Canberra Sights: Museums and other institutions

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Australian War Memorial

• Australian War Memorial, Treloar Crescent (top of ANZAC Parade, at the other end from Parliament House), ph +61 2 6243-4211 or +61 2 6243-4598 (for recorded information), fax +61 2 6243 4325, www.awm.gov.au. Daily 10AM-5PM. Not just a memorial, this is one of Australia's premier museums, covering Australian military history from Federation to the present day and including fascinating exhibits of equipment, memorabilia and battle dioramas. You could easily spend a full day here (it has a café, or bring a picnic lunch if the weather is nice and sit on the lawns at the front). Anzac Parade, leading up to the War Memorial has a number of memorials to different wars and those involved in wars. Free entry, allow 4-7 hours.
• Canberra Museum and Gallery, Cnr London Circuit & Civic Square, Civic, www.museumsandgalleries.act.gov.au/cmag/index.html. Tue-Fri 10AM-5PM; Sat-Sun 12PM-5PM. A museum and art gallery featuring works and exhibits of the local region. Also features the Sydney Nolan Collection - the works of Sir Sydney Nolan, a famous Australian artist. Free.
• National Capital Exhibition, Barine Dr ( in Commonwealth Park (off Commonwealth Avenue)), [18], open 9-5 Mon-Fri, 10-4 Sat-Sun. See an exhibition about the original Burley Griffin Plan for Canberra and how the city was planned and built. Good views over Lake Burley Griffin out to the museums on the Lake's south shore. Free.
• National Film & Sound Archive, McCoy Circuit, Acton, ph +61 6248 2000, www.nfsa.gov.au. A unique collection of Australian sound and film recordings of which a small selection showing iconic moments in Australia's cultural history is explored in this museum.
• National Museum of Australia, Lawson Crescent, ph +61 2 6208-5000, fax +61 2 6208-5099, www.nma.gov.au. This controversial museum has lots of interactive exhibits and groups items by concept rather than era. Free admission except for special exhibits. Allow 2-7 hours.
• Australian National Botanic Gardens, www.anbg.gov.au/anbg. Located at the base of Black Mountain in Acton, the ANBG has the largest collection of Australian native flora in the country. It also has some interesting water dragons that live in the water features around the gardens. A delightful place for a picnic, try to grab some food from the city centre first to take with you for lunch. If you are there during summer, call and ask about the jazz evenings. These are held on the weekend and many families attend with evening picnic and champagne in tow, to chill out to the sounds of jazz in the balmy evening temperatures. Entry is free, however parking is $1.40/hr or $7 all day at ticket machines, with proceeds going towards the gardens.

• High Court of Australia, Parkes Place, Parkes, www.hcourt.gov.au/about_05.html, 9:45-4:30 Mon-Fri (not open weekends or public holidays). This vast building is the home of Australia's highest court and contained a vast lobby and three main courtrooms that are open to the public. Tours are available, though restricted when the court is sitting. There is a cafeteria in the building as well.
• National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place, Parkes, ph +61 2 6240-6502, www.nga.gov.au. 10AM–5PM. Located by Lake Burley Griffin, this modern structure is one of the country's largest art galleries. It has a vast collection of paintings and sculptures collected from Australia and the rest of the world and has excellent Aboriginal artwork. A nice gift store and a large bookstore on the ground level. Free except for special exhibits. The Gallery offers free public one-hour tours: Australian and International art at 11AM and 2PM daily, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art at 11AM on Thursdays and Sundays. Allow at least half a day and possibly more.
• National Library of Australia, King ph +61 2 6262-1111, fax +61 2 6257-1703, www.nla.gov.au. The library is primarily a research centre, but normally has one exhibition showing parts of the collection. Also notable for its neo-classical architecture.
• National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes (adjacent to High Court and National Gallery of Australia), ☎ +61 2 6102-7000, www.portrait.gov.au. 10AM-5PM, except Christmas Day. The Gallery opened to the public on the 4 December 2008, and displays some 400 portraits of people who have shaped and who continue to shape the nation. There are gallery spaces for the collection and temporary exhibitions, public areas including a café, shop, function room, theatrette, education and school group areas, and basement car parking. Portraits are in various media, depending on the era. Galleries are themed by era. The web site gives a good idea of the content. free except for major exhibitions. (35.3005S,149.134E)
• Old Parliament House (featuring the Museum of Australian Democracy), King George Terrace, Parkes ph +61 2 6270-8222, fax +61 2 6270-8111, www.oph.gov.au www.moadoph.gov.au. The headquarters of Australian government from the 1920s to 1988, this building is a must for political and/or historical junkies. The building gives a real feel of what it was like when it was in use and has in the past regularly featured rotating exhibitions on the controversies and scandals that rocked Australian politics. It is now a permanent museum. Most of the main rooms - the Prime Minister's office, the Cabinet Room, the various party rooms, the two houses - are open to visitors, as are many smaller rooms like the whips' offices and the broadcasting area. There are also historical photos of Canberra as it used to be, including the times prior to the creation of the artificial lake that show Canberra under snow during winter (the lake warmed up the city and snow falls rarely on the city now). The gift store has decent souvenirs. Parking is free, admission is A$2 for adults, A$1 concession. Allow 2-3 hours.
• Parliament House of Australia, Capital Hill (access from Commonwealth Avenue), ph +61 2 6277-5399 or +61 2 6277-2727 (for recorded information), www.aph.gov.au. The seat of Australia's federal government and legislature and a remarkable piece of modern architecture. Tours are available (you must pass through a security check) or when Parliament is sitting you are allowed to view proceedings in the public gallery (another security check is required for this, and expect queues and long waits around 2PM on sitting days for "Question Time" in the House of Representatives. The Senate is likely to be less busy but less exciting.) Allow 2-3 hours.
• Questacon - The National Science and Technology Centre, King Edward Terrace, Parkes, ph +61 2 6270-2800 or 1800 020 603 (free call, recorded information), www.questacon.edu.au. 9AM-5PM. Questacon is an interactive museum of science with exhibits illustrating scientific ideas from the principles of physics to the motion of an earthquake. Great for kids and excellent science books can be picked up here. (Oct 06) $15.50 adults, $10.50 concessions, $9 children, and $46 for a family of 2 adults and 3 children. Allow at least half a day.

Chinese Embassy

• Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), Leverrier Crescent, Bruce, ☎ +61 2 6214-1111 (fax: +61 2 6251-2680), www.ausport.gov.au/ais/visit/tours. The AIS runs tours a couple of times a day. The tours are usually run by in-residence athletes. See the training areas and find out about the development and strategy of the facility. At the end of the tour there are interactive exhibits to try various sports. The pool here is open for public access during certain hours. $15.
• Australian Reptile Centre, O'Hanlon Place, Gold Creek Village, Nicholls ACT; ph +61 2 6253-8533 www.anbg.gov.au. Open daily 10AM - 5PM. Adults $7.50, children $6, concession $7, family tickets (2 adults & 3 or more children) $29, discounts available for group bookings. Located about 13km north of City via the Barton Highway.
• Embassies. As the national capital, Canberra hosts the embassies of most countries, listed below in Embassies. Most of the embassies are built in an architectural style typical of that particular country. In Yarralumla (the closest embassy district to the city), the Embassy of China, Embassy of Papua New Guinea are particularly worth a look. The Embassy of the United States of America is also worth a drive past, being the oldest embassy in Canberra. It is best to have a car or bicycle for touring so you can stop and have a look around.
• Government House (Yarralumla), viewing platform off Lady Denman Drive, Yarralumla. The main official residence of the Governor-General of Australia, representative of Queen Elizabeth in Australia. Closed to the public except for open days. There is a viewing platform off the Lady Denman Drive, or glimpses can be seen from the main gate at Dunrossil Drive, Yarralumla, or Weston Park, Yarralumla. Often kangaroos are to be spotted munching grass on the lawns, so be careful driving along the ride that gets to the viewpoint, especially at dusk.
• Royal Australian Mint, www.ramint.gov.au. . Take a tour of the mint and see how coins are made. You will even get the chance to mint your own souvenir coin. Look for the pudding coins as a souvenir (not always available). Allow 1-2 hours. Free.
• The Lodge, Adelaide Avenue, Deakin. The Prime Minister's official residence. Generally closed to the public and one can only see part of the garden from behind the wall. There are open days about once a year and if you are lucky to be in Canberra then, it shouldn't be missed.