Top Ten Places To Visit For Free In The ACT

The top ten places to visit for free in the nation’s capital.

1. National Gallery of Australia: holding over 120,000 pieces of artwork and sculptures, the national gallery contains pieces from some of the world’s most famous artists including Monet and Picasso. The Gallery usually has an exhibition on which showcases a particular artist, period or style. Some of the current and future exhibitions include Gardens of the East, Light moves and Atua. Permanent collections at the Gallery are free of charge, but special exhibitions may have cover charge.

2. The Australian War Memorial: is located on Treloar Crescent at the top of ANZAC Parade and is open daily from 10.00am to 5.00pm. Admission to the war memorial is free but some exhibitions and tours will require the purchase of tickets. The experience of finding a relative or very old friend on the role of honour can be very touching experience for all. Children will enjoy the life like model submarine or the army helicopter with sounds and vision to help you can get a feel of what it would have been like in the war.

3. National Film and Sound Archive: The national audio-visual collection holds more than 1.9million works including films, television and radio programs, audio tapes, records and wire recordings. It also incorporates documents and artefacts such as photographs, posters, lobby cars, scripts, costumes, props and vintage equipment. Current exhibitions include Test of War and Picnics & Pelicans. The National Film and Sound Archive is free of charge and is located on McCoy Circuit in Acton.

 4. The Australian National Botanic Gardens: maintains a collection of native plants from all parts of Australia, which makes for a good place to relax hidden within Canberra. You can find yourself travelling from the Rain Forest to the Rock Garden to the Sydney Garden in a matter of minutes, as well as enjoying the open greenhouses. Often there are also art exhibitions in the visitor centre of the gardens, which is open for all to see. The Gardens are free of charge and is open daily from 9.00am-5.00pm.

5. Floriade: may only be open for a short period each year but it attracts visitors from across the globe with its creative displays of flowers and entertainment. Over five nights of the event, Commonwealth Park comes to life after dark with Floriafe NightFest featuring music acts, comedians, DJs and night markets. Floriade has free entry and is open from September to October each year.

6. Mount Ainsle Look-Out: is a wonderful way to enjoy the superb views over Canberra. You can either walk or drive to the top of the mountain and there is an abundance of free parking available. There are tables for you to enjoy a relaxing picnic and new signs displayed on the way up which ads to the lovely ambience of the lookout.

7. National Library of Australia: The National Library is located on Parkes Place in the Canberra Parliamentary Triangle. The Library contains reading rooms, exhibitions and treasures gallery of newspapers, Asian collections, maps, pictures and manuscripts. The Library is the perfect place to take a break from the noise of the city free of charge.

 8. Transit Bar: If you were a little more interested in Canberra’s night life Transit bar is the best place to go. With free entry, Transit bar offers Karaoke every Tuesday night and Free Pool Sundays, and has live music and DJs every other night. It’s also a great place to get lunch or dinner, and is located right in the heart of Canberra’s city.

9. The National Museum of Australia: is located on Acton Peninsula and is open 9am-5pm daily. The museum contains historic icons such as Pharlap’s heart, the September 11 Australian Flag and Snowy Scheme Collection. There are also interactive collections for the kids to enjoy as well as a lovely café where you can have lunch by the lake.

 10. The National Arboretum Canberra: The Arboretum is home to over 48,000 trees of rare, endangered and symbolic trees from Australia and around the world. At the heart of the Arboretum is the Village centre which is a light-filled space with panoramic views of lake burley griffin. Also take some time to visit the gift shop, Sprout Café, the Conservatory Restaurant, the Bonsai deck, Pod Playground, the amphitheatre and much more. The Arboretum is open from 6am- 8.30pm daily and is free of charge.

Text by Cassie Armenis