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These Regional Art Galleries in Victoria Are Worth the Road Trip
Uncover art that feels personal, powerful, and profoundly connected to place at these beautiful regional art galleries in Victoria.
Beyond Melbourne’s skyline, where the air feels lighter and the pace slows to a thoughtful hum, regional Victoria is quietly humming with artistic soul. Here, in weatherboard towns and old gold-rush cities, galleries aren’t just buildings — they’re living stories of place, people, and passion.
No pretence. No polished white noise. Just art that feels personal, powerful, and profoundly connected to its landscape. You’ll find brushstrokes shaped by red earth, sculpture forged in old sheds, and communities that champion creativity like it’s lifeblood.
These are the galleries where art lives close to the ground — honest, human, and deeply felt. Here are the regional art spaces across Victoria worth the weekend road trip.
WAMA – Halls Gap
Rising soon from the foothills of the Grampians, WAMA (Where Art Meets Nature) promises to redefine Australia’s cultural landscape. Opening in 2025, this visionary centre will unite art, architecture and ecology to celebrate the natural world through creative expression. Encased within botanical gardens and pristine conservation land, WAMA will be the nation’s first dedicated hub for environmental art.
Visitors can look forward to sculpture trails, immersive exhibitions, and innovative programs exploring creativity and sustainability. Ambitious and hopeful, it heralds a new era of cultural tourism — deeply connected, future-forward, and rooted in place.
Official opening date is noon on Saturday July 5th, 2025
5 Neal Road, Halls Gap
Bendigo Art Gallery – Bendigo
Bendigo Art Gallery, one of Australia’s oldest and most cherished regional galleries, seamlessly blends heritage elegance with a contemporary vision. Its diverse collection spans colonial masterpieces, daring contemporary art, First Nations storytelling, and internationally acclaimed fashion exhibitions, such as the iconic Gucci retrospective. Celebrated for blockbuster shows delivered with warmth and community spirit, the gallery is a cultural heartbeat of the region.
Come late 2025, a $45 million redevelopment will transform the space with a new second-floor gallery, an immersive learning centre, and a dedicated Place of Keeping for Dja Dja Wurrung cultural treasures. Though set to temporarily close for construction, Bendigo Art Gallery remains committed to community engagement through off-site programs, promising an even more inspiring future for art lovers.
42 View Street, Bendigo
Castlemaine Art Museum – Castlemaine
Housed in a striking historic civic building, Castlemaine Art Museum (CAM) is celebrated for its outstanding collection of Australian art, featuring icons like Sidney Nolan, Fred Williams, and Albert Tucker. Current exhibitions include Sir Leslie Thornton: Castlemaine Art Museum’s First Blockbuster (until 31st August 2025), showcasing the imaginative and provocative work of Les Thornton, a key figure in Australian avant-garde art. CAM also presents A Modern Turn, exploring post-WWII Australian modernism, and Everything is Holy: Contemporary Jewellery, spotlighting cutting-edge jewellery design.
With a thoughtfully curated program of exhibitions and events, CAM remains deeply connected to its community and dedicated to artistic innovation.
14 Lyttleton Street, Castlemaine
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Murtoa Stick Shed Museum — Murtoa
A remarkable feat of wartime ingenuity, the Stick Shed Museum in Murtoa is one of Australia’s most significant timber structures, crafted from over 5,000 slender poles salvaged during World War II. Originally built to store grain, this vast, cathedral-like space now honours the region’s rich agricultural heritage and pioneering spirit. Step inside to experience a living testament to resilience and community, where the timber beams echo stories of hard work, hope, and deep connection to the land. The Stick Shed isn’t just a museum — it’s a powerful symbol of rural Australia’s enduring legacy.
1471 Wimmera Highway, Murtoa
Warrnambool Art Gallery – Warrnambool
Perched in the coastal city of Warrnambool, Warrnambool Art Gallery (WAG) is a cultural treasure trove, showcasing a rich and diverse collection of over 5,000 works. Spanning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artefacts, European Salon paintings, and compelling contemporary art, WAG offers a broad artistic journey. Current exhibitions include Strong Spirit (until 19th October 2025), exploring powerful Indigenous narratives; Considering the Collection (until 19th October 2025), a thoughtful reflection on WAG’s holdings; and Anna Varendorff: kiki (until 2nd November 2025), an immersive contemporary installation. Supported by Creative Victoria, the gallery is a dynamic hub for artistic discovery on Victoria’s stunning southwest coast.
26 Liebig Street, Warrnambool
TarraWarra Museum of Art – Yarra Valley
Encased in the rolling vineyards of the Yarra Valley, TarraWarra Museum of Art offers a serene yet striking immersion into contemporary and modern Australian art. Its sleek architectural form is mirrored by a collection and program that both stirs the soul and sparks conversation. Home to the acclaimed TarraWarra Biennial, the museum curates deeply considered exhibitions exploring landscape, identity and the passage of time.
Expansive glass windows blur the line between gallery and nature, inviting the outside in. Paired with an onsite winery and restaurant, this is a cultural day trip best savoured.
313 Healesville-Yarra Glen Road, Healesville
Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA) – Albury
Celebrating ten years of bold creativity, MAMA is Albury’s beating heart of contemporary art. The nginha program (meaning “here” in Wiradjuri) runs through 2025 to 2026, spotlighting over 30 regional artists and weaving identity, culture, and community into every exhibition. Highlights include Marley Dawson: Fizzy Drinks / Material Links and dual shows Veracity and Symbiotic Cultures — each a fresh take on place and belonging. A must-see for those craving art with soul.
546 Dean Street, Albury
Benalla Art Gallery – Benalla
Housed in an iconic modernist building set gracefully among the lush Benalla Botanical Gardens, this gallery is a true regional cultural jewel. Since opening in 1975, it has evolved into one of Australia’s premier regional art spaces, drawing over 70,000 visitors annually. With a diverse program spanning exhibitions, education, and community engagement, Benalla Art Gallery champions Australian art across three centuries. Its distinguished collection includes works by artists such as George Lambert and Arthur Streeton, enriching both the local and national narrative. Born from community passion and visionary design, it remains a vibrant hub where nature and creativity beautifully intertwine.
97 Bridge Street East, Benalla
Geelong Gallery – Geelong
Geelong Gallery pulses at the vibrant heart of the city, standing tall as one of Australia’s oldest and most respected regional galleries. Within its sun-drenched, elegant spaces lies a masterful collection of Australian and European art, featuring evocative paintings and sculptures, as well as rare decorative arts and prints. But it’s the gallery’s fearless storytelling that truly captivates, weaving local heritage into global conversations with exhibitions like the prestigious Archibald Prize and boundary-pushing surveys. Warm, welcoming, and endlessly inspiring, Geelong Gallery proves regional art can be both deeply rooted and dazzlingly relevant.
55 Little Malop Street, Geelong
Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) – Shepparton
A sculptural icon on the edge of Victoria Park Lake, Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is one of Australia’s most exciting regional galleries. Its bold, cube-like form sets the tone for what’s inside — world-class ceramics, thought-provoking contemporary shows, and a strong focus on First Nations and local voices. Since opening its architecturally acclaimed new home in 2021, SAM has become a beacon for creative expression and community connection.
Light-filled, sustainable and brimming with heart, it’s where Shepparton’s stories shine and the future of Australian art feels refreshingly alive.
530 Wyndham Street, Shepparton
Mildura Arts Centre – Mildura
Set against the gentle bends of the Murray River, Mildura Arts Centre is a cultural jewel in Victoria’s far northwest. This multi-faceted precinct brings together a contemporary gallery, performance spaces, a sculpture park and the stately Rio Vista mansion. Inside, thoughtful exhibitions spotlight regional perspectives and local voices, with a permanent collection that includes works from the Lindsay family and other celebrated Australian artists.
Outside, visitors linger in the landscaped gardens, soaking up river breezes and big-sky views. Unpretentious and quietly confident, this is a creative hub deeply entwined with its natural surroundings and community spirit.
199 Cureton Avenue, Mildura
Hamilton Gallery – Hamilton
In the wool capital of Australia, Hamilton Gallery is weaving a bold new narrative. Famed for its extraordinary collection of decorative arts — think 18th-century porcelain, Asian antiquities, and rare Paul Sandby watercolours — this gallery punches well above its postcode. With over 9,000 works, it’s one of the most significant collections in regional Australia. Now, with a major architectural transformation underway, the gallery is poised to become a next-gen cultural hub. Expect a sleek new precinct with a cinema, digital hub and more.
It’s heritage with a refreshingly future-forward twist — just the kind of artistic surprise worth going out of your way for.
107 Brown Street, Hamilton
Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery – Mornington
Just minutes from the sea, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery blends coastal ease with cultural richness. Light-filled and welcoming, the space showcases a vibrant mix of contemporary and traditional Australian art, with a special focus on works on paper, thanks to its prestigious National Works on Paper prize. Current exhibitions explore text, form and identity with playful depth, while regular events keep things fresh and engaging. Surrounded by beaches, vineyards and charming cafes, it’s the perfect stop on a weekend escape, where art and landscape come together in beautiful, breezy harmony.
Civic Reserve, Unit 2/350 Dunns Road, Mornington
Art Gallery of Ballarat – Ballarat
Australia’s oldest regional gallery is entering a bold new chapter. While its grand Victorian facade remains a cherished landmark on Lydiard Street, the Art Gallery of Ballarat is currently undergoing a $5.5 million transformation to elevate its world-class credentials — think state-of-the-art climate control and natural lighting upgrades designed to future-proof the collection and bring blockbuster exhibitions to Ballarat. In the meantime, art lovers can head to the Backspace Gallery just down the road, where the spirit of creativity lives on through rotating exhibitions and a strong focus on local talent. With its rich history and forward-thinking approach, this gallery continues to shape the cultural heartbeat of regional Victoria.
Currently closed for interior upgrades; reopening in 2026
40 Lydiard Street North, Ballarat Central
So next time you’re craving creativity, skip the city crowds and hit the road — Victoria’s regional galleries are calling, and trust us, the art (and country bakery detour) is worth it. Discover even more regional magic with our handpicked guides to romantic escapes and charming train journeys that wind through the state’s most picturesque towns and unforgettable landscapes.
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