Arts & Entertainment
Queensland Museum Tropics
Queensland Museum Tropics delivers a snapshot of North Queensland with galleries telling the stories of World Heritage-listed rainforests, reefs and the tragic tale of HMS Pandora, the ship sent to capture the Bounty mutineers. Located in the heart of Townsville, the museum also explores life in the tropics from prehistoric times to the modern-day. The diverse range of exhibitions and displays are designed to captivate audiences of all ages, focussing on natural and cultural history, biodiversity, human science and much more. Relax and refuel waterside by enjoying a coffee, snack or light lunch during your visit at The Galley Cafe. Open daily from 9 am to 2 pm. The Museum Shop showcases a unique range of merchandise, contemporary homewares, jewellery, educational games and toys plus a variety of souvenirs to make your visit a memorable one! Admission is free to all North Queensland galleries including Pandora, Enchanted Rainforest and the Sciencentre. Some touring exhibitions and events have an entry fee, and tickets can be purchased on the museum website or at the front desk. Paid street parking is available outside the museum, and free parking (time limits apply) is available on The Strand, about 200 metres from the museum.
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Coral Greenhouse & Ocean Sentinels / MOUA / Museum of Underwater Art
Dive or snorkel into a world of wonder and explore the Coral Greenhouse and Ocean Sentinels of MOUA, the Museum of Underwater Art at John Brewer Reef off Townsville. Descend into the Coral Greenhouse and its surrounding gardens, a ground-breaking underwater museum by world renowned artist Jason deCaires Taylor. This architectural wonder merges marine science, coral gardening, and art, offering a fresh perspective on the Great Barrier Reef and its ecology. Its surfaces evolve as marine life thrives, ensuring every visit turns into a unique encounter with the reef's dynamic ecosystem. Surface between the Ocean Sentinels, a captivating series of underwater sculptures that blend human figures with marine elements, fusing art and science. Each sculpture pays tribute to a famous marine scientists or conservationists, highlighting their significant contributions to reef protection. The sculptures transform over time, mirroring the reef's ever-changing nature and resilience. Swim among the stunning coral gardens of nearby John Brewer Reef to round off your adventure. This aquatic wonderland teeming with marine life is one of the best places to experience the iconic Great Barrier Reef and an opportunity not to be missed.
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Pinnacles Gallery
Pinnacles Gallery is a dynamic art space committed to offering a diverse exhibition program with a strong community focus. Pinnacles Gallery is located in Townsville's premier Riverway precinct in Thuringowa, providing a perfect backdrop for you to enjoy local and touring exhibitions of visual arts, craft, social history and more. Once you have browsed the latest exhibition, take a swim in Riverway lagoon, stroll along the riverfront under the shade of the large rain trees or catch a performance at the Riverway Arts Centre.
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Central Village
Grab a bite at Coo.King BBQ And Hot Pot, Guzman Y Gomez, Sushi Kiyo or OBJ's Sports Bar. Treat yourself to a latte, cake or salad bowl at YWAM Cafe. Located in the heart of Townsville, Central Village has something for everyone. Central Village showcases sidewalk cafes, open air dining, a pedestrian plaza, as well as abundant patron car parking. It's an ideal location to start your night out or take the family for dinner and a movie. Central Village includes: Birch Carroll and Coyle, Grand Central Cafe, Guzman Y Gomez, Sukiyo Sushi and Snap Fitness.
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City Cave Idalia
City Cave Float & Wellness Centre aims to build healthier communities through services that support the mental and physical wellbeing of their clients. City Cave Idalia offers a range of Float Therapy, Infrared Sauna and Massage Services to assist in your health journey by providing natural mental health remedies and supporting physical recovery. The Float Therapy experience involves lying in a pool filled with 400kg of magnesium salts, with water that is perfectly heated to your external body temperature. You will quickly be transported into a deep state of theta relaxation; A meditative state your body and mind progresses into for an optimal healing process. This state helps heal the body, reduces stress and anxiety, and immerses the body into deep relaxation. The infrared saunas generate the same type of heat that is naturally produced by the sun and our bodies. This heat can sink deep below the skin, producing a gentle warming inside of the body; It’s like spending the day in the sun but without the UV rays! This provides extensive health benefits, including pain relief, increased circulation, skin purification and muscle relaxation. City Cave Idalia offers a range of massage therapies that can help improve your health and achieve deep relaxation. They specialise in remedial, sports, pregnancy and relaxation massage therapies.
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Cluden Park
Cluden Park is a heritage-listed, multipurpose venue uniquely placed as the home of horse racing in North Queensland. Cluden Park hosts over 30 race meets a year, including signature social event, the Townsville Cup. Cluden Park is located on private, lush acreage of impressive proportions featuring distinctive nineteenth-century architecture with a modern aesthetic. A haven away from the hustle and bustle for family-friendly events and dining, or a destination for the next social and fashion-forward event, Cluden Park offers a setting like no other. The Cluden Park landscape offers a highly flexible venue with unlimited potential; available to be hired for everything from weddings to festivals, corporate functions and indoors and outdoors celebrations.
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CopperString 2032 Experience Centre
North and North West Queensland, are you wired for what's next? Learn about the largest ever economic development project in North and North West Queensland. Discover critical minerals and renewables and the important role they play in our energy future. Located on Stanley Street, Townsville City, Powerlink’s CopperString 2032 Experience Centre providees an engaging experience for visitors of all ages. You will be immersed in the project through eight educational zones with interactive hands-on exhibits. Discover the history of energy in Queensland, learn more about the CopperString 2032 project and uncover the important roles the North West Minerals Province and renewable energy will play in Queensland’s energy future.
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Maritime Museum of Townsville
Established in 1986 and located in Palmer Street, South Townsville, near the scenic mouth of Ross Creek, the Maritime Museum of Townsville collects and conserves objects and information about Townsville’s and North Queensland’s maritime heritage and presents and interprets its collections for the benefit of the local community, education and tourism. The museum also extends knowledge and awareness of the need to conserve and interpret North Queensland's maritime heritage, conserve the region’s marine environment, promote the region’s maritime industries and enhance the awareness of being safe on the water.
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National Trust Heritage Centre
Journey back to the late 1880s and discover a quaint collection of heritage houses and their stories at the National Trust Heritage Centre. The three heritage houses featured at the centre have been furnished and restored to their original period glory and include a Worker's Dwelling (1878), a grand villa residence known as The Currajong (1889) and an early North Queensland farm residence known as The Farmhouse (1921). Guided tours are available.
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Ocean Sentinels / MOUA / Museum of Underwater Art
Snorkel into a world of wonder and explore the Ocean Sentinels of MOUA, the Museum of Underwater Art at John Brewer Reef off Townsville. Explore the Ocean Sentinels, a captivating series of underwater sculptures that blend human figures with marine elements, fusing art and science. Each sculpture pays tribute to a famous marine scientists or conservationists, highlighting their significant contributions to reef protection. The sculptures transform over time, mirroring the reef's ever-changing nature and resilience. Swim among the stunning coral gardens of nearby John Brewer Reef to round off your adventure. This aquatic wonderland teeming with marine life is one of the best places to experience the iconic Great Barrier Reef and an opportunity not to be missed.
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Ocean Siren / MOUA / Museum of Underwater Art
The Ocean Siren is a 4m high illuminated sculpture by artist Jason deCaires Taylor and inspired by Takoda Johnson, a young indigenous girl from the Wulgurukaba tribe. It serves as a warning signal about the warming seas' threat to the Great Barrier Reef. The sculpture showcases Takoda holding a traditional indigenous communication device, a Bayliss shell, while looking out towards Magnetic Island and the Great Barrier Reef. At night, the sculpture's colour changes based on daily water temperature data from an AIMS weather station on Davies Reef. This visual representation of current conditions helps raise awareness about the risks of warming seas to coral reefs. The structure of Ocean Siren, fabricated with stainless steel and translucent acrylic, features a matrix of LED lights that gradually change colour, resembling a heat sensing camera image. The sculpture aims to bring reef science to urban areas in a live, visual, and impactful manner, conveying a clear message about this complex issue.
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Queensland Country Bank Stadium
Queensland Country Bank Stadium is a centrally located, 25,455 seat, best-practice, multi-purpose regional stadium in Townsville. The Stadium is a joint project of the Queensland Government, Australian Government and Townsville City Council and is supported by the National Rugby League (NRL) and North Queensland Cowboys. The stadium forms part of the Townsville City Deal that was signed in December 2016. Queensland Country Bank Stadium owned and operated by Stadiums Queensland.
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Riverway
Located in Townsville on the magnificent Ross River frontage, Riverway offers a dynamic combination of residential, commercial, cultural, sports and leisure activities. The precinct provides an exciting environment to enjoy a variety of water-based and waterfront activities. With two huge swimming lagoons, the Riverway Arts Centre, Pinnacles Gallery, the Riverwalk, public art, village spine, restaurant, and parklands, there truly is so much to explore. Other quality restaurants, cafes and shops are part of the commercial precinct planned for construction in addition to a national-standard cricket and AFL sports facility. The area is a year round visitor destination with an annual calendar of events including festivals, Christmas festivities, New Year's Eve, Australia Day Celebrations, as well as food, wine, art and sporting events. The picturesque promenades, glorious Ross River, spacious parklands and state of the art Arts Centre, Gallery and Sports Centre are all venues used to host a range of public events.
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Sciencentre
Unleash your inner scientist at the Sciencentre at the Museum of Tropical Queensland. A discovery-zone with plenty of fun where you can get hands on with a range of interactive exhibits and discover how science challenges the human body, exercises the brain and stimulates the senses. Explore the world of science through play. Follow your curiosity, ask questions, test your ideas and use your imagination in this exciting, interactive and experience-rich environment. Challenge your friends, solve puzzles and learn about how science is a part of the things we do every day. Be curious. Be a scientist at Sciencentre.
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Townsville Museum and Historical Society
The Townsville Museum and Historical Society has two large exhibition halls displaying artefacts relating to Townsville's medical, artistic, technological and social history. It is located in the suburb of Currajong, in the former Traffic Training Centre building. As well as its extensive artefact collections, the Museum also owns a large number of photographs and plans of Townsville and a more limited collection of documents and books relating to North Queensland. A recent new acquisition is a journal written by Elizabeth O'Brien, widow of Clifford O'Brien, who was drowned in the sinking of the Yongala off the north Queensland coast in 1911. This journal and Elizabeth's story is on permanent display in Hall 2.
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Townsville Street Art
Townsville's city centre has been transformed into a Street Art haven! Explore streets, alleys and laneways to see vibrant displays at every turn, from pops of colour to mega murals. Visit the Townsville Visitor Information Centre along Flinders Street to collect a free copy of your Street Art Walking Trail map, and be sure to have your camera at the ready.
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