Hobart: Things To Do

This prominent little hill just north of the CBD and docks is topped with the cenotaph memorial which is led to by the bridge of remembrance. From up here you get a good over the Derwent river, the city and to Mount Wellington

This is a house, garden and museum combined. The house itself was built in 1926 and, unusually for a museum, sits on a street amongst other houses, not really standing out. It is however a nice look at 1920's architecture, landscaping and design in the Arts and Crafts era.
Only open on Saturday's during summer.

Hobart Free Walking Tours offer 2 hour walks that explore Battery point, Salamanca and Hobart. It's a good way to get an introduction to the city. It is free but works on a 'pay what you want' / tipping basis, so expect to feel by the end that you should pay something.

Hobart has several art galleries and two arts centres. The first, Salamanca arts centre is right by the waterside and where the famous market is held. At SAC you will find changing exhibitions, performances and events across several venues that the non-profit oversees.
The Moonah arts centre is a 15min drive north of the CBD, is council owned and housed in a purpose built contemporary building. They also host exhibits, performances and events.

Hobart's shot tower was built in the late 1800's for the purpose of producing lead shot. To do so required dropping the shot from a great height, hence the need for a tower. You can climb the 259 steps to the top of the tower to get a great view of the Derwent river. There is a tea room and gift shop on-site.

Australia's first casino is alongside the water's edge a little south of Hobart CBD. It is noticeable due to the lone cylindrical tower in this part of town - Sandy Bay. Inside you will find the casino floor, an entertainment venue with regular events and, 17 floors up, there is a revolving restaurant with spectacular views.

A small wildlife sanctuary with the usual assortment of Australian animals on display - Kangaroos, Koalas, Wombats, birds, quolls and of course, Tasmanian Devils. Tours, including night tours, are available in addition to special animal encounters (additional fee).

On the other side of the large Tasman bridge from Hobart is this lookout point with a great view back towards the city. There is a 2.8km circuit track that runs around the edge of the hill that you may want to do too. Driving there is easiest, but you could also take a bus to Rosny Hill road and walk up.

Glenorchy Arts and Sculpture Park (GASP) is a boardwalk that follows a large arc along the waters edge, includes sculptures and ends in an architecturally impressive pavilion that juts out over the water.
It is located a 10min drive north of Hobart CBD, or a 45min bus ride. It is only 1km from MONA.

This government library and museum houses a nationally significant collection of Tasmanian paintings, books, decorative arts and furniture, photographs and manuscripts. Temporary exhibitions are held too and there is a gift shop.

Australia's oldest working theatre has tours at 11am on Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's. You will be able to see inside the grand seating area, behind the scenes and go onto the stage itself. The theatre obviously also has an array of performances regularly scheduled if you want to see a show there - music, comedy, variety, etc, all shown.

Hobart is well connected to Antarctica due to it's location which makes it a setting off point for Antarctic expeditions. The Australian Antarctic Division is based in Hobart and you can visit their location to view a small but fascinating display about all things Antarctica and what goes into running three bases there. You can also visit the on-site café.

South of Hobart is Kingston, which features a coastline pretty enough to be worth exploring. The two main beaches are Kingston beach and Blackman's bay beach. Between them is the small but pretty Boronia beach, which can be accessed via a 2km walk from Kingston beach. South of the town is Tinderbox nature reserve and Tinderbox marine reserve, where you could snorkel, dive or kayak.

This museum is part of the University of Tasmania and houses a collection of ancient artefacts from Egypt, Greece, Rome and beyond. Expect statuettes, pottery, coins and the like.
Open from Monday to Thursday only and closed during the summer break.

The art society of Tasmania is located in the Lady Franklin Gallery, a building completed in 1843 with the aim of bringing a bit of culture to Hobart. The art society now use it to hold exhibits and workshops. It's open on weekends and is surrounded by picturesque parkland.

This well presented museum offers exhibits about the army with a focus on Tasmanians. Exhibits include the colonial era, world war 1 and including a command bunker, world war 2, Vietnam, women in service and a military gaol cell.

Tasmania's parliament house is a historic building, opened in 1840, that is open to tours on non-sitting days, twice per day. They focus on the history of parliament house and the role of parliament.

The picturesque Blundstone arena has it's own cricket museum and library, so if you're a big cricket fan, drop in for a look at their collection. Tours of the arena are also available at $15, including museum entry. Open Tuesday to Thursday.