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, Wurrdha Marra features art and design from First Nations peoples across time and place. Focusing on the importance of passing down cultural knowledge and also creating new forms of expression.
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.
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
Deep dive into the unseen and the unknown at Dark Matters. The exhibition explores the fundamental essence of life and the universe. Focusing on language, light and technology. Melbourne's one and only Science Gallery is home to some of the most unusual art installations in town. With an aim to get young people excited about science. Their exhibitions are always evolving, keep your eyes peeled for the next one that pops up.
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.
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.
Neon Parc
Commercial art gallery exhibiting a diverse range of contemporary art throughout the year.
Anna Schwartz Gallery
The gallery represents over 30 established and emerging artists on individual projects.
More free museums
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
NGV Architecture Commission: (This is) Air
The NGV 2023 Architecture Commission is a large-scale installation that makes the invisible visible.
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Stanislava Pinchuk: The Theatre of War
Experience three captivating video performances inspired by Homer's Iliad.
Beyond Housing Exhibition
An exhibition that considers the links between the practice and theory of architectural design.
Women Work for Victory in WWII
Explore the story of women on the home front during the Second World War.
Valerie Sparks: Sanctuary
An exhibition of intricate photomontages of native blooms in a dark garden.
Mercedes Benz Club Victoria Display
See a number of rarely seen cars, spanning many years and models.
Melinda Schawel: Weightless
Paper artist Melinda Schawel seeks a lightness of being through textural process.
Anzac Days Exhibition
A photographic exhibition of Anzac Day commemorations in Melbourne during the 1970s.
Friday Night Social: Yandell Walton
A visual feast and an innovative example of pushing technology in a new direction.
Open House Melbourne Weekend
Explore more than 150 buildings, places and spaces, and be inspired about the future of our city.
Trenches to Runway: Military Influences on Popular Fashion
Explore the enduring influence of military design on popular fashion.
Angelina Mirabito: Elastic Heart
A series of abstract paintings inspired by keywords in the lyrics to Sia's song Elastic Heart.
MECCA x NGV Women in Design Commission: Bethan Laura Wood
An installation that delves into the gendered history of education and transfer of knowledge.
Amos Gebhardt: In Memory of Stars
Gebhardt’s glowing images delineate the exquisite skeletons of native animals.
Gotcha! Concrete Prints from the McEwans Celebrity Pavement
An exhibition presenting 40 celebrity hand- and footprints from the 1970s to 1990s.
Memo Akten: Distributed Consciousness
A digital work merging human and non-human consciousness – via the AI musings of octopus critters.
Behind the Lines: The Year in Political Cartoons
Discover the best political cartoons of last year at the exhibition's only Melbourne venue.
Lucila Zentner: Surrender
Enjoy Surrender, a solo exhibition by Lucila Zentner featuring colourful, generous, joyous works.
Emma Jackson: Island Rugs
These hand-knotted rugs represent Australian islands with a unique volcanic story.
RISING: The Blak Infinite
Leading First Nations artists and writers turn Fed Square into a canvas of art and stories.
Ken Smith: The Colours of Water
Mornington Peninsula landscape artist Ken Smith explores the colour and light of Port Phillip Bay
The Story of the Moving Image
An ongoing exhibition that journeys through the past, present and future of the moving image.
Last updated on Wed 13 Mar 2024
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