The best free museums and art galleries in ³Ô¹ÏÍø
Take a cultural tour of ³Ô¹ÏÍø’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 ³Ô¹ÏÍø. The city’s premier art gallery has an ever-changing slew of free exhibits to peruse. Browse the permanent collection of international art. Then explore homegrown art and exhibitions at the Ian Potter Centre: NGV. The current exhibition, Making Good, explores great design in everyday life. Think adaptable fashion and edible coffee cups.
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, ³Ô¹ÏÍø'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 ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s most weird and wonderful treasures and historical archives.
Buxton Contemporary
Explore a stunning collection of Australian art at this Southbank gallery. The latest exhibition to land at Buxton Contemporary is The Veil. An exploration of identity and cultural resilience, the show features film, sculptures and photography.
Australian Music Vault
If you’re musically inclined, the Australian Music Vault is a must. It’s a great overview of ³Ô¹ÏÍø’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 ³Ô¹ÏÍø.
City Gallery
The City Gallery presents free, quarterly exhibitions on city life; past and present. Pop in to the gallery at ³Ô¹ÏÍø Town Hall to see the city's collection, an eclectic range of 13,000 artworks and artefacts. Right now you can catch The Dirty Dozen. Expect ceramic street food and rare menus. Plus works highlighting the dining habits of the 19th-century elite.
Science Gallery ³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mix a dose of science, with a dash of art, and a pinch of innovation and you get Science Gallery ³Ô¹ÏÍø. This is where art and science meet. A unique cultural space, it aims to inspire curiosity and critical thinking through the fusion of art and science. Part of ³Ô¹ÏÍø University, it’s designed to engage young people in the creative industries and science. On now is Distraction. Ponder the art of time wasting at this immersive exhibition dedicated to distraction and doom-scrolling.
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.
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.
³Ô¹ÏÍø'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.
Anna Schwartz Gallery
The gallery represents over 30 established and emerging artists on individual projects.
More free museums
Victoria Police Museum
Explore the social history of policing through interactive displays and over 300 collection items.
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
Carolyn Roberts: The Heart of It
Exploring humanity's relationships with nature through watercolour paint.
Tschabalala Self: Skin Tight
The first solo exhibition in Australia for renowned American artist Tschabalala Self.
Jo Ryan: Lettr4ms
Letters combine and intertwine to create sculptures that make us lose sight of the letter.
Our Way: Celebrating Indigenous Art
Exploring how Indigenous artists reimagine storytelling today, expanding on artistic traditions.
Wanapati Yunupiŋu: Ŋäṉarr - Tongue of Flame
Wanapati Yupingu uses the Gumatj clan sacred design gurtha or fire. But not just any fire.
Rigg Design Prize: Next in Design
The Rigg Design Prize is Australia’s most prestigious accolade for contemporary design.
Art Salon: An Untitled Exhibition, Thai Diaspora
Explore Thai-Australian creativity through shared stories, cultural identity and artistic diversity.
Silent Hand Catches Silver Bell
An exhibition showcasing 25 years of Speak Percussion’s boundary-defying experimentation.
Aldona Kmieć: Hills Hoist
A deeply personal photographic project exploring a disappearing way of life.
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Firestation Print Studio: Pollinators
An exhibition of prints that draw inspiration from a range of Australian native pollinators.
Liz Priestley: Sonder
Translucent wax paintings capture the redolence of memory and past interactions with place.
World of the Book
Explore the rare, the sacred and the iconic in the 20th anniversary of this annual exhibition.
Hylton Mackley Artist of the Year Award Exhibition
An exhibition of works by outstanding peer-voted artists.
Sangeeta Sandrasegar Atrium Commission
Discover a new textile installation using natural plant dyes in Fed Square's Atrium.
Yarra: Stories of ³Ô¹ÏÍø's River
Explores the chequered history of the stream we call the ‘city’s river’.
Skin to Steel
Brea Lanyon's debut exhibition featuring steelworks redefining art and interiors in ³Ô¹ÏÍø.
The Story of the Moving Image
An ongoing exhibition that journeys through the past, present and future of the moving image.
MECCA X NGV Women in Design Commission: Nipa Doshi
Designer Nipa Doshi explores beauty, plurality and diversity in her handcrafted cabinet.
Ella Whateley: The Ways We Pray
An exhibition that explores various practices of prayer through print and drawing.
Making Good: Redesigning the Everyday
NGV's exhibition brings together the work of more than 50 designers.
Making Memoir of a Snail
Explore handmade sets, props and characters from Adam Elliot's claymation film Memoir of a Snail.
Amy Cohen: When Time Becomes Space
A collection of clay and fibre forms explore the connection between seashells and safe spaces.
Swinging 60s
Did the sixties really swing in Victoria? A new exhibition from the Old Treasury Building.
Memento Mori
Public murals influenced by the Fates of Greek mythology, inspiring passersby to embrace life.
Look Up To The Future
Showcasing the creativity, skill and innovation behind Victoria’s next generation of talent.
Make Believe: Encounters with Misinformation
Is it real or is it fake? Dive into how misinformation has shaped our lives and culture.
Distraction
An exhibition that plugs into the torrent of content and places we go when craving distraction.
Last updated on Wed 27 Aug 2025
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The Potter Museum of Art
The Potter has supported generations of artists, curators, writers and academics for over 50 years.
