Arts & Entertainment
Museum Of Tropical Queensland
Part of the Queensland Museum Network, Museum of Tropical Queensland 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 10 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! Townsville and regional residents receive discounted museum admission. All exhibitions are included with admission. Become an Annual Pass holder and receive unlimited entry to the museum for 12 months. 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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Museum of Underwater Art - Coral Greenhouse
The John Brewer Reef ‘Coral Greenhouse’ is located in the heart of the Greater Barrier Reef Marine Park and is the largest MOUA installation thus far, sharing a message of reef conservation and restoration. It is the first-ever underwater building created by international underwater sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, who hopes to advance education and offer opportunities for scientists, marine students and tourists to engage - either by snorkel or dive - in action-based learning and to conduct globally important research on coral reef restoration.
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Cannon Park
Cannon Park is a lifestyle centre including a six screen cinema complex and a fantastic selection of cafes and restaurants. Located diagonally across from Willows Shopping Centre on Hervey Range Road and Riverway, it also houses Townsville's only Kingpin Bowling Lounge and laser skirmish and is nearby to a roller skate rink and indoor sports complex.
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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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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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Empire Alternacade and Events - Townsville
Empire is Townsville's #1 Bar and Arcade Established in 2018, Empire is an underground, alternative arcade bar, located in the heart of Townsville's CBD - they're all about rad tunes, and even radder drinks. Emoire features 16 pinball machines - 2 pool tables - 100 board games - 5 console stations - air hockey table - huge selection of Craft beer + spirits - themed cocktails - tournaments and events. Come out and play!
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Maritime Museum of Townsville
Established in 1986, the Maritime Museum of Townsville is a custodian of objects and information connected to the North Queensland's maritime heritage and history. The museum's purpose is to collect and preserve objects and information for posterity and use all this to tell and share the stories about the region's relationship with the sea through exhibitions, activities and experiences. They showcase the history of the Port of Townsville and inform customers how the two world wars affected Townsville. Hear the story of the Yongala shipwreck of 1911 and view many model ships that illustrate the development and variety of ships through the ages. On display are also seven examples of vessels that were used in the region, including a former ferry which became a line boat, inscribed in the Australian Register of Historic Vessels because of its significance to Australia's maritime history.
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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 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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Perc Tucker Regional Gallery
Housed in one of Townsville’s finest heritage buildings, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery is a dynamic visual arts centre and has a significant collection of North Queensland art. It is Townsville’s foremost gallery with an exciting and diverse program of local, national and international exhibitions, with a special focus on exhibitions featuring North Queensland artists. Floor talks, lectures, education programs and performances of music, theatre and dance supplement exhibitions. The Perc Tucker Regional Gallery is located in the heart of the city centre on the corner of Flinders Mall and Denham Street.
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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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Queensland Country Bank Stadium
Queensland Country Bank Stadium is a centrally located, 25,000 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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Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Ocean Predators
Earth’s oceans were home to some of the largest, fiercest and most successful predators ever. While dinosaurs ruled the land, giant reptiles and sharks hunted the depths. Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Ocean Predators combines real fossils from millions of years ago, gigantic replicas including a 13 metre long Elasmosaurus and 9 metre Prognathodon, hands-on interactives and much more! Ancestors of three types of ancient reptiles left the land and colonised the seas. They were ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. These three groups developed into awesome sea monsters that make today's great white sharks seem small. What can their fossilised bones tell us about how they lived? How do they compare to today’s top ocean predators? Discover the secrets of these monsters of the deep in this new exhibition that will delight all ages! Are you ready to meet them?
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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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Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts
Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts is a leading independent platform for contemporary and experimental arts practice operating on Wulgurukaba and Bindal Country (Townsville, North Queensland). Established in 1986, we have a four-decade legacy of bringing art and audiences together. Umbrella showcases contemporary work by established, mid-career and emerging artists, delivered through a program of onsite and touring exhibitions. We also deliver partnered projects (including the recently realised world-first 'Discover, Dive, Draw' program), public programs, artist residencies, studio access, professional development programs, events and festivals. Umbrella’s biennial Pop Up North Queensland (PUNQ) festival presents exciting visual and performance art, showcasing renowned First Nations and Australian collaborations, exhibitions, installations, performances and workshops. Umbrella’s growing membership base is comprised of artists, curators, writers, and arts lovers from North Queensland, Australia and overseas. Members can participate in the annual Members’ Exhibition, and enjoy discounts on workshops and events. An additional membership covers access to The Studio. Please see Umbrella's website for public holiday and exhibition install closures.
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