Things to do in  Canberra

The Australian War Memorial is one of Canberra’s most prominent landmarks and home to the National Military Museum. Standing at the head of Anzac Parade and surrounded by Remembrance Nature Park, it’s a moving tribute to the many Australian soldiers that fought and died in wars throughout the years.

Two parliament houses sit atop Capital Hill in Canberra, the old art deco parliament building from the 1920s and the new Australian Parliament House, built in the 1980s. The grassed roof and triangular metal flagpole of the building have become a national symbol of Australia. Works by some of the country's top contemporary artists hang within.

Like a big abstract Australian storybook, the National Museum of Australia uses controversy and humor to get you thinking about Australian national identity and heritage. The diverse collection focuses on Indigenous cultures and histories, settlement by Europeans, and the interaction between Australians and the environment.

See the planned city of Canberra from above from the top of Mt. Ainslie, which you can visit by hiking or driving. Reaching a height of 2,766 feet (843 meters), this small mountain in the northeast of Canberra hosts a popular tourist lookout with unparalleled views of the city and its deliberate, geometric layout.

The National Gallery of Australia has a stunning permanent collection of art focusing on four areas: Australian art, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, Asian and Pacific art, and European and American Art. Highlights include works by Australian artists Sidney Nolan, Tom Roberts, and Arthur Streeton.

Canberra’s Lake Burley Griffin is at the heart of the capital, providing the focal point around which much of the city’s official and recreational life revolves. Formed by the damming of the Molonglo River in 1963—about half a century after Canberra’s founding—it’s now difficult to imagine the city without the defining body of water.

If you have a question about Australia, you’ll find an answer here. The National Library of Australia holds the world’s largest collection of “Australiana,” with more than 10 million items—from books, photographs, and newspapers to unpublished manuscripts and oral histories—in aid of its mission to document the Australian experience.

The National Portrait Gallery in Canberra tells the story of Australia through the portraits of Australians who helped shape the country. Established in 1998, this art gallery holds a collection of portraits, both contemporary and historic, of people from all walks of life that reflect Australian history and society.

It’s fitting that the High Court of Australia, where the country’s most important cases are decided, sits at the heart of Canberra’s Parliamentary Triangle. The symbolism doesn't stop there though, as the court’s award-winning building dominates the shores of Lake Burley Griffin. Parts of the courthouse are open to the public.

Owned by NASA and managed by CSIRO, Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex is one of three NASA tracking stations around the world. Integral to NASA missions, it’s also home to the Canberra Space Centre, where visitors can get a behind-the-scenes peek at NASA missions and learn more about the mysteries of outer space.

The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra is an elite facility that trains athletes in a wide variety of sports and disciplines. As well as physical training, the AIS researches and teaches sports science, medicine, nutrition, and other related fields. Travelers can visit on guided tours that run several times per day.

The Australian National Botanic Gardens reimagines natural environments from around the country in its 86 acres (35 hectares) of former bushland on the lower slopes of Black Mountain. Home to 75,000 plants from more than 6,000 species, it's the world’s most comprehensive display of native Australian plant life.

With a huge range of resident critters, from native Australian animals to exotic species, the National Zoo & Aquarium in Canberra has plenty for wildlife lovers to get excited about. In addition to housing Australia’s most extensive collection of big cats, it also has the largest inland saltwater tank in the country.

The young (and the young at heart) can interact with more than 200 exhibits divided between eight hands-on galleries and an outdoor Science Garden at Questacon. Learn how tsunamis form, feel the shake of an earthquake, gaze at the surface of a giant model of the moon, or catch a show in the on-site theater.

Perched on the edge of Lake Jindabyne in the Australian Alps, Snowy Valley is a popular ski resort near the snowfields of Kosciuszko National Park. When the snow melts, Jindabyne becomes a summertime outdoor resort, offering fishing, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, and horseback riding.