Discover Gympie: Culture, Rail and the Mary River

Gympie offers several distinct ways to explore history and leisure: museums and art, railway heritage, historic routes and activities along the Mary River. When planning your stay, you can decide whether you would prefer to focus on exhibitions and tours, a route through the city or time outdoors. The places below differ mainly in how they present regional themes and the kind of visit they offer.

Art, Museums and Regional History

The Gympie Mining Museum offers educational tours and interactive exhibitions. This combination provides different ways to explore the subject of mining.

The Gympie Regional Gallery is housed in the heritage-listed School of Arts building, dating from 1905. It presents a mix of professional and emerging artists from the region, as well as touring exhibitions from across Australia. The program also includes art classes, artist talks and tours. In addition to viewing art, there are other ways to engage with the exhibitions and the work behind them.

The Woodworks Museum and Interpretive Centre in Gympie offers insights into the timber industry over the years and includes a steam-powered sawmill. Demonstrations and guided tours are available by appointment for groups, including school groups. The focus here is on both the timber industry and a specific facility. Together with the Mining Museum and the Gallery, it gives Gympie a range of cultural themes that are not limited to just one type of museum or exhibition.

Historic Places and Rail

Gympie’s Heritage Trails take visitors to historic places in the city, with signs explaining the history of each location. If you would rather experience history on a drive, you can include the Gympie City Tourist Drive, a scenic route through historic Gympie. The signs along the trails relate to individual locations, while the Tourist Drive is described as a route through the historic city.

The Mary Valley Rattler experience begins at historic Gympie Station. Visitors can explore the Heritage Display at the historic station as part of the experience. The Mary Valley Rattler operates with beautifully restored steam and diesel locomotives, classic carriages and historic rail vehicles. The station exhibition and the range of historic vehicles each offer a different focus on railway heritage.

By the Mary River and in the Park

The River to Rail Trail is in central Gympie, is 7.8 km long and is suitable for walking and cycling. Much of the trail runs along the Mary River. Visitors can picnic, fish, swim, canoe and kayak along the trail. The options range from walking and cycling to activities on the river. Following flood events in February and May 2022, the trail was partly closed. Check current trail conditions before your visit.

Lake Alford Recreational Park offers a setting for picnics and leisurely walks. It also has a playground suitable for all abilities. Markets are held in the park on the first, third and fifth Sundays of each month. Check the date before your trip if you plan to visit a market. Unlike the trail, the focus here is on the playground, picnics and leisurely walks.

Discover more destinations: Tarzali, Stafford, Horseshoe Bay, Mount Kilcoy, Annandale, Clear Island Waters, Yengarie, Brookfield

For the broader travel overview: Queensland.