Personally I don't know how you can give less than 5 stars for any countries National Gallery, let…read morealone Australia, especially when there's no admission fee. Art is personal. I spent less than an hour here. What I saw here impressed me, possibly because my local guide James knew what we would like. We saw the giant Pollock Blue polls(impressive), Yayoi Kusama polka dot room(cool!) and the James Turrell Sky Space (neat). What's stopping you?

The price is right but beware, no photography!…read more Just like Australia itself, the museum is enormous and sprawling. You can sign up for a free walking tour with a docent if you're not sure where to start, but be forceful with him/her if asked what you would like to see. I really wanted a sort of "tasting" but the guide ended up spending 40 minutes in Aboriginal art, 10 minutes in expressionism, and then was told to "explore" myself. Had a I chance to do it all over again, I would have asked to see just a couple examples from 3-4 different "parts" of the museum. I'm a sucker for portraiture and there is a "Miss Nellie Patterson" that reminds me of the Gainsborough Blue Boy and Pinkie. All the wanting-adulthood aspirations of children...although Miss Nellie does look a bit unhappy to be painted :-) If you are an art person, this is a reason to visit Canberra. If you are an art person, and are taking a break from the far more "active" things you will do in Australia, give yourself at least half a day here; full day would be better.

It's not great tiny exabition and not much to do every hint is very expensive but there is air…read moreconditioning

I enjoyed the Canberra Museum a lot more than I thought I would. I read the brief, a museum all…read moreabout Canberra? Surely I couldn't be too entertained. That doesn't really sell it well enough. The museum is actually predominantly a gallery (or at least seemed that way when I was there). Interested art work from local painters that have some sort of relevance to Canberra's past or present. One of the highlights for me was the collection of Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly paintings. Entry is free, so there's no real reason to not pop in and have a quick look around if you feel like escaping in some art.

There's a lot of steep competition for the title, but I mean it when I say the Portrait Gallery is…read moremy favorite cultural institution in Canberra. We can always find parking, the rotating selection of exhibits never fails to fascinate, and the cafe is excellent for an afternoon caffeine boost. Make sure you check out the yearly photography exhibit and look for copies of last year's catalog at a discount price in the gift shop. Not to mention, the gallery is just the right size to pass an hour or two without feeling overwhelmed, and you can always head to the National Museum or the High Court next door.

Love the National Portrait Gallery. The marriage of well known Australians and great artists make…read morefor some interesting portraits. Mostly paintings, including a few Archbald winners and some video and photography make up most of the exhibitions. Also they have regular temporary shows which are always good. One room is early works including Captain Cook and the early explorers, then rooms of Victorian eminent persons up to our most recent icons. Afterwards visit the cafe and shop which are both excellent and admire the good modern architecture of the gallery.