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The Brisbane art galleries to lose yourself in

Kristie Lau-Adams Kristie Lau-Adams
Whether you’re an art connoisseur or simply craving fresh inspiration, the best Brisbane art galleries curate eye-opening creativity.

In my opinion, a trip to any big city isn’t complete without stickybeaking through its artistic epicentres, and Brisbane flows with treasures. I love its major art galleries the most, with many found at South Bank in the centre of town, but there’s also outdoor installations and more low-key exhibits that reliably entertain. Here, my guide to the best Brisbane art galleries to pave a path of wide-eyed wonderment.

In short

If you only visit one of the best Brisbane art galleries, make it QAGOMA, the South Bank double-header. The modern facility (Gallery of Modern Art) reminds me of one of New York City’s soul-stirring art hubs, while the Queensland Art Gallery’s grand lobby instils deep tranquillity.

The Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)

a woman admiring artworks at The Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)
QAGOMA features revolutionary exhibitions. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

QAGOMA collectively labels two riverside galleries sitting a mere 150 metres apart in South Bank’s Queensland Cultural Centre – and I can’t get enough of either of them. The Queensland Art Gallery offers more of your traditional art experience (with the bonus of a staggeringly grand lobby and a quaint sculpture garden), while the Gallery of Modern Art is, you guessed it, the modern one and home to incredible contemporary artists including Danish-Icelandic Olafur Eliasson whose ‘Presence’ exhibition will light up the end of December 2025 and the first half of 2026. Together, they hold more than 20,000 works of historical, modern, and contemporary art, including iconic Indigenous and Australian collections. Both Brisbane art galleries are open daily from 10am until 5pm and both are incredibly mindful of visitors with access needs – think loanable wheelchairs, sensory kits, assisted hearing services, disabled parking spots and more.

Admission: Free, but certain exhibitions and events are ticketed

Address: Stanley Pl, South Brisbane

Birrunga Gallery

artworks displayed at Birrunga Gallery & Dining, Brisbane
Birrunga Wiradyuri’s creative works span diverse mediums. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

An incredible spot to spy some of the most moving First Nations artwork in the city, Birrunga Gallery is owned and run by Wiradyuri man Birrunga Wiradyuri, an artist himself. His passion creates a special space as creative works span so many different mediums including painting, dance, music, performance, storytelling sessions and more. Step inside to immerse yourself in the history of our beautiful land while an on-site cafe dishes up plates that embrace native ingredients and fresh local produce. It’s open from Monday to Friday, 7am until 5pm, and you’ll need to find street parking as there’s no car park attached to this Brisbane art gallery.

Admission: Free, but certain exhibitions and events are ticketed

Address: 19 Cribb St, Milton

Brisbane City Council’s Outdoor Gallery

artworks by Greg Chambers at Brisbane City Council’s Outdoor Gallery
The vibrant artworks of Greg Chambers liven up the entertainment precinct of Fish Lane. (Image: Brisbane City Council)

Move over, Melbourne. Brisbane embraces its sun-drenched outdoor spaces by dotting them with vibrant artworks for all to enjoy. I especially love the big cheesy ‘Brisbane’ sign on the Brisbane River at South Bank (as do my kids who climb through the letters to find impromptu hidey holes). The Brisbane City Council Outdoor Gallery was created to transform traditionally unexpected canvases, like laneways and car parks, into imaginative, curious and engaging spaces. From time to time, the council even stages exhibitions throughout its streets with ‘Amplify Me!’ unveiled in November 2025 and running until October 25, 2026.

Admission: Free

Address: City-wide

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Museum of Brisbane

a family admiring artworks inside the Museum of Brisbane
Admire multiple exhibitions at the Museum of Brisbane. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

A totally hidden gem, despite its loaded title. The Museum of Brisbane is located on the third floor of Brisbane City Hall, an unsuspecting spot I love to escape to when the hustle and bustle of the city (or heat alone) proves too much. One of the best Brisbane art galleries, it’s filled with multiple exhibitions at a time, in addition to tours of the iconic Clock Tower that run every 15 minutes from 10:15am until 4:45 pm. Up your alley? Just make sure you book in advance because spots are limited – the views across the city are that good. It’s open from 10am until 5pm daily and the museum itself welcomes visitors with access needs, but please note that the Clock Tower is not accessible.

Admission: Free

Address: Level 3, Brisbane City Hall, 64 Adelaide St, Brisbane

Brisbane Powerhouse

Brisbane Powerhouse as seen from above
Perched on the waterfront, Brisbane Powerhouse has long been a creativity hub overlooking the Brisbane River. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

The Brisbane Powerhouse is a hub for creativity, art and innovation, set in digs that stare straight out over the Brisbane River. While not exclusively an art gallery, the space is home to a large collection of permanent creative works and temporary installations. It also dons a bunch of heritage-listed graffiti from artists including Lister, Blek le Rat, Kasino and Ben Reeves. Touring big-ticket exhibitions include the World Press Photo Exhibition and the Brisbane Portrait Prize so you can expect huge crowds when something’s in town. The cherry on top? This Brisbane art gallery is also home to Bar Alto, one of the best restaurants in Brisbane, so lunch is sorted. It’s open daily from 9am until late and there’s an on-site car park with paid spaces.

Admission: Free, but certain exhibitions and events are ticketed

Address: 119 Lamington St, New Farm

QUT Art Museum

Installation view of 'Thinking into Being' at QUT Art Museum
‘Thinking into Being’ installation by Emma Coulter at QUT Art Museum.

The Queensland University of Technology’s artistic centre, QUT Art Museum , exhibits more than 2000 objects, including paintings and sculptures, predominantly from Australian artists. The exhibitions are mostly contemporary, technology-enabled or in relation to future tech and innovation so you can expect some mind-blowing action. In December 2025, the space was undergoing repairs due to storm damage, so check the website to see if they’re open during your next Brisbane visit. In much better news, QUT Art Museum’s sister gallery, the William Robinson Gallery, is proudly dedicated to the works by Australia’s pre-eminent landscape artist, William Robinson, so it’s also worth a steady gander.

Admission: Free

Address: Queensland University of Technology 2, George St, Brisbane

Metro Arts

Metro Arts exhibits both visual art and performance, offering a closer look at experimental boundary-pushing schools of thought. Throughout the year, the Brisbane art gallery plays host to guest artists in residence as they extend and experiment with their practice to create new contemporary masterpieces. There are also a series of exhibitions put on over the year. It’s open from Monday to Friday, 9am until 5pm, and there’s ample parking within West Village, where the gallery is located.

Admission: Free for art exhibitions, while live events are ticketed

Address: 97 Boundary St, West End

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Woolloongabba Art Gallery

artworks displayed inside Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Brisbane
Woolloongabba Art Gallery’s ethos is steeped in cultural appreciation.

The Woolloongabba Art Gallery is dedicated to a stylistically varied selection of local and Australasian art. The message, overall? Deep cultural appreciation, where sourcing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art is only done through 100 per cent owned and operated systems in and around Brisbane. Inside, there are three exhibition spaces to explore, spanning a multitude of mediums including painting, drawing, sculpture and beyond. It’s open from Tuesday to Friday from 10am until 5pm, plus Saturday from 10am until 3pm. There’s a small car park located right behind the gallery but if it’s full, it’s not too hard to find street parking.

Admission: Free

Address: 613 Stanley St, Woolloongabba

Judith Wright Arts Centre

A performance space for visual arts, and a thriving centre for the development of original contemporary works, the Judith Wright Arts Centre celebrates all styles including cabaret, circus, dance and more. Some of the organisations within the arts centre that regularly stage performances include the Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts, BlakDance, Circa and the Institute of Modern Art (more on that beauty just below). Visitors should note there’s no on-site parking, but several external parking lots are located within walking distance.

Admission: Free, but performances are typically ticketed

Address: 420 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley

Institute of Modern Art

Inside the Judith Wright Arts Centre, the Institute of Modern Art in Fortitude Valley is a totally interactive art space that demands its own special mention. Home to genuinely groundbreaking exhibitions, it showcases works that strive to push the boundaries of everything we think we know. It’s a great spot for discovering underrepresented artists that might just shake up your perspective entirely. There’s no on-site parking, but you can leave your wheels in a nearby parking lot.

Admission: Free

Address: Ground Floor, Judith Wright Arts Centre, 420 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley

Jan Murphy Gallery

artworks on display at Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
See contemporary art of the highest calibre. (Image: Jan Murphy Gallery)

Looking for a traditional art gallery with white walls and rotating painting exhibitions? Jan Murphy Gallery is the spot, opened in 1995 as a dedicated seller of contemporary art of the highest calibre. Large windows facing Brunswick Street showcase the newest exhibitions, luring passers-by through an always fascinating peek before opening their eyes to serious gems. It’s open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10am until 5pm.

Admission: Free

Address: 486 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley

Kristie Lau-Adams
Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
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Exploding supernovas & gold fever: discover the past at this outback Qld town

    Kassia Byrnes Kassia Byrnes
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    Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.

    While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.

    Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.

    Getting there

    car driving along Capricorn Way in queensland
    Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

    You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.

    Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.

    Best accommodation in Clermont

    Theresa CreekDam in clermont
    Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

    All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.

    Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.

    To stay closer to town, opt for a central hotel to base yourself between exploring and fossicking, like Smart Stayzzz Inn and Clermont Country Motor Inn .

    Things to do in Clermont

    three people on a tour with Golden Prospecting
    Join a tour with Golden Prospecting.

    One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters , Four Mile , Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings . To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting . They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.

    Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum . Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.

    The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.

    Bush Heli Services flying over clermont queensland
    See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

    For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.

    Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services . Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.

    Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs . The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.

    Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont

    meal at Commercial Hotel
    Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.

    Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.

    Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.

    For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.

    Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.

    Discover more of The Mackay Isaac region, and start planning your trip at mackayisaac.com.