Twin venues, Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres host interesting live music performances at night; by day they are home to exhibitions and workshops.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Canberra attractions

1. Glebe Park

0.47 MILES

This spacious green park is filled with leafy elm trees that turn a lovely golden yellow in autumn. There's a playground for kids and lots of paved paths…

2. Canberra Museum & Art Gallery

0.54 MILES

This local museum is worth it for the Sidney Nolan paintings alone – 141 works, including canvases from his Ned Kelly series and Burke and Wills…

3. Drill Hall Gallery

0.73 MILES

The Australian National University's main gallery displays specials exhibitions and items from the ANU's art collection. On permanent display is the…

4. Australian War Memorial

0.82 MILES

Canberra's glorious art-deco war memorial is a highlight in a city filled with interesting architecture. Built to commemorate 'the war to end all wars',…

5. Nerang Pool

1.03 MILES

This lovely pool is a serene spot in Commonwealth Park, with an abundance of bird life and some beautiful landscaped gardens.

6. National Film & Sound Archive

1.05 MILES

Set in a delightful art-deco building (look for the stained-glass platypus in the foyer dome), this archive preserves Australian moving-picture and sound…

7. National Capital Exhibition

1.15 MILES

This small but fascinating museum tells the story of how Canberra came to be Australia's capital. Displays include reproductions of the drawings entered…

8. Mt Ainslie

1.25 MILES

Northeast of the city, 843m-high Mt Ainslie has excellent views day and night. At the top, plaques explain what the Canberra basin looked like before the…