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A woman in a black blazer walking between indigenous memorial poles.

Barton and Parkes

Parkes is home to the National Triangle and many of Australia's iconic museums and galleries. These cultural icons offer intriguing and ever-changing experiences, each sharing and holding the stories of Australia. Barton is fast becoming a foodie hotspot and wellness hub with day spas and wine bars.

Highlights of the area

Best museums and galleries in Australia

Enjoy short walks between many cultural attractions as you delve into exhibitions dedicated to art, history and science.

Stylish spas and eateries

From fine-dining restaurants to your choice of day spas, this leafy precinct is a great spot to relax and recharge.

Great tours on offer

Choose between Segway tours near Lake Burley Griffin and behind the scenes looks at national attractions.

LEGO Senate Chamber
Featured

Australian Parliament House

Watch democracy in action on a visit to Australian Parliament House. A range of free guided tours are offered including Yeribee, an Indigenous themed tour, to art and architecture tours of this impressive ‘mini city’.

Enjoy high tea at Queen's Terrace Cafe before you have a chuckle at the Lego model of Parliament House which features many humorous references to the building's history. While tickets are free, bookings are essential for all visits.

Australian Parliament House
Girl on a moving bridge in the Boundless Playground

Boundless Playground

Parkes, ACT
A group of people admiring a painting in a Gallery

Icons Tour

by National Gallery of Australia Tours

Parkes, ACT
Inside view of store

The Curatoreum - National Portrait Gallery

Parkes, ACT
Vibrant large-scale tapestries
20 Jun – 18 Oct 2026

Arthur Boyd: tapestries

National Gallery of Australia, Parkes
Next on today from 10:00am to 5:00pm
A woman stands in front of a large tapestry artworks with flowers and a woman with a water vessel
7 Nov 2026 – 30 Jan 2027

Quietly Seething: Fate, Fury and Transmutation

Canberra Contemporary, Parkes
Next on 7 Nov 2026 from 11:00am to 5:00pm
A dimly lit restaurant interior

Louis Dining

Barton, ACT
Not specified
Love Boats

Love Boats | Electric Boat Hire

Parkes, ACT
Centre

Canberra and Region Visitors Centre

Parkes, ACT
Tour group visits fountain

Badass Women of Canberra: The Women Who Shaped the Capital

by She Shapes History - Canberra

Parkes, ACT
A man, woman and young girl in the Treasures Gallery at the National Library of Australia

Treasures Gallery Exhibition

Parkes, ACT
black & white image of a banged-up car speeding past with passengers and one man on the car roof
5 Dec 2026 – 11 Apr 2027

Full Throttle

National Gallery of Australia, Parkes
Next on 5 Dec 2026 from 10:00am to 5:00pm
A close up of a quiltyed textile artwork showing a womans face with a yellow halo behind her head
11 Nov 2026

Very Cross Stitch Workshop

Canberra Contemporary, Parkes
Next on 11 Nov 2026 from 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Inside Walter Cafe

Walter Cafe

Parkes, ACT
Between $20 and $30
Tour group visits Centenary of Women's Suffrage Fountain

She Shapes History - Canberra

Parkes, ACT
High Court of Australia at night from across Lake Burley Griffin

High Court of Australia

Parkes, ACT
She Shapes History tour guide presenting to the group of engaged guests

Spies in the Capital: Women in Espionage Walking Tour

by She Shapes History - Canberra

Parkes, ACT
Connections Exhibition

Connections / Mura Gadi: Archives, People, and Places

Parkes, ACT
Rosalie Gascoigne landscape made of galvanised iron panels
24 Oct 2026 – 14 Feb 2027

Rosalie Gascoigne

National Gallery of Australia, Parkes
Next on 24 Oct 2026 from 10:00am to 5:00pm
A smiling woman with glasses and blonde hair stands outdoors near blooming trees.
3 Dec 2026

Rethinking realism: Dymphna Cusack and Kylie Tennant

National Library of Australia, Parkes
Next on 3 Dec 2026 from 12:30pm to 1:30pm
Water's Edge canberra

Dining Domes on Lake Burley Griffin

Parkes, ACT
Not specified
Entrance of National Archives of Australia

Guided Tours at National Archives of Australia

Parkes, ACT
The spiritual home of Australian Democracy, Old Parliament House

Museum of Australian Democracy

Parkes, ACT
MoAD Experience Officer with a group of people gathered in King's Hall

Highlights of Old Parliament House

by Tours at The Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House (MoAD)

Parkes, ACT
Voices / Dhuniai exhibition gallery

Voices / Dhuniai: Federation, Democracy and the Constitution

Parkes, ACT
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