Mocan and Green Grout

Acton

It’s a precinct that blends cultural experiences perfectly with nature, where modern offices are draped in living greenery set alongside heritage buildings and the vast Australian National University campus. NewActon is the  edgier hipster slice of this ‘hood and features hotels, bars, cafes and restaurants. You’ll find two of Australia’s social history museums here, too.

Highlights of the area

Heritage meets modern architecture

From the UFO-like Shine Dome to the eco-friendly Nishi building and visually spectacular National Museum of Australia, design is in this area's DNA.

Gardens house our national treasures

Walk through the biggest collection of Australian flora housed in the sprawling Australian National Botanic Gardens at the base of Black Mountain.

Close to the city

Acton is home to some of the city's pre-eminent cultural jewels connected by lush greenery and public art trails.

Featured

Australian National Botanic Gardens

Opened in 1970, the Gardens give you the opportunity to explore approximately one‑fifth of Australia’s diverse and spectacular flora in a bushland setting. With over 4,300 species set within 35 hectares, a journey through this oasis is a journey through Australia's many eco-systems.

Nestled within the Gardens refuel at Pollen Cafe, be inspired at the bookshop, or recharge with a massage at Jindii Eco Day Spa.

Australian National Botanic Gardens
Banff Mountain Film Festival 2025 Hero Image
6–9 May 2025

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival 2025 | Canberra

National Film & Sound Archives, Acton
Next on 6 May 2025 from 7:00pm to 10:00pm
Shopper browsing Indigenous art work
6–8 Dec 2024

AIATSIS Indigenous Art Market 2024

AIATSIS, Acton
Next on 6 Dec 2024 from 10:00am to 3:00pm
Person examines artworks by Sidney Nolan in For the Term of His Natural Life exhibition
1 Feb 2025

For the Term of His Natural Life | Reconstructed 35mm Film | Arc Cinema

Arc Cinema, National Film and Sound Archive, Acton
Next on 1 Feb 2025 from 1:00pm to 2:30pm
Plants and seeds in coolamon
2 Aug 2024 – 3 May 2025

Tasting Australia with Adam Shipp

National Museum of Australia, Acton
Next on 7 Feb 2025 from 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Photo of a ruined wall at the site of Pompeii
14 Dec 2024

Spotlight Conversations – Pompeii: A living heritage

National Museum of Australia, Acton
Next on 14 Dec 2024 from 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Banner for series
13 Feb – 10 Dec 2024

The Journey of Australian Science: Tracing our History, Discovering New Paths

Shine Dome, Acton
Next on 10 Dec 2024 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm
Protecting Our Ocean II, Elliott Koonutta, Christine Holroyd, Syd Bruce Shortjoe and Romena Edwards
9 Apr 2024 – 10 Mar 2025

Belonging: Stories from Far North Queensland

National Museum of Australia, Acton
Next on today
Items on display in the ANU Classics Museum

ANU Classics Museum

Acton, ACT
Animated still from Spider-Man showing Spider-Man in a cityscape
18 Sep – 27 Nov 2024

Science. Art. Film. | Free screenings + panel discussions

National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, Acton
Next on 27 Nov 2024 from 6:00pm to 8:35pm
'Vanishing Point' 2019, exhibition installation view.

ANU School of Art & Design Gallery

Acton, ACT
Learn to Row

The Red Shed

Acton, ACT
Still from The Legend of Molly Johnson showing a woman holding a rifle
22 Sep – 8 Dec 2024

Book Club at the NFSA | In partnership with Canberra Writers Festival

National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, Acton
Next on 8 Dec 2024 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm
JulieRyder_Phycologia_australica
5–25 Nov 2024

Above/Below

Australian National Botanic Gardens, Acton
Next on today from 9:30am to 4:30pm
Promotional image for REP's Bloody Murder
21 Nov – 7 Dec 2024

Bloody Murder

Canberra REP Theatre, Acton
Next on today from 7:30pm to 10:00pm
Pompeii immersive experience (detail), scenography Sylvain Roca © RMN–Grand Palais
13 Dec 2024 – 4 May 2025

Pompeii

National Museum of Australia, Acton
Next on 13 Dec 2024 from 9:00am to 5:00pm
A person is sitting in an audience holding a microphone
27 Mar 2025

On Shakespeare, Power and Politics

National Film and Sound Archive, Acton
Next on 27 Mar 2025 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm
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    Continue exploring the inner north

    A group of friends dining at Rizla, a restaurant in Braddon.

    Braddon

    Highroad cafe

    Dickson and surrounds

    Customers enjoying their meal in the outdoor dining area at Verity Lane Market.

    City Centre