic Aussie road at visitgreatoceanroad.org.au.

A comprehensive round-up of the best Canberra galleries