Geelong: Art, Gardens and Waterfront

Geelong offers public art along the waterfront, galleries, historic sites and expansive gardens. If you’re looking for a hotel in Geelong, the focus of your trip can help guide you: are you especially interested in art and local history, gardens, or Eastern Beach Reserve?

Getting There by Train

Regular V/Line train services run between Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station and Geelong. Check the current timetable before departing if you’re planning to travel by train.

Events and Art

Geelong Arts Centre is located at 50 Little Malop Street. It offers a wide range of family-friendly events, which take place at several venues. If you’d like to combine your stay with an event, consider the relevant venue when planning.

Located in Geelong’s Cultural Precinct, Geelong Gallery overlooks Johnstone Park. Over more than 125 years, it has built a significant collection of Australian and European paintings, sculpture, prints and decorative arts. The collection includes works by Eugène von Guérard, Clarice Beckett, Emily Kame Kngwarreye and Frederick McCubbin. The exhibitions offer engaging art experiences.

Near Geelong’s waterfront, the National Wool Museum is housed in a restored 1872 bluestone wool store. The museum features two curated galleries.

Gardens and Historic Museums

Geelong Botanic Gardens cover more than 200 acres and were established in 1851. Admission is free, the walking paths are flat and paved, and access is easy. Other features include the 21st Century Garden and a variety of sculptures. As operational details may change, check the latest information about admission and accessibility before your visit.

Geelong Gaol Museum is housed in a 19th-century colonial prison, considered the best-preserved prison in Victoria. During a visit, you can experience the harsh conditions of confinement throughout its 138-year history as a prison, see exhibitions about the history of the three-storey bluestone prison, and view criminal history artefacts from across Australia. Check current opening hours before your visit.

MoPA: Museum of Play and Art is housed in one of Geelong’s oldest buildings. Its immersive exhibitions and experiences are designed to keep children entertained all day.

Waterfront Art and Eastern Beach

The Waterfront Bollards Trail is a self-guided walk past public artworks that tell the story of local history and the character of the city. More than 100 painted Geelong Bollards line the waterfront between Rippleside and Limeburners Point. Each figure represents a person or character connected with Geelong’s history, including early explorers, local families and community members.

Eastern Beach Reserve was originally developed in the 1930s. Its features include an enclosed sea bath, a promenade, diving towers, a children’s pool, floating islands, terraced lawns and a playground. While the Bollards Trail highlights public art and local history, the reserve is defined by its pools, promenade and open spaces.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Torquay, Portarlington, Batesford, Point Lonsdale, Queenscliff, Anglesea, Ocean Grove and Yarrambat.

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