Sightseeing in Brisbane: Galleries and Views

October 30, 2026

Sightseeing in Brisbane: free galleries, lookouts and gardens

Many of Brisbane’s best sights cost nothing, and the 50 cent flat fare on TransLink buses, trains, trams and CityCats keeps getting between them cheap. Prices below are in Australian dollars, and hours are the ones published at the time of writing.

Galleries and museums at South Bank

QAGOMA on Stanley Place has free general admission and is open 10:00 to 17:00 daily, starting at 12 noon on Anzac Day. It is closed on Good Friday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Some exhibitions are ticketed, and the Children’s Art Centre is always free. Hours are on the QAGOMA page .

Queensland Museum Kurilpa is also free for general entry, and the building is open 9:30 to 17:00. Its paid SparkLab is adult $16.50 and child $13.50 at the February 2025 prices, so confirm current fares.

Lookouts

The Mt Coot-tha Lookout is free. Council lists route 471 from Ann Street, with stops at the Botanic Gardens and the Summit, but bus numbers changed in 2025, so confirm in the TransLink journey planner. There is no cable car or gondola. The Summit Restaurant & Bar reopened in May 2025, and the cafe stayed open.

At Queen’s Wharf, the Sky Deck is a free public space open daily, subject to weather closure. A listing gave 6:30 to 22:30 from Sunday to Thursday, and to midnight on Friday and Saturday, so check the hours on the day. The 300 metre pedestrian-only Neville Bonner Bridge links Queen’s Wharf to South Bank, with no bikes or e-scooters.

The Wheel of Brisbane at South Bank runs from 10:00 to 22:00 Sunday to Thursday, and to 23:00 on Friday and Saturday. Fares for 2026 are unconfirmed, so check the Visit South Bank page .

Gardens

Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha is free, open 8:00 to 18:00 from September to March and 8:00 to 17:00 from April to August. The Tropical Display Dome and Bonsai House are open 9:00 to 16:00 daily, and there is a Japanese Garden. There are no monkeys.

City Botanic Gardens connect with South Bank on foot over the Goodwill Bridge, a pedestrian crossing, which makes a handy route between the two.

City Hall and the clock tower

City Hall, completed in 1930 on King George Square, has a free Clock Tower Tour that must be booked online through Brisbane City Council, with one ticket per person. See the Council event page .

Anzac Square

Anzac Square, between Ann and Adelaide Streets, is Queensland’s state war memorial, with the Shrine of Remembrance, the Eternal Flame and the underground Memorial Galleries. Visit quietly, and treat it as a place of remembrance, not a photo stop.

Seeing it with a guide

If you want commentary, search Brisbane sightseeing tours on Viator . Keep in mind that summer thunderstorms hit in the afternoon, and UV is extreme most of the year, so put outdoor sights in the morning.