Ballarat
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Ballarat's rapid growth is pushing the housing market to its limits, creating a persistent shortage of affordable rentals and homes for first-time buyers.
Top things to do in Ballarat
Evergreen picks — free items are flagged.
- 1.
Sovereign Hill
#attractionThis world-renowned open-air museum recreates Ballarat’s first decade after the discovery of gold in 1851. Visitors can pan for real gold, explore underground mines, and interact with costumed characters in a meticulously recreated 1850s township.
- 2.
Ballarat's most iconic attraction is an immersive outdoor museum depicting the 1850s gold rush. Visitors can pan for real gold, explore underground mines, and interact with costumed characters in a meticulously recreated township complete with horse-drawn carriages and traditional workshops.
- 3.
Ballarat Wildlife Park
#familyAn interactive sanctuary where visitors can get up close with native Australian animals. The park is famous for its free-roaming kangaroos, koalas, wombats, and 'Crunch' the super-croc, offering a more personal experience than traditional zoos.
- 4.
Located on the shores of Lake Wendouree, these 150-year-old gardens feature a significant collection of marble statues, the Robert Clarke Conservatory, and the Prime Ministers Avenue featuring bronze busts of every Australian PM.
- 5.
Located on the western shore of Lake Wendouree, these historic gardens span 40 hectares. Highlights include the Prime Ministers' Avenue, the Robert Clark Conservatory, and a significant collection of 19th-century Italian marble statues.
- 6.
Art Gallery of Ballarat
#museumEstablished in 1884, this is Australia’s oldest and largest regional art gallery. It houses a premier collection of Australian art, ranging from colonial-era works to contemporary indigenous pieces, housed in a beautiful heritage-listed building.
- 7.
Lake Wendouree
#outdoorThe centerpiece of Ballarat’s outdoor life, this urban lake hosted rowing events for the 1956 Olympics. Today, it is popular for its 6km walking track, birdwatching, rowing, and scenic lakeside picnics.
- 8.
Explore the darker side of the city's history with a guided lantern-lit walk. These tours visit spookier landmarks and share stories of goldfields legends, haunted buildings, and the city's macabre past.
- 9.
Kryal Castle
#familyAustralia’s only medieval adventure park, featuring jousting tournaments, wizardry workshops, and archery. This theme park offers an immersive experience into the Middle Ages with theatrical performances and castle towers to explore.
- 10.
Ballarat Ghost Tours
#tourOperated by Eerie Tours, this experience explores the dark side of the city's gold rush history. Led by guides in period dress, the tour visits haunted buildings and alleyways while recounting tales of Ballarat's grim and ghostly past.