What's free to do in Canberra year round?

The National Gallery of Australia, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Australia, Australian War Memorial, National Library, Parliament House, Australian National Botanic Gardens and the National Arboretum are all free to enter year round. The Lake Burley Griffin foreshore and the mountain lookouts (Mount Ainslie, Red Hill, Mount Taylor, Black Mountain summit walk) cost nothing too.

Are the national institutions really free?

Permanent collections at the National Gallery, Portrait Gallery, Library, War Memorial and Museum of Australian Democracy collections at the National Museum of Australia are free. Major touring exhibitions and Questacon charge admission. Parliament House and the High Court are free, including guided tours.

What free things can families do on a weekend?

The Pod Playground at the National Arboretum, Boundless Playground at Kings Park, the discovery space at the National Museum, and the Australian National Botanic Gardens rainforest gully are all free and run all weekend. Look for free library programs, ranger-led walks at Tidbinbilla in school holidays and outdoor festival days in Commonwealth Park.

Is parking free at the national institutions?

Free weekend parking is available around most of the parliamentary triangle and along the lake foreshore. Weekdays are mostly paid or ticketed between 8 am and 5 pm, so weekends are the cheapest time to visit if you're driving in from the suburbs.

No cost, all good

Free things to do in Canberra

3 min read

Exploring the nation’s capital does not have to break the bank. Local families and visitors alike know that Canberra is packed with cost-free ways to spend a morning or an afternoon. From the sprawling lawns of the Parliamentary Triangle to the scenic tracks winding around Lake Burley Griffin, the city offers plenty of space to breathe and explore without spending a cent. You might enjoy a stroll through a local farmers market to soak up the atmosphere or spend time wandering through our world-class national galleries and museums, which offer free general admission to their permanent collections.

Whether you are looking for a quiet spot for a picnic or a bit of culture in the city centre, there is always something happening that is easy on the wallet. This week features a range of community gatherings, outdoor activities and public exhibitions across the territory. Take a look at the live list below to see the best free events and activities currently taking place around Canberra.

Why Canberra is one of Australia’s best free days out

Canberra punches well above its weight when it comes to free things to do. The national institutions on the lake shore – the National Gallery of Australia, National Portrait Gallery, National Library, Questacon (entry charged) and the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House (entry charged) – sit alongside genuinely no-cost places like the National Museum of Australia, the High Court of Australia, the Australian War Memorial and Parliament House. You can walk between most of them in an afternoon, and the permanent collections rotate enough that locals keep finding reasons to come back.

Outside the institutions, the bush capital lives up to its name. Free national parks, lake-side bike paths, public gardens and weekly community events mean you can build a full weekend without spending more than the cost of a coffee.

Free galleries and museums

The National Gallery of Australia in Parkes has free entry to the permanent collection, including the Sculpture Garden walk along the lake. The National Portrait Gallery next door is also free, with rotating contemporary commissions worth checking before you visit. The National Library of Australia runs free exhibitions in the Treasures Gallery and ground floor, and the Australian War Memorial in Campbell is free and includes the moving Last Post Ceremony each afternoon at closing.

For something less crowded, the Canberra Museum and Gallery in Civic and the Canberra Glassworks in Kingston offer free general entry, and Drill Hall Gallery at ANU in Acton has a quietly excellent contemporary program.

Outdoors, gardens and lookouts

The Australian National Botanic Gardens on Black Mountain are free, and the rainforest gully is a good rainy-day pick. The lake-side path around Lake Burley Griffin links the parliamentary triangle to Kings Park, Commonwealth Park and the lawns at Lennox Gardens – a flat, pram-friendly 5 km loop on the inner basin, or 28 km if you tackle the full circuit by bike. Mount Ainslie, Red Hill and Mount Taylor all give free panoramic views of the city; Mount Ainslie at sunrise lines up exactly with ANZAC Parade and Parliament House.

In spring and summer, Floriade at Commonwealth Park is free during the day. In winter, the Enlighten projections on Parliament House, Old Parliament House and the National Gallery are free to walk past, and the lake-side Fire Drums are a low-cost way to spend a cold evening outdoors.

Free things to do with kids

Kids can run on the lawns at Reconciliation Place, splash in the wading pool at Commonwealth Park in summer, and explore the discovery space at the National Museum of Australia in Acton (free entry, charged exhibitions). The National Arboretum has the free Pod Playground and miniature forest walks, and Boundless Playground on the lake foreshore at Kings Park is one of the best fully accessible playgrounds in the country.

Free weekly community events

Look out for free community concerts, story-time at Libraries ACT branches in every district, free guided tours at the High Court, free observatory nights at Mount Stromlo when conditions allow, and the rotating SEE Change and Conservation Council talks. The events feed below this guide lists what’s coming up in the next two weeks – sort by “Free” or check our markets guide and kids guide for more.

Frequently asked questions

What's free to do in Canberra year round?: The National Gallery of Australia, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Australia, Australian War Memorial, National Library, Parliament House, Australian National Botanic Gardens and the National Arboretum are all free to enter year round. The Lake Burley Griffin foreshore and the mountain lookouts (Mount Ainslie, Red Hill, Mount Taylor, Black Mountain summit walk) cost nothing too.
Are the national institutions really free?: Permanent collections at the National Gallery, Portrait Gallery, Library, War Memorial and Museum of Australian Democracy collections at the National Museum of Australia are free. Major touring exhibitions and Questacon charge admission. Parliament House and the High Court are free, including guided tours.
What free things can families do on a weekend?: The Pod Playground at the National Arboretum, Boundless Playground at Kings Park, the discovery space at the National Museum, and the Australian National Botanic Gardens rainforest gully are all free and run all weekend. Look for free library programs, ranger-led walks at Tidbinbilla in school holidays and outdoor festival days in Commonwealth Park.
Is parking free at the national institutions?: Free weekend parking is available around most of the parliamentary triangle and along the lake foreshore. Weekdays are mostly paid or ticketed between 8 am and 5 pm, so weekends are the cheapest time to visit if you're driving in from the suburbs.