The country's elite and aspiring athletes hone their sporting prowess at the AIS. Visitors can take 90-minute guided tours of the facilities, led by resident athletes. There are also displays on Australian champions, plus interactive exhibits where you can publicly humble yourself at a variety of sports or test the accuracy, speed and strength of your ball skills and reaction time.
Australian Institute of Sport
Canberra
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
4.23 MILES
This Australian national art collection is showcased in an impressive purpose-built gallery within the parliamentary precinct. You can justifiably bypass…
4.13 MILES
Occupying a flash, purpose-built building, this wonderful gallery is a striking representation of Australia's shifting self-image and a must-see for art…
19.78 MILES
Namadgi is the Ngunnawal word for the mountains southwest of Canberra, and this national park includes eight of those peaks higher than 1700m. It offers…
3.56 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',…
4.47 MILES
Built in 1988, Australia's national parliament building is a graceful and deeply symbolic piece of architecture. Sitting atop Capital Hill, the building…
3.38 MILES
As well as telling Australia's national story, this museum hosts blockbuster touring exhibitions (admission prices vary), which often outpoint the…
3.98 MILES
Most families visiting Canberra head straight for Questacon, Australia's premier science museum, where they can play around with fun interactive exhibits…
Museum of Australian Democracy
4.18 MILES
The seat of government from 1927 to 1988, this elegantly proportioned building offers visitors a taste of the political past. Displays cover Australian…
Nearby Canberra attractions
1.75 MILES
On the western side of the city, the forested slopes of Black Mountain (812m) provide some easily accessible bushland perfect for bushwalking and mountain…
2.06 MILES
Black Mountain (812m), northwest of the city, is topped by the oddly stumpy 195m-high Telstra Tower, which offers a sweeping vista from its 66m-high…
3. Australian National Botanic Gardens
2.31 MILES
On the lower slopes of Black Mountain, these sprawling gardens showcase Australian floral diversity over 35 hectares of cultivated garden and 50 hectares…
2.44 MILES
The Australian National University's main gallery displays specials exhibitions and items from the ANU's art collection. On permanent display is the…
5. National Film & Sound Archive
2.78 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…
6. Canberra Museum & Art Gallery
2.9 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…
3.09 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…
8. National Museum of Australia
3.38 MILES
As well as telling Australia's national story, this museum hosts blockbuster touring exhibitions (admission prices vary), which often outpoint the…