Take a cultural tour of Melbourne’s world-class museums, edgy artist-run spaces and blockbuster exhibitions. All without spending a cent!

A large hall with a stained glass ceiling.

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.

A couple in a gallery looking up at a sign that says count down.

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.

People gathered outside on a street corner looking down an alleyway with graffiti.

The Outsiders Melbourne

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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.

A table in a gallery covering in round shell-like coloured glass pieces.

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.

A wall covered in framed images and photographs and displayed very close together.

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.

Two people walking past a wall covered in concert posters.

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.

People walking past City Gallery, located within the Melbourne Town Hall building in Swanston Street.

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

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.

The glass-panelled entrance to the Victorian Police Museum.

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

Stephen McLaughlan Gallery

Stephen McLaughlan Gallery

Curated contemporary art space in the iconic Nicholas Building.

Flinders Lane Gallery

Flinders Lane Gallery

Exhibiting collectable artworks and featuring solo exhibitions every three weeks.

Outre Gallery

Outre Gallery

Alternative art gallery specialising in lowbrow, pop surrealism and underground art.

West End Art Space

West End Art Space

A contemporary art gallery with a focus on living artists that strive for excellence.

ARC ONE Gallery

ARC ONE Gallery

A commercial gallery in Flinders Lane showing contemporary Australian art.

Kings Artist-Run Initiative

Kings Artist-Run Initiative

Space for contemporary art practice and gallery showcasing experimental projects.

Mystik River Gallery

Mystik River Gallery

Specialising in the ancient art of Indian sculpting.

Anna Schwartz Gallery

Anna Schwartz Gallery

The gallery represents over 30 established and emerging artists on individual projects.

Bridget McDonnell Gallery

Bridget McDonnell Gallery

A gallery exhibiting early and modern Australian art.

More free museums

College of Surgeons Museum

College of Surgeons Museum

An exhibition of surgical objects and memorabilia.

Victoria Police Museum

Victoria Police Museum

Explore the social history of policing through interactive displays and over 300 collection items.

Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre

Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre

A place of inspiration and vitality, that promotes the spirit and charism of Saint Mary MacKillop.

Medical History Museum

Medical History Museum

A free museum focusing on medicine's contribution to scientific discovery and community wellbeing.

The best free exhibitions

9 Photos 1 Story
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9 Photos 1 Story

Eleven photographers/artists present different stories in nine photographs.

View of Melbourne from across the Yarra River
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Curator’s Talk: Artists, Writers and the River

Join curator Judith Buckrich in a behind-the-scenes talk about her Yarra Birrarung exhibition.

Imprint: Word Play in Art Space

Imprint: Word Play in Art Space

Imprint is a storytelling event combining art, word, and song.

Jamieson Miller: Analogue

Jamieson Miller: Analogue

An exhibition of sculptural forms by Jamieson Miller.

Mercedes Benz Club Victoria Display

Mercedes Benz Club Victoria Display

See a number of rarely seen cars, spanning many years and models.

The Pacific Sisters
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The Pacific Sisters

Zoot suits and ActiVAtions take over Smorgon Family Plaza with the Pacific Sisters.

Noah Spivak: (un)seen
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Noah Spivak: (un)seen

View these stunning silver works investigating the space between narcissism and self-loathing.

Bark Salon
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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

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
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Tina Stefanou: You Can't See Speed

An experiential landscape of films, soundscapes, sculptures, live performances and dirt bikes.

Trees and Animals
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Trees and Animals

A playful exhibition of sculptures featuring ceramic artists Stephen Benwell and Raphy.

Marketa Kemp: Love You George

Marketa Kemp: Love You George

A collection of monotypes that showcase the subtle beauty of the Australian landscape.

Designing Remembrance
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Designing Remembrance

An exhibition of alternate visions for Victoria’s war memorial.

Deep Time Real Time
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Deep Time Real Time

The 2025 Alastair Swayn Legacy Exhibition explores design’s relationship to planetary systems.

ACCA: Family Art Day

ACCA: Family Art Day

An art-making workshop for children inspired by the exhibition Tina Stefanou: You Can’t See Speed.

Cecilia Cairns: Out of the Orchard

Cecilia Cairns: Out of the Orchard

An exhibition of paintings, drawings, and prints dating from the 1950s to 2025.

Saskia Morris: de-extinct

Saskia Morris: de-extinct

An exhibition of sculptures using upholstery fabrics.

Hyun Ju Lee – Coexistence: Stunning Beauty

Hyun Ju Lee – Coexistence: Stunning Beauty

Hyun Ju’s work explores the imagination of landscape.

RISING: Matha

RISING: Matha

Connect to Matha, an audio/visual conversation between the Dhungala and Birrarung river systems.

Edward Coleridge: 45 Letterbox Landscapes at 45

Edward Coleridge: 45 Letterbox Landscapes at 45

An exhibition of paintings by Edward Coleridge.

Taste of Combat
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Taste of Combat

Honouring the vital work of the Catering Corps and the evolution of military food.

World of the Book
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World of the Book

Explore the rare, the sacred and the iconic in this one-of-a-kind exhibition.

Memories that Make Us: Home is a Distant Shore
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Memories that Make Us: Home is a Distant Shore

An exhibition exploring the cultural stories Italian migrants carried with them to Australia.

Steve Leadbeater: Ritual of the Senses

Steve Leadbeater: Ritual of the Senses

An art exhibition that is concerned with energy, contrast and inner beauty.

Hamish Tobias: I’ve Been Curious About Daffodils Lately

Hamish Tobias: I’ve Been Curious About Daffodils Lately

These works examine the ways we magnify perceived flaws to monstrous proportions in our minds.

Michael McNamara: Salt, Sand and Sea
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Michael McNamara: Salt, Sand and Sea

Stunning aerial photos of World Heritage site Shark Bay and Monkey Mia.

Rosie Hastie: Untitled Monuments
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Rosie Hastie: Untitled Monuments

An exhibition of photographic images of a constructed world.

Brenton Hill: Fragmentum

Brenton Hill: Fragmentum

An exhibition that asks, what do our minds recall and our hearts remember.

April Exhibitions
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April Exhibitions

Visit the three new exhibitions at KINGS Artist-Run.

Tony Clark: Unsculpted
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Tony Clark: Unsculpted

A multifaceted overview of one of Australia’s most respected artists.

The Story of the Moving Image
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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
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Making Memoir of a Snail

Explore handmade sets, props and characters from Adam Elliot's claymation film Memoir of a Snail.

Yarra: Stories of Melbourne's River
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Yarra: Stories of Melbourne's River

Explores the chequered history of the stream we call the ‘city’s river’.

Melbourne Design Week

Melbourne Design Week

Celebrating Australia’s largest and leading annual design festival.

Melbourne's Annual Wedding Expo

Melbourne's Annual Wedding Expo

With over 120 of Melbourne’s most creative and popular wedding suppliers and vendors.

Memento Mori
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Memento Mori

Public murals influenced by the Fates of Greek mythology, inspiring passersby to embrace life.

Michelle Molinari: Correlations
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Michelle Molinari: Correlations

Still life images exploring the depiction of animals in both Eastern and Western art histories.

The Dirty Dozen
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The Dirty Dozen

Explore the stories behind the foods that made Melbourne.

Sikander: The Shape of Balance

Sikander: The Shape of Balance

Dark meets light, Yin meets Yang and tradition meets abstraction in works by the Indian artist.

Last updated on Wed 15 Jan 2025

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Free things to do in Melbourne every day

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Have a grand day out on a budget at Melbourne's best free experiences, attractions and exhibits.

Buxton Contemporary

Buxton Contemporary

A hub for creative engagement showcasing the best of contemporary Australian and international art.

Koorie Heritage Trust

Koorie Heritage Trust

An Australian First Peoples arts and cultural centre.

Workers Museum at Trades Hall

Workers Museum at Trades Hall

Workers museum showcasing the history of workers' rights.