The Best Art Galleries in Melbourne
Melbourne has a wonderful range of art galleries and admission to most of them is free. There are a number of locations with a high density of galleries including central Melbourne, especially along Flinders Lane, Southbank, Collingwood and Fitzroy. Melbourne councils have also created a range of interesting galleries across suburban Melbourne.
The art galleries can be divided into:
Blockbuster Galleries
National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) (Central Melbourne)
Address: 180 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne
Opening Times: Open daily 10am-5pm. Special opening hours for some exhibitions. Open 1-5pm on Anzac Day and closed on Christmas Day.
Admission: General entry is free but there is a cost for some exhibitions.
Notes: Australia's oldest, largest and most visited art museum. The collection comprises approximately 70,000 including paintings, sculpture, antiquities, works on paper, photography, decorative arts, furniture, fashion, textiles and multimedia.
Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia (Central Melbourne)
Address: Federation Square, Cnr St Kilda Road and Flinders Street, Melbourne
Opening Times: Open daily 10am-5pm. Special opening hours for some exhibitions. Open 1-5pm on Anzac Day and closed on Christmas Day.
Admission: General entry is free but there is a cost for some exhibitions.
Notes: Over 20 galleries dedicated exclusively to Australian art. Presents the history of Australian art from the Colonial period and the Heidelberg School through to contemporary art, and includes photography, prints and drawings, fashion and textiles, decorative arts, and a suite of galleries dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art
Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) (Southbank)
Address: 111 Sturt Street, Southbank
Opening Times: Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday-Sunday 11am-5pm, Monday Closed. Closed between exhibitions for installation.
Admission: Gallery entry is always free.
Notes: A flagship Australian contemporary art space situated in an iconic award-winning building. Develops exhibitions exploring the ideas and work of significant artists from around the world, commissions ambitious new works by local and international artists, and delivers a range of curatorial, education and public programs including talks, lectures, symposia, performances, screenings, music and events.
Buxton Contemporary (Southbank)
Address: Cnr Southbank Boulevard and Dodds Street, Southbank
Opening Times: Wednesday-Sunday 11am-5pm
Admission: Free admission
Notes: Melbourne's major new art museum which draws upon the Michael Buxton Collection as a springboard for exhibitions, events, research, publishing and ideas.
Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) (Central Melbourne)
Address: Federation Square, Cnr St Kilda Road and Flinders Street, Melbourne
Opening Times: Open daily 10am-6pm (except Christmas Day)
Admission: Free admission
Notes: Australia's national museum of film, video games, digital culture and art. Currently closed for redevelopment and reopening mid-2020.
Heide Museum of Modern Art (Bulleen)
Address: 7 Templestowe Road, Bulleen
Opening Times: Open daily 10am-5pm. Closed Mondays.
Admission: Adult $20, Concession $15, Children under 16 Free. Seniors' Day every Tuesday $15. An entry fee applies to the Exhibitions area but the gardens and sculpture park are free.
Notes: The museum houses modern and contemporary art across three exhibition buildings and is set within sixteen acres of heritage-listed gardens and a sculpture park.
Mid Tier Galleries
State Library of Victoria Galleries (Central Melbourne)
Address: 328 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Opening Times: Open every day except Good Friday and Christmas Day. Cowen Gallery, including North and South Rotundas are generally open Monday-Thursday 10am-9pm, Friday-Sunday 10am-6pm. The Dome Galleries are open daily 10am-6pm; until 9pm on Thursday.
Admission: Free admission
Notes: The Library's collection of artworks includes paintings, drawings and prints which provide visual information on Victorian history. There are works by professional and amateur artists, spanning the time period from first white settlement in Victoria to the present day. The Cowen Gallery has a permanent display of works from the collection, and includes colonial and modern portraiture as well artists' impressions of events in Victoria's history. Other works can be viewed in secondary exhibition spaces throughout the library.
RMIT Gallery (Central Melbourne)
Address: 344 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Opening Times: Monday-Saturday 11:00am-5:00pm; until 9pm on Thursday. Closed on Sunday.
Admission: Free admission
Notes: The main art gallery of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). Presents changing exhibitions of Australian and international design, including fashion, and architecture, fine art, craft, new media and technology.
Australian Music Vault (Central Melbourne)
Address: 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Opening Times: Monday-Saturday 9am-late, Sunday & Public Holidays 10am-5pm. Closed Christmas Day.
Admission: Free admission
Notes: Showcases the Australian music story with interactive and digital experiences.
Anna Schwartz Gallery (Central Melbourne)
Address: 185 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Opening Times: Tuesday-Friday 12pm-5pm, Saturday 1pm-5pm
Admission: Free admission
Notes: High-end, contemporary art gallery featuring work by well-known Australian and international artists.
Australian Galleries (Collingwood)
Address: 35 Derby Street, Collingwood
Opening Times: Open 7 days 10am-6pm
Admission: Free admission
Notes: Showcase significant contemporary Australian artists and their work with a vibrant monthly exhibition program and extensive stock gallery.
Metro Gallery (Armadale)
Address: 1214 High Street, Armadale
Opening Times: Tuesday-Friday 9.30am-5.30pm, Saturday 10.30am-5pm. Appointment Only: Sunday and Monday
Admission: Free admission
Notes: Contemporary art gallery committed to exhibiting collectable contemporary Australian and International art and work from promising emerging artists.
Flinders Lane Gallery (Central Melbourne)
Address: 37 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Opening Times: Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm, Saturday 11am-5pm or 3pm on last Saturday of each exhibition for de-install. Closed Sunday & Monday.
Admission: Free admission
Notes: Contemporary Australian high quality collectable artworks. Supports emerging, mid-career and established Australian artists.
Arc One Gallery (Central Melbourne)
Address: 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Opening Times: Tuesday-Saturday 11am-5pm
Admission: Free admission
Notes: A leading Australian contemporary art gallery located on Flinders Lane in the heart of the Melbourne arts precinct. Presents a program of exceptional solo exhibitions and dynamic group shows.
Linden New Art (St Kilda)
Address: 26 Acland Street, St Kilda
Opening Times: Tuesday-Friday 11am-4pm, Weekends 11am-4pm, Closed Mondays & Public Holidays.
Admission: Free admission
Notes: A not-for-profit art gallery which exhibits quality new contemporary art by mid-career artists, supports and mentors artists engaged with Linden and connects with the community by providing exhibitions, education and public programs.
Centre for Contemporary Photography (Fitzroy)
Address: 404 George Street, Fitzroy
Opening Times: Wednesday-Friday 11am-5pm, Saturday & Sunday 12-5pm
Admission: Free admission
Notes: Venue for the exhibition of contemporary photo-based arts.
TarraWarra Museum of Art (Healesville)
Address: 311 Healesville-Yarra Glen Road, Healesville
Opening Times: Tuesday-Sunday 11am-5pm. Open all public holidays except Christmas Day.
Admission: Free admission
Notes: Operates as a not-for-profit institution, with a charter to display Australian art from the second half of the twentieth century to the present day.
Admission: Adult $10, Seniors $8, Concession & Students $5, Children under 12 free.
Ian Potter Museum of Art (Parkville)
Address: 800 Swanston Street, Parkville
Opening Times: During the redevelopment of the Museum there are non standard opening times.
Admission: Free admission
Notes: The University of Melbourne's art museum which exhibits art from antiquity to the present. Art is displayed from the University Art Collection, as well as from public and private collections from around Australia and the world.
Monash University Museum of Art (Caulfield East)
Address: 900 Dandenong Road, Caulfield East
Opening Times: Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 12-5pm
Admission: Free admission
Notes: Committed to innovative, experimental and research-based contemporary art and curatorial practice with a focus upon contemporary art since the 1960s. The collection encompasses more than 1800 works.
Other Galleries
Sutton Gallery (Fitzroy)
Address: 254 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Opening Times: Tuesday-Saturday 11am-5pm
Admission: Free admission
Notes: Presents contemporary art by a group of innovative artists.
Gertrude Contemporary (Preston)
Address: 21-31 High Street, Preston
Opening Times: Tuesday-Friday 11am-5.30pm and Saturday 11am-4.30pm.Closed for public holidays and for installation between exhibitions. Closes over summer from late December to late January each year.
Admission: Free admission
Notes: Converted factory building featuring a contemporary art gallery and artists' studios.
Seventh Gallery (Fitzroy)
Address: 155 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Opening Times: Wednesday-Saturday, 12-6pm
Admission: Free admission
Notes: A space that embraces experimentation, risk and diverse artistic practices with a commitment to supporting emerging and underrepresented artists, curators and writers.
No Vacancy Gallery (Central Melbourne)
Address: 34-40 Jane Bell Lane, Melbourne
Opening Times: Tuesday-Friday 12-6pm, Saturday & Sunday 12-5pm
Admission: Free admission
Notes: A contemporary hire-gallery that provides a link between artist run initiatives and the commercial art world. Promotes and exhibits local and international emerging artists, designers and curators. A broad range of medium through curated group shows, solo exhibitions, festivals, launches, fashion shows, performances, workshops, one-off events, and more.
Blindside Gallery (Central Melbourne)
Address: Room 14, Level 7, 37 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Opening Times: Tuesday-Saturday 12-6pm (during exhibition program).
Admission: Free admission
Notes: An independent contemporary arts space supporting and promoting contemporary art practice across a broad range of media through an ever-changing program of exhibitions, screenings, events and workshops.
Best Suburban Galleries
Maroondah Federation Estate Gallery (Ringwood)
Address: 32 Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood
Opening Times: Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm. Closed weekends and public holidays.
Admission: Free admission
Notes: Showcases works by local artists, including paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings.
ArtSpace at Realm (Ringwood)
Address: 179 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood
Opening Times: Monday-Friday 9am to 8pm, Saturday, Sunday and Public holidays 10am to 5pm
Admission: Free admission
Notes: A wide range of contemporary visual and performing arts. There are also other pop-up exhibition and performance spaces throughout the centre.
Monash Gallery of Art (Wheelers Hill)
Address: 860 Ferntree Gully Road, Wheelers Hill
Opening Times: Tues-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday and Sunday 12-5pm
Admission: Free admission
Notes: The gallery's permanent collection comprises over 1500 works illustrating the development and evolution of the photographic medium in Australia. There are around 20 exhibitions a year in three spaces.
Manningham Art Gallery (Doncaster)
Address: 687 Doncaster Road, Doncaster
Opening Times: Tuesday-Saturday 11am-5pm. Closed Public Holidays.
Admission: Free admission
Notes: The main focus is the contemporary exhibition program which encompasses a broad range of visual arts practices including painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, drawing, photography, installation and multi-media artworks.
Whitehorse Art Space (Box Hill)
Address: 1022 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill
Opening Times: Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday 12pm-4pm
Admission: Free admission
Notes: Regular exhibitions showcasing the extensive City of Whitehorse Art Collection as well work by local and emerging artists.
See information about all the galleries in Melbourne.
