
Australia’s foremost outdoor museum, Sovereign Hill recreates the original township of Ballarat to show what life was like during the gold rush of the 1850s. Visitors can travel back in time to meet some of the characters of the era as part of the Night in the Museum experience or stay overnight and Wake Up with the Animals.
Ballarat is a grand regional city characterised by impressive nineteenth-century architecture, a legacy of the great wealth unearthed by the world’s treasure hunters back in Victoria’s gold rush era. Today the region is famous for its local produce, restaurants, vineyards, vintage boutiques, attractions, art galleries and historic villages bustling with creative life.
During the decade after gold was first discovered in 1851, thousands of international adventurers rushed to the Australian goldfields in search of fortune. The excitement is brought to life still today with Sovereign Hill’s gold panning, gold pour, costume characters and underground mine tours.
Widely recognised as Australia’s oldest and largest regional art gallery, the Art Gallery of Ballarat is host to a number of international events each year, including the Ballarat Foto Biennale.
Set aside time during your visit to immerse yourself in the city’s lake and gardens precinct. Located in the heart of Ballarat, Lake Wendouree and the Ballarat Botanical Gardens provide the perfect escape from reality.
As you take time to explore old buildings, new eateries, hidden laneways and iconic attractions, you will discover there is plenty of gold to be unearthed in Ballarat.