After reading this article, you will get the answer to your question straightforwardly. Ballarat is one of the most famous places in Australia. It offers you a lot of things to do that give immense pleasure to your life, and you feel more energetic after visiting Ballarat.

These places are known for their visitor’s excellent experience every year. You can explore a lot of things outside your home. If you are planning to go on a holiday or simply looking for a city to explore, you should select this place that gives an answer to your question about what to do in Ballarat.

1. Now Let’s Check Out What to Do in Ballarat

1.1. Art and Cultural Activities

If you love Australian art and cultural activities, you should visit Ballarat because it offers a plethora of Ballarat art galleries and cultural activities.

Some of the famous art and cultural activities are the George Cottage, Annexe wall, Prisoners of the War Memorial, Artspace Ballarat, Aura sound and light show, Aviation museum, General cemeteries, Campsite mural, Heritage tours, Framing Gallery, Eureka guided tours, Accent framing, Golden city paddle streamer, and Greenhalgh tannery.

1.2. Ballarat Botanical Gardens

Feeling and relaxing around nature gives so much peace and calm that you could not find out about your hectic schedule. For this, The Botanical Gardens of Ballarat would be the best place for you.

Enjoying your food under the tree is one of the most exciting things to do in botanical gardens. You feel the beauty of mature marble statues and fantastic trees that give you cooling wind that you cannot find in your air conditioner. It is divided into central, north, and south gardens. It covers an area of 40 hectares.

The opening hours of this garden are 7:30 am to 9 pm (hours might be different on different occasions), and entry is free of cost.

Main attractions around this garden:
i) Zoo remains
ii) Pow memorial
iii) Fish hatchery

1.3. Lake Wendouree

Lake Wendouree is one of the fantastic lakes in Ballarat. This lake was built in 1851, and since the 1860s, it has been a popular recreational lake for Ballarat’s citizens. It is spread across 259 hectares. Here, you find different animal species, and it’s a good place for walking and jogging. It has a beautiful area for picnics and playing games for children that attract visitors.

1.4. Lydiard Street

If you’re still confused about things to do in Ballarat, then walking is one of the best ways to explore this city. You can take a walk on Lydiard Street, as it has many beautiful buildings, six lanes, and beautiful statues. We can say that it is the perfect symbol for architectural activities.

1.5. Ballarat Wildlife Park

Loving animals give you immense pleasure. If you would like to see them, you should go to the Ballarat Wildlife Park, where you get the chance to watch various native Australian animals like kangaroos, famous Australian native animals, penguins, and crocodiles.

You can have an immense amount of fun with your family here, have lunch, and enjoy so many different types of tasty food near the cafe situated in the wildlife park.

1.6. Ballarat Tramway Museum

If you love to watch things from the period when the tramway system was operational, you can visit the Ballarat Tramway Museum, where you get a rich collection of items related to the Ballarat tramways.

1.7. Kryal Castle

Kryal Castle would be great for you as it provides you with castle towers, a maze, and a drawbridge. You can plan various events, shows, and extra activities to give you a magical adventure. You can stay here for nights. It is better to book your tickets in advance and book your seat so that you won’t face any difficulties.

1.8. Ballarat Begonia Festival

In Ballarat, an annual Cultural Festival is organized that beautifully describes the culture and history of this city. The Ballarat Heritage Festival, which used to be known as Ballarat Heritage Weekend, is a 10-day event that takes place in mid-May.

If you are excited to learn more about this city, you should attend this festival, which in 2023 is organized from 19-28th May.

1.8.1. Exciting Things to Do So Around This Festival

1. Live Jousting display
2. Medieval adventure
3. Knight School and Ax throwing
4. Archery adventure
5. Photography studio.

And many more.

1.9. Taste of Wine

While exploring the city, you might crave something to refresh your body. To fix that, you can chill with Ballarat wine that refreshes your mood and adds interest. You can visit the famous bars of Ballarat, i.e., RJM’s bar, famous for its fruit beers.

1.10. Sovereign Hill

One of the oldest museums became the center of attraction among visitors worldwide. Sovereign Hill has so many recreated buildings and staff that provide answers to any photo.

This place offers antique works, livestock animals, and devices to visitors. It is one of the best attraction places for visitors. The ticket price is $49 for adults and $29 for children, and the opening hours are 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. It offers you with bar, café, and conference parks.

1.11. Ballarat Railway Station

You can enjoy your Ballarat journey by train. It is one of the oldest railway stations enjoyed by tourists worldwide as it gives you a historical building view; the station was built in the 19th century. You will find a beautiful café waiting room at this railway station.

1.12. Gold Museum

Gold Museum is another place you can visit. It was built on the wealth derived from the great Australian gold rushes of 1850. Loads of people like gold because of its striking appearance.

If you are a fan of gold items, you should visit this beautiful Gold Museum, as it offers you a variety of gold coins, gold jewelry, and nuggets that you cannot find anywhere else. This historical museum is the perfect place for gold lovers to explore.

The entry ticket is free with your Sovereign Hill pass.

1.13. Arch of Victory

Arch of Victory is a place that depicts the people who sacrificed their lives in the First World War. The monument is 16.5m high and 19.2m wide. It gives a beautiful look at the night as it has so many beautiful lights. This war memorial is a must-visit during your journey around Ballarat.

1.14. Maldon Trip

Maldon Trip is surrounded by hills and forest areas where you get so many antique shops, cafes, and walking places. The specialty of this place is that you get to see historical buildings over here, like the Grand Hotel, and if you are a food lover, you should taste the food around Maldon.

Those who enjoy dance music or want more entertainment should participate in the Maldon festival, where you can enjoy your hobbies.

1.15. Lal Lal Falls

If you like the waterfalls between the rocks, then Lal Lal Falls is the best place to visit in Ballarat place, where you can enjoy this beautiful scene. Many beautiful trees are situated around the rock, and seeing the waterfalls between the rocks gives you a calming feeling along with immense pleasure, and you feel yourself around nature.

1.16. Castlemaine

Castlemaine is one of the most visited places by Ballarat tourists. It is a small town surrounded by trees, flowers, art, and gardens. Small shop stalls are situated around this village so that visitors will have a good time exploring antiques, paintings, and building materials. You will find antique bookshops as well.

You will love to play with your kids in this playground if you’re on a family vacation. If you feel hungry, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from as it offers you coffee shops and food items under one roof.

1.17. Black Hill Reserve

Black Hill Reserve covers 260 acres of area. It provides you with so many rock formations and native Australian creatures. You’ll witness some of the gorgeous views from this parkland. If you want to spend time with wildlife species and around nature, you shouldn’t miss this place.

1.18. Post Office Gallery

The Post Office Gallery is one of the most popular tourist attractions for the visitors of Ballarat. If you love paintings, then go to the Post Office Gallery of Ballarat, as it gives you access to works by so many designers and the most significant regional art gallery paintings that are hanging on the wall.

So many exhibitions are contained in this gallery. If you want to experience art culture, this is the place to be.

1.19. Water Parks

This is another thing which you can do after visiting this beautiful place. Children love to play in waterparks, so this is the best place for you and your family to spend a whole day and not feel bored.

You get a lot of water activities to do here. There are many water parks to explore around this city. You can have a rain dance, slide on water swings feel refreshed, and have many more exciting things to do.

1.20. Bridge Mall

Who doesn’t like shopping for their favorite items? If you are getting it under one roof, no one misses out on this chance. Visit Bridge Mall as it offers you trendy clothes, accessories, shoes, jewelry, or whatever you want for your daily needs.

You get both branded and non-branded items here. The interior of this place is awe-inspiring, and it hosts some festivals that attract visitors.

1.21. Woowookarung Regional Park

Woowookarung Regional Park is a good place for cycling trails, running, and walking activities. A plethora of flowers is there in the park that attracts the park’s beauty. You can take your pets, have a fantastic morning and evening, and acquire playground and barbecue facilities.

1.22. Eat What You Like

After exploring the whole city, now it’s time to taste the food. Ballarat is a city where you get an endless number of dishes, and you can satisfy your hunger by tasting these things.

You can taste a variety of things here that satisfy your hunger. Yellow Espresso is well known for serving excellent breakfast services; an Underbar is also a good option.

1.23. Enjoy Sleeping in an Excellent Hotel

Now, after eating your favorite dishes, it’s time to sleep comfortably, and you can choose Craig’s Royal Hotel for this. It’s a gorgeous four-star hotel that will accommodate all of your needs. There are plenty of cheaper options available throughout the city as well.

1.24. Ballarat Aircraft Museum

Do you like aircraft or planes? If yes, then the Aviation Museum is the perfect place for you in Ballarat, where you get the best collection of aircraft, engines, models, and many memorable things from history. You get access to plenty of aviation history from this museum. It is one of the top tourist attractions in Ballarat.

We can conclude that there are a lot of places to explore in Ballarat. As per your budget, environmental conditions, likes and dislikes of your family, you can go to any of the areas mentioned above.

2. Reasons To Choose Ballarat

After reading the article now, we will know why you should choose Ballarat. If you want to have fun or live in Ballarat in the future, there are several reasons to determine this. Some of the reasons are mentioned below:

1. Gorgeous heritage look,
2. Lots of places to visit.
3. Try different dishes, tastes, wine, sports,
4. An active lifestyle,
5. You can get a lot of options to study in Ballarat. You can pursue the education from Federation University or Australian catholic university, where you can get a master’s degree in business management, information technology, nursing, and many more. In Ballarat, the competition is not so high, so you can quickly get a job after completing your study.

In The End

We can conclude that there are many exciting things and places to visit in Ballarat, and this article perfectly describes them.

Things that will attract you the most are the galleries housing Australian art, the Eureka Stockade memorial gardens, the Lake Wendouree adventure playground, and the maintained shallow urban lake.

If you have visited this place, kindly share your views regarding what to do in Ballarat so that you won’t miss out on any fantastic chances.

Last Updated on January 2, 2024 by Arnab