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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
Runners in Canberra
10–11 Apr 2027

The Canberra Times Marathon Festival

John Dunmore Lang Place, Parkes
Next on 10 Apr 2027
location
28 Nov 2026

Golden Days Music & Wine Festival

Patrick White Lawns, Parkes
Next on 28 Nov 2026 from 12:00pm to 10:00pm
Photo of a group of people sitting in a gallery listening to someone talk
6 Feb – 27 Nov 2026

Friday Art Talks

National Gallery of Australia, Parkes
Next on tomorrow from 12:00pm to 12:45pm
Competitors race with lawnmowers on a grass track with a fire truck and spectators visible.
22 Sep 2026 – 19 Sep 2027

Regional Rivalries: Sport, spectacle and community in regional Australia Exhibition

National Library of Australia, Parkes
Next on today from 9:00am to 5:00pm
Pink roses in a garden
1–29 Nov 2026

Rose Gardens Guided Tours at Old Parliament House

Statue of Dame Dorothy Tangney & Enid Lyons | Old Parliament House Rose Gardens, Parkes
Next on 1 Nov 2026 from 9:30am to 10:30am
A line up of six Canberra wines on a wooden plinth

Wine Tasting in the City - Canberra Cellar Door

Parkes, ACT
Not specified
A group of people, some in wheelchairs, sit around a sculpture listening to a guide
17 Feb – 17 Nov 2026

Art for Carers: At the Gallery

National Gallery of Australia, Parkes
Next on 20 Oct 2026 from 10:30am to 11:30am
A woman in a grey blazer smiles at the camera while leaning on a wooden table covered with books.
29 Oct 2026

Suzanne Bellamy and the Australian women’s liberation movement

National Library of Australia, Parkes
Next on 29 Oct 2026 from 12:30pm to 1:30pm
People in Lager House

Lager House

Parkes, ACT
Between $20 and $30
People gathered around a work of art

Collection Tours

by National Gallery of Australia Tours

Parkes, ACT
Photograph of historic East Block building, home to National Archives of Australa in Canberra.
20 Jun – 5 Dec 2026

100 years of historic East Block building

National Archives of Australia, Parkes
Next on 10 Oct 2026 from 11:00am to 12:00pm
Photograph of visitors at Floriade in 1988
28 Sep – 8 Oct 2026

A city in bloom: Floriade school holiday program

National Archives of Australia, Parkes
Next on today from 10:15am to 11:30am
Lava Coffee Campbell

Lava Coffee Campbell

Parkes, ACT
Not specified
A group of people admiring a painting in a Gallery

Icons Tour

by National Gallery of Australia Tours

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
Illustration of a boat named 'ALPHA' with people and birds around.
21 Nov 2026

Book launch: Paddle Steamer Pearl

National Library of Australia, Parkes
Next on 21 Nov 2026 from 10:00am to 11:15am
View to lake

Water's Edge Canberra

Parkes, ACT
Over $30
Inside view of store

The Curatoreum - National Portrait Gallery

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
People smiling and posing with Cat Bus kinetic sculpture
7 Nov 2026

Canberra Kinetic Sculpture Race

National Carillon, Parkes
Next on 7 Nov 2026 from 11:00am to 4:00pm
A man, woman and young girl in the Treasures Gallery at the National Library of Australia

Treasures Gallery Exhibition

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 man stand away from camera with a red cape and gold circles painted on it
7 Nov 2026 – 30 Jan 2027

POWER – The Future is Here | Dennis Golding | Curated by Kyra Kum-Sing

Canberra Contemporary, Parkes
Next on 7 Nov 2026 from 11:00am to 5:00pm
Inside Walter Cafe

Walter Cafe

Parkes, ACT
Between $20 and $30
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