About Canberra
Why not stay longer and take advantage of the many things to do and see in Canberra? The nation’s capital is home to many unique attractions.
Lake Burley Griffin
Attractions clustered about Lake Burley Griffin include:
- National Museum — reveals the stories of Australia and houses many exhibitions, including Kspace where you can create futuristic houses and modes of transport then view your creation come alive in a 3-D theatre.
- Australian War Memorial — view and feel the Australian experience of war. There are twenty galleries of exhibits plus fighter planes, dioramas and the commemorative courtyard with the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier.
- Questacon — Australia's National Science and Technology Centre, featuring over 200 exhibits and shows that combine the latest robotics with immersive interactive techniques. Experience an earthquake, dinosaurs, a shark attack, a suite of holograms and much more.
- Parliament House — observation of Parliament from the public gallery with free guided tours.
- National Archives of Australia — a storehouse of treasures, including documents such as Australia's birth certificate, Queen Victoria's Royal Commission of Assent, trademark designs, theatrical scripts and flag designs.
- National Gallery of Australia — free admission to the permanent collection, numbering more than 100,000 works. The gallery often hosts touring major exhibitions.
- National Library of Australia —houses an amazing range of resources - more than 7 million books, magazines, journals, newspapers, manuscripts, maps, music, pictures, photographs, films, videos and oral history tapes, also special interest exhibitions.
Canberra and Region
Attractions a little out from the lake, yet not far away from the city centre include:
- Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex — 35 kilometres south of the city, an important link in tracking and the relaying of signals from NASA missions. Exhibits include space memorabilia, videos and interactive displays.
- Canberra Space Dome and Observatory — 5 minutes from the city centre, it features a 360 degree virtual reality theatre with a multimedia star field show, 5.2 metre reflecting telescope, observation gallery, space bizarre gift shop, flying saucer and genuine Antarctic igloo.
- Mount Stromlo — founded in 1924, the observatory has played a central role in advancing the frontiers of astronomy and is an icon of Australian science. Although devastated by the bushfires in 2003, the visitor site has reopened.
- ScreenSound Australia — an exhaustive collection of Australia's moving images and sound recordings, including a diverse range of material from the 1890s to the present day, preserved and shared through exhibitions, screenings and live presentations.
- Cockington Green — 10 minutes north from Canberra’s city centre at Gold Creek Village, it houses amazing handcrafted miniatures set in spectacular landscaped gardens, including Scottish castles and Stonehenge.
- Australian Reptile Centre — also located at Gold Creek Village, the centre is a dynamic, professionally presented educational venue of all things reptilian.
- CSIRO Discovery — showcases Australian science and technology. Attractions include an exhibition hall and virtual reality theatre, spectacular atrium and the Green Machine science education centre.
- Telstra Tower — a Canberra landmark atop Black Mountain that offers spectacular views of the city and surrounds, with an exhibition tracing the history of Australian telecommunications.
- Australian National Botanic Gardens — located at the foot of Black Mountain with an outstanding range of environments on display; plants of the rainforest, the desert, the mountains and more.
- Australian Institute of Sport — the pre-eminent elite sports training institution in Australia with world-class facilities open to the public and interactive sports displays, videos and tributes.
More Information
For more information on Canberra's attractions, see:
Visit Canberra
www.visitcanberra.com.au
Canberra Online
www.canberrascene.com
Canberra Tourism
www.canberratourism.com.au