The 20 best art galleries to explore in Australia

What is it? Opened in 1982, Australia’s heritage-listed national gallery is home to the largest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art collection in the entire world.

Why go? The NGA's extensive collection comprises more than 155,000 Australian, Indigenous and international masterpieces, including Jackson Pollock’s ‘Blue Poles’ and the Ned Kelly series by Sidney Nolan. Its repertoire extends outdoors into the manicured Sculpture Garden that sits on the shore of Canberra’s tranquil Lake Burley Griffin.

Time Out tip: Try to align the conclusion of your visit with dusk, when pioneering light artist James Turrell’s permanent installation, ‘Within without’, really comes alive.

Address: Parkes Pl E, Parkes, ACT
Opening hours: Daily 10am-5pm
Entry fee: Free (excl. some special exhibitions)

What is it? Professional gambler and art collector David Walsh’s Museum of Old and New Art is Australia’s largest museum.

Why go? Described by its owner as a “subversive adult Disneyland,” the collection runs the full spectrum from ancient Egyptian mummies to contemporary conceptual installations. From the moment you board the high-speed ferry that sails between Hobart’s waterfront and MONA’s 99 steps, you’ll realise this is a museum like no other.

Time Out tip: Get there early to see James Turrell’s Amarna – a spectacular outdoor light show that complements the natural conditions at sunrise and sunset.  

Address: 655 Main Rd, Berriedale, TAS
Opening hours: Thur-Mon 10am-5pm
Entry fee: $39 for adults, $17 for kids, free for kids under 12, free for Tassie locals 

What is it? This grand modernist building in Melbourne’s city centre is Australia's oldest and most popular art museum.

Why go? That title has been won thanks to the NGV’s top-notch and diverse permanent collection (including a Rembrandt, a Bonnard and a Tiepolo), its fantastic visiting collections, its free tours and its ongoing series of late-night events.

Time Out tip: Take a moment to appreciate the spectacular stained glass ceiling by Leonard French and the Water Wall at the gallery entrance.

Address: 180 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne, VIC
Opening hours: Daily 10am-5pm
Entry fee: Free (excl. some special exhibitions)

What is it? Known as the keeping place of stories, this visual art and performance hub in Alice Springs holds more than 1,100 artworks.

Why go? Araluen's extensive art collection showcases the beginning and continuing development of Australia’s contemporary Aboriginal art movement, featuring artists like Albert Namatjira and Emily Kame Kngwarreye. 

Time Out tip: The precinct is also home to an Arthouse Cinema that screens a fantastic selection of local and international feature films, documentaries and mainstream titles. 

Address: 61 Larapinta Dr, Araluen, NT
Opening hours: Daily 10am-4pm
Entry fee: Free (excl. some limited-time exhibitions)

What is it? This former 1940s Rolls-Royce service depot in Sydney was transformed into a privately owned gallery opening in 2009.

Why go? The state-of-the-art, four-floor wonderland showcases the best of 21st-century Chinese art, with two new exhibitions hosted each year, each involving a full rehang.

Time Out tip: Be sure to head to the White Rabbit’s street-level Tea House for dumplings and oolong while you're there. 

Address: 30 Balfour St, Chippendale, NSW
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 10am-5pm
Entry fee: Free

What is it? A glittering gem at the heart of Perth’s Cultural Centre, this gallery is where you can spend a woozy weekend lost in the throes of art appreciation.

Why go? Housing the official state collection, accrued since the establishment first opened way back in 1895, there are ridiculous wonders on offer. That includes Balancing Act – a space devoted to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.

Time Out tip: Time your visit, so you can watch the sunset from AGWA’s groovy rooftop bar, complete with an open-air sculpture walk, an illuminating 34-metre artwork by Christopher Pease and 360-degree views of Perth’s city skyline.

Address: Perth Cultural Centre, WA 
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 10am-5pm
Entry fee: Free 

What is it? Come face-to-face with our country’s most topical and trending Australian characters at the nation’s leading portrait gallery.

Why go? From Archie Roach and Adam Goodes to Carla Zampatti and Cate Blanchett, this gallery spotlights the people and artists who have shaped our Australian identity. 

Time Out tip: Take a squiz at the 500-plus portraits, before popping just across the road to the National Gallery of Australia, Questacon or Old Parliament House. 

Address: King Edward Terrace, Parkes, ACT
Opening hours: Daily 10am-5pm
Entry fee: Free (excl. some special exhibitions)

What is it? From its prime position in front of the Royal Botanic Gardens on Sydney Harbour, this 150-year-old museum stands proud as one of Australia's foremost cultural institutions.

Why go? Every year, the Gallery draws tens of thousands of visitors for Australia’s favourite art awards, the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes. Crowds also come to see the AGNSW’s significant collections of Australian, European and Asian art, and its limited-time blockbuster exhibitions, which most recently included international artists Kandinsky and Louise Bourgeois. 

Time Out tip: Every Wednesday evening, the AGNSW stays open until 10pm, offering a regular program of free live music, lecturess, drawing workshops, film screenings and gallery tours – and, of course, nocturnal access to its latest exhibitions. 

Address: Art Gallery Rd, Sydney, NSW
Opening hours: Daily 10am-5pm; Wed 10am-10pm
Entry fee: Free (excl. some limited-time exhibitions)

What is it? Even before it opened, the AGNSW’s Sydney Modern Project was touted as the most significant cultural development for Sydney since the Opera House.

Why go? The cavernous, beautifully minimalist space, which opened in late 2022, comprises three limestone-clad pavilions, more than 3,400 square metres of accessible roof ‘art terraces’ and courtyards, and a subterranean ‘tank’ formed from a former Second World War bunker. Work your way from top to bottom, exploring the dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art space, purpose-built gallery for time-based art and towering floral outdoor sculpture by famously polka-dot-peddling Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.

Time Out tip: Get two for the (free) price of one by visiting the Art Gallery of NSW on the same day, located just next door.

Address: Art Gallery Rd, Sydney, NSW
Opening hours: Daily 10am-5pm; Wed 10am-10pm
Entry fee: Free (excl. some limited-time exhibitions)

What is it? QAGOMA is one of Australia's most exciting and respected creative precincts. The complex spans two buildings, idyllically located by the water in South Bank, Brisbane.

Why go? While the Queensland Art Gallery has resided at this location since 1982, the gallery itself actually dates back to 1895. The Gallery of Modern Art annex was opened in 2006, and these days, the two galleries house an impressive permanent collection – in addition to hosting regular temporary exhibitions. Since 1993, QAGOMA has also hosted the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, which draws around 3 million visitors. 

Time Out tip: Catch a ride to the gallery on the CityCat. The gallery is just a short walk from the South Bank CityCat and ferry terminal.

Address: Stanley Place, South Brisbane, QLD
Opening hours: Daily 10am-5pm
Entry fee: Free (excl. some limited-time exhibitions and events)

What is it? A two-and-a-half hour drive from Sydney on the South Coast, you’ll discover this subterranean, climate-resilient art museum embedded in 1,000 hectares of bush and parkland overlooking the Shoalhaven River.

Why go? The art museum houses a changing program of contemporary exhibitions and cultural experiences, with events, workshops and concerts also presented across the site.

Time Out tip: You can even stay the night in one of Bundanon’s minimalistic yet chic cabin-style rooms, which have won multiple architecture awards for sustainability. 

Address: 170 Riversdale Rd, Illaroo, NSW
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 10am-5pm
Entry fee: $18 for adults, free for kids under 12

What is it? This torch bearer for Australian modernism is comprised of three core buildings – Heide I, II and III – as well as extensive gardens and an impressive Sculpture Park.

Why go? The museum is filled with history, boasting more than 3,700 works of art spanning modernism, figurative, abstract, expressionist and realist pieces. Heide’s history, as the former home of art patrons John and Sunday Reed, is as intriguing as its art, and you can learn more about it on one of the museum’s guided tours hosted daily at 2pm.

Time Out tip: Pack a picnic to enjoy in the Sculpture Gardens after viewing the galleries. The gardens are free for all!

Address: 7 Templestowe Rd, Bulleen, VIC
Opening hours: Tue-Fri 10am-4pm; Sat-Sun 10am-5pm
Entry fee: $30 for adults, free for kids under 16

What is it? Perched on Circular Quay and open six days a week, the MCA is Sydney's home of new age and left-of-centre art.

Why go? The waterside museum was overhauled from head to toe (well, almost) in 2011 and born again in 2012 with double the floor space at its command, including a swish new rooftop café, high-tech education centre and a lush sculpture terrace. You’ll never be bored at the MCA with its depth and range of ever-expanding collections, and exhibitions from renowned international contemporary artists, like Yoko Ono, Yayoi Kusama and Doug Aitken. 

Time Out tip: The MCA's rooftop restaurant, Canvas, is worth checking out. Even if you're not hungry, the views from up there are some of the best in Sydney, since it looks over the water across to the Opera House.

Address: 140 George St, The Rocks, NSW
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 10am-5pm
Entry fee: $20-$35 for adults, free for under 18s and students

What is it? Behind the neoclassical sandstone facade of South Australia's largest art gallery lies more than 47,000 incredible works.

Why go? You can take a tour or plot your own course, exploring the gallery’s newest works, international shows and permanent installations, such as Donald Judd's minimalist, brutalist topographical sculpture on the north lawn and Lindy Lee's six-metre metal ovoid sculpture, 'The Life of Stars'. The AGSA also hosts the Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art every two years, the Ramsay Art Prize for artists under 40 and Tarnanthi, a festival of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.

Time Out tip: The AGSW opens until 9pm on the first Friday of every month. 

Address: 490 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA
Opening hours: Daily 10am-5pm
Entry fee: Free (excl. some limited-time exhibitions)

What is it? You’ll want to tiptoe around this custom-designed contemporary gallery dedicated to all things glass in Wagga Wagga.

Why go? Start on the ground floor for a history lesson about the gallery and a general background on studio art glass in Australia, then head upstairs to explore its ever-growing collection of 700 glass works. 

Time Out tip: Save time to peruse the Glass Gallery Shop, which features works by some of Australia’s most renowned glass artists. Splurge on an art piece for your home or a gift for a loved one.

Address: Morrow St, Wagga Wagga, NSW
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 10am-4pm; Sun-Mon 10am-2pm
Entry fee: Free 

What is it? A regional Victorian gallery that has developed a reputation for cutting-edge fashion exhibitions and contemporary Indigenous designers.

Why go? Bendigo Art Gallery was founded all the way back in 1887, but its collection is anything but dated. Sure, the gallery features works from as far back as the 1850s and the gold rush, but in recent years it's also developed something of a reputation for hosting cutting-edge fashion exhibitions on Mary Quant, Balenciaga and contemporary Indigenous designers.

Time Out tip: While in the area, it's also worth checking out the Golden Dragon Museum (it's just a quick walk from the gallery through Rosalind Park). 

Address: 42 View St, Bendigo, VIC
Opening hours: Daily 10am-5pm
Entry fee: Free (excl. some special exhibitions and events)

What is it? One of Australia's most visited regional public art galleries, MAMA, is a cultural highlight of regional Australia. This vibrant contemporary art museum is located on the border of NSW and VIC in the regional town of Albury.

Why go? Albury's centrepiece museum features a mix of self-curated exhibitions alongside partnership exhibitions from state and national museums and galleries. MAMA’s permanent collection has a strong focus on photography, developed through acquisitions from the biennial National Photography Prize, and contains almost 3,000 items, including works by significant Australian artists. 

Time Out tip: We recommend following up your museum visit with a mind-blowing dinner at European fine diner Bistro Selle, and staying in the heart of town at Atura Albury, an art-inspired hotel with service as good as the decor is funky. 

Address: 546 Dean St, Albury, NSW
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm; Sat-Sun 10am-4pm
Entry fee: Free