The best free museums and art galleries in Melbourne
Take a cultural tour of Melbourne’s world-class museums, edgy artist-run spaces and blockbuster exhibitions. All without spending a cent!
NGV International
Old and new, beautiful and challenging, NGV International brings a world of art to Melbourne. The city’s premier art gallery has an ever-changing slew of free exhibits to peruse. See powerful, contemporary art, design and architecture at NGV Triennial. Explore homegrown art and exhibitions at the Ian Potter Centre: NGV. Current exhibition, Rekospective features massive neon installations, larger-than-life sculptures, street art-inspired paintings and more by well known Kamilaroi artist, Reko Rennie.
ACMI
From films to video games, ACMI celebrates screen culture past and present. Get behind the camera at ACMI’s free exhibition, The Story of the Moving Image. From the birth of film to today’s digital wonders, there’s more than a century of movie history to explore. And you can get hands-on at this fun cinema showcase, with animation and sound effects to play with.
The Outsiders Melbourne
Head to this secret gallery in one of Melbourne's most iconic laneways and you'll discover a treasure trove of paintings, sculptures and more. Get rare access to famous work by some of the world's best street artists – including Banksy. Plus locals like Rone, Adnate, Vexta and Tom Gerrard.
Tolarno Galleries
For a small gallery, Tolarno sure has hosted some big names in art. Step inside this hidden space to see incredible exhibitions of contemporary art and design. The early days saw the likes of Picasso, Bonnard and Matisse gracing the walls of the gallery. More recently, art lovers admired works by legendary Aussie artist Patricia Piccinini. Whoever is showing, you're bound to see something special.
Art and Heritage Collection Tour
See a Foster's beer tower from the good old days, retro Moomba Monarch crowns and a bottle of spumante dating back to who knows when. For the first time ever, City of Melbourne's Art and Heritage Collection is opening its doors to the public for free guided tours. This is your chance to access to some of Melbourne’s most weird and wonderful treasures and historical archives.
Australian Music Vault
If you’re musically inclined, the Australian Music Vault is a must. It’s a great overview of Melbourne’s backstage sounds and stories. Watch rare footage and see iconic objects like Kylie Minogue’s stage outfits and notebooks belonging to Nick Cave. The free exhibition is permanently on show at Arts Centre Melbourne.
City Gallery
The City Gallery presents free, quarterly exhibitions on city life; past and present. Pop in to the gallery at Melbourne Town Hall to see Elements of the city's collection, an eclectic range of 8000 artworks and artefacts.
Science Gallery Melbourne
Melbourne's one and only Science Gallery is home to some of the most unusual art installations in town. Think live jellyfish and a machete-wielding houseplant. Discover fresh insights on science fiction with Mythologies Transformed. The exhibition weaves together science fiction with ancient philosophy and mythologies are brought to light through the work of Asian and First Nations women artists and collectives.
Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA)
From music to educational talks, screenings and more the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) will have you coming back again and again. Spot the iconic rust-red building along Southbank and head in to explore local and international art. Keep an eye out for pop-up events and teachings.
Victoria Police Museum
Explore the state's crime history at this free museum in Docklands. History buffs will be amazed by Australia's largest collection of Kelly Gang armour. Dig through major investigations and learn how animals have served in the police force all the way back to the 1960s.
Melbourne's best small, independent and artist-run galleries
Flinders Lane Gallery
Exhibiting collectable artworks and featuring solo exhibitions every three weeks.
West End Art Space
A contemporary art gallery with a focus on living artists that strive for excellence.
Kings Artist-Run Initiative
Space for contemporary art practice and gallery showcasing experimental projects.
Anna Schwartz Gallery
The gallery represents over 30 established and emerging artists on individual projects.
More free museums
Victoria Police Museum
Explore the social history of policing through interactive displays and over 300 collection items.
Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre
A place of inspiration and vitality, that promotes the spirit and charism of Saint Mary MacKillop.
Medical History Museum
A free museum focusing on medicine's contribution to scientific discovery and community wellbeing.
The best free exhibitions
Hannah Quinlivan: Bound by the Sky
3D drawings explore fragility, resilience and blur lines between fine art and design.
Steve Leadbeater: Ritual of the Senses
An art exhibition that is concerned with energy, contrast and inner beauty.
Stephen Tierney: A Wonderful Life
An exhibition of collages urging a deeper, more critical engagement with the world around us.
Curator’s Talk: Artists, Writers and the River
Join curator Judith Buckrich in a behind-the-scenes talk about her Yarra Birrarung exhibition.
Athenie Leckey: 79 Banksias
An acrylic painting series of 79 banksias, each showing how the species differ.
The Pacific Sisters
Zoot suits and ActiVAtions take over Smorgon Family Plaza with the Pacific Sisters.
Noah Spivak: (un)seen
View these stunning silver works investigating the space between narcissism and self-loathing.
Constructing the Invisible: Systems, Structures, and Spaces
Exploring design as a lens through which to visualise systems that are invisible or imperceptible.
Bark Salon
Bark Salon is a large-scale display of First Nations bark painting, with more than 160 works.
Elissa Goodrich: Waves and Bubbles – Turbulent Waters
An exhibition of climate-science, sound and visual arts, for all ages.
Tina Stefanou: You Can't See Speed
An experiential landscape of films, soundscapes, sculptures, live performances and dirt bikes.
Marketa Kemp: Love You George
A collection of monotypes that showcase the subtle beauty of the Australian landscape.
Deep Time Real Time
The 2025 Alastair Swayn Legacy Exhibition explores design’s relationship to planetary systems.
Cecilia Cairns: Out of the Orchard
An exhibition of paintings, drawings, and prints dating from the 1950s to 2025.
RISING: Matha
Connect to Matha, an audio/visual conversation between the Dhungala and Birrarung river systems.
Memories that Make Us: Home is a Distant Shore
An exhibition exploring the cultural stories Italian migrants carried with them to Australia.
Celestial by Juan Castro
A new silver jewellery collection by Spanish-Australian artist Juan Castro.
RISING: Night Trade
Music, art, food and reality-rifting lasers – sample the RISING festival for free.
Michael McNamara: Salt, Sand and Sea
Stunning aerial photos of World Heritage site Shark Bay and Monkey Mia.
Isabel Deakin: Hanging by a Thread
Hanging by a Thread is an extension of the work Isabel Deakin completed in 2022.
The Story of the Moving Image
An ongoing exhibition that journeys through the past, present and future of the moving image.
Making Memoir of a Snail
Explore handmade sets, props and characters from Adam Elliot's claymation film Memoir of a Snail.
Wild Country: The Ovens River
Clare McCracken and Heather Hesterman explore the environmental history of the Ovens River.
Halfway Seen Halfway Home (半窥半归)
An exhibition examining first-generation Chinese-Australian identity by artist Ming Liew.
MindBodySpirit Festival
Explore wellness, workshops, new products and retreats at this free festival.
Yarra: Stories of Melbourne's River
Explores the chequered history of the stream we call the ‘city’s river’.
Last updated on Wed 15 Jan 2025
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A hub for creative engagement showcasing the best of contemporary Australian and international art.
