Queensland Cultural Centre

Top choice in Brisbane


On South Bank, just over Victoria Bridge from the CBD, the Queensland Cultural Centre is the epicentre of Brisbane’s cultural confluence. Surrounded by subtropical gardens, the string of architecturally notable buildings includes the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, the Queensland Museum & Sciencentre, the Queensland Art Gallery, the State Library of Queensland, and the particularly outstanding Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA).

If you have kids in tow, a good place to start is the Queensland Museum & Sciencentre. The museum itself offers an engaging journey through the state's history, its collection includes a skeleton of the state’s own dinosaur, Muttaburrasaurus, and the Avian Cirrus, the tiny plane in which Queensland’s Bert Hinkler made the first England-to-Australia solo flight in 1928. Meanwhile, the site's Sciencentre is an educational fun house with a plethora of interactive exhibits delving into life science and technology. Expect long queues during school holidays.

The Queensland Art Gallery houses a fine permanent collection, mostly of domestic artists, among them Sydney Nolan, Arthur Boyd, Charles Blackman and pioneering Indigenous artist Albert Namatjira.

Occupying an award-winning contemporary building by Sydney firm Architectus, the imposing Gallery of Modern Art delivers world-class exhibitions of both Australian and international art in a variety of media, from painting, sculpture and photography to video, installation and film.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Brisbane attractions

1. Queensland Art Gallery

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While Brisbane's main art museum includes numerous international works, its forte is its Australia collection. This includes works by heavyweights like…

2. Queensland Museum & Sciencentre

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Dig deeper into Queensland history at the state's main historical repository, where intriguing exhibits include a skeleton of the state’s own dinosaur…

3. State Library of Queensland

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Sandwiched between the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Brisbane's pre-eminent library hosts free, often fascinating exhibitions…

4. Gallery of Modern Art

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All angular glass, concrete and black metal, must-see GOMA celebrates modern and contemporary art, with a particular emphasis on Australian, Asian and…

5. Wheel of Brisbane

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Steps from the Queensland Performing Arts Centre is Brisbane's slightly more modest version of the giant observation wheels now common in cities from…

6. Pillars Project

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Beneath the South Brisbane rail overpass, a row of concrete pillars has been transformed into 11 giant street-art murals by some of the hottest names on…

7. South Bank Parklands

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Should you sunbake on a sandy beach, saunter through a rainforest, or eye-up a Nepalese peace pagoda? You can do all three in this 17.5-hectare park…

8. Treasury Building

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At the western end of the Queen St Mall is the magnificent Italian Renaissance–style Treasury Building, dating from 1889. No tax collectors inside – just…