I guess I can only comment on my covid experience but all in all was a bit disappointed…read more Not really the museums fault but covid meant most exhibitions were closed and where it is opened you need to prebook to get in. Well we didn't book. We got there and we couldn't get in any exhibition so basically got nothing to do. Aside from the exhibitions, there's surprisingly little things to see. Lovely environment and a nice big car park though.

Why is it the countless times I have been to Canberra I've only just discovered this place?…read more Had to kill some time with daughter in tow and I always wondered what this colorful museum was about. For starters, it is FREE. Amazing. Great cafe and gift shop too. There is a theatre to watch the history of Australia, lots of multi-media exhibits to learn about Australia as well. Love the autobiographical section, with its domed audio recordings. They also featured the Azaria Chamberlain story ("a dingo ate my baby"). Outside, there is a water feature, although I don't think you can wade in it. Also beautiful grounds and fantastic Aboriginal displays. Next time I'm in Canberra, will probably stop in again!

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.

Beautiful Memorial and so well kept! Unfortunately we were…read morepressed for time and was not able to take advantage of their free tours. Im sure there was lots to learn and so much more to see! Despite our short visit, we had a great time. The reflection pool was serene and the Commemorative Area was beautiful with red poppies. i enjoyed their interactive screens, miniature depictions of the "battlefield" and was amazed at how HUGE the anzac landing boat actually is! Definitely a must visit! wish we could have stayed a bit longer!

#83 for 2021 I had…read morenever been there but my cousins have and were my guides. Even with that I do regret not visiting the website before hand. You can become familiar with the different halls are there, what the touring collections are, the customs and ceremonies, and other useful information. I found the projects that extend beyond the memorial interesting with their continued research. Important lessons we as humanity need so desperately to learn. What is good to know there is no admission fee. To access certain areas you will need to register on line for time slots available. It's still free but I think they want to control how many people get in because of the limited space and there are a ton of people that show up every day. The only day the memorial is closed is Christmas. Open every day 10am to 5pm. Rain or shine. It rained and shined the day of my visit. It is a great tribute to the Australians who participated in their wars. Like the Arizona Memorial it is serene and humbling. Many stories behind the pictures, the artifacts, the people, the countries and the ultimate sacrifices. And every day they pay tribute to one of their fallen with a military ceremony complete with guards and bugel. Plus, they bring in the family members. It was impressive to behold this ceremony with all its honor and respect to the surviving family members. Definitely the highlight of the day. During my visit I made a donation. It wasn't much but I know it will still help. If I lived there I would volunteer to work here for a day. Please visit the memorial when you can and their website. Never forget. Respect & Honor. Then be humble for what you have and what these people have done.

Wanna get married like a rock star in a building with immense historical value that was once the…read moreseat of power in this great country? So did my cousin, and man, Old Parliament House is a super speccy venue to get irrevocably hitched to your life partner of choice (unless you're a homosexual couple in which case this great country doesn't yet afford you the privilege of getting married, a ruling as archaic and ridiculous as it is profoundly selfish, at least in the opinion of the more progressive amongst us). Anyway. The wedding area is a hidden paradise tucked away in the heart of the whitewashed complex, where sun streams in and birds sing and it feels for all the world like you're getting married in an ancient Greek capital to someone important, perhaps a minor deity of some kind. The reception area is right there, too, so there's no schlepping around in cars between venues, just pop up the stairs and there's a big banquet hall with a dance floor and bay doors that open up to a view of new parliament house running away up the hill, it's really quite splendid. PRO TIP: befriend the bartenders. They'll look out for you with a brilliantly cheeky drinks / shot service when everyone is three sheets to the wind. Crucial.

Having been to Canberra a number of times before, I remarked to my husband that I had never been to…read morethe old Parliament House. We set off after breakfast and being aware of the possible issues of parking in what is called the parliamentary circle, we originally opted to park in one of the nearby parking spots. After finding that these were ALL allocated to nearby government workers, I suggested we try to find a park closer to old Parliament House and were pleasantly surprised to find ample parking spots right in the grounds. The pay spots accept coins or card (who carries around about $20 in coins) and are 4 hour spots only. We parked the car and climbed the historic front steps, pausing to enjoy the sight of the Australian War Memorial way down the other end and across the lake. Now home to the museum of democracy, for $2 an adult and $1 for kids the entry fees are really quite reasonable. After speaking with the friendly staff and getting maps and offered tours (free) we were in the door. If you only have an hour or so to spend, take one of the tours to get the most our of your time. If you have longer there are many, many different areas and exhibits to check out. The current Menzies exhibit is interesting and the Does your vote count gives an interesting and interactive view or what different generations find important. Well worth the effort and a great way to learn a little about politics in Australia.

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.

Great place to visit with kids. We spent 3 hours going through the different galleries. Paid $70…read morefor a family pass (whole day, so we could come and go). The kids loved the Free Fall activity, and we're glad it was included in our tickets, and not an extra charge. The gift shop was great, a lot of interesting options for little curious minds. We didn't visit the café. Parking was very challenging, we paid for parking and were late coming out, and found a $120 parking ticket on the windshield!

Incredibly interactive Museum…read more This place is a one in a million. This is a museum that is well designed for the individual visitor or for large groups. The tour guides were interesting, informative and catered for the group I was with. The materials to view were a mixture of old with new ideas. I love the interactive swipe boards to follow a course of history. The person logs in using a swipe disc and then asked to follow a piece of history. The large interactive screens allows the person to find information within one room, it is like a treasure hunt of historical facts. The room full of large displays of past politicians and the old telephone handsets allows the public to listen to old speeches and the voices of past politicians. The old houses of Parliament are well preserved and and the guides assist students or groups to role play past Bills that were passed. The public can join in while listening to a group role play an important piece of history.

Highly recommended! This is a great newish museum in Canberra that seems to be very unknown even…read moreamongst Canberrans. We visited about 6 months ago and were captivated by the stories of how Australian democracy came to be. Starting from pre-federation, the museum's exhibits are full of interesting stories of the struggles (both in politics and in policy) that shaped Australia throughout the 20th century. It really opened my eyes to many political and social struggles I wasn't aware of, putting today's seemingly trivial gripes in perspective. You'll leave with a new appreciation of how incredibly resilient our democracy is just the way it is today; and with an optimistic outlook for our nation's future.

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.