With kids · Brisbane · Australia
Brisbane with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Chris Olszewski, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Brisbane is one of Australia's easiest cities with children: a free lagoon beach in the centre, free museums with hands-on areas, koalas and kangaroos at Lone Pine, river ferries and plenty of parks with barbecues and playgrounds. Top picks: South Bank Parklands and Streets Beach, Queensland Museum Kurilpa and Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA). Families usually base themselves in South Bank.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 8
- Best area for families
- South Bank
- Rainy-day options
- 2
Best things to do with kids
Park · South Bank
1.South Bank Parklands and Streets Beach
Seventeen hectares of riverside parkland built on the World Expo 88 site, centred on Streets Beach, a free lifeguarded lagoon with sand and palm trees across the river from the skyline. A kilometre-long bougainvillea arbour, the Nepalese Peace Pagoda from Expo 88, playgrounds and barbecue areas fill the rest.
Swim in the lagoon on a weekday morning; on hot weekends it is crowded by mid-morning.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Iconic
- Outdoors
- Couples
Museum · South Bank
2.Queensland Museum Kurilpa
The state museum covers Queensland's dinosaurs, wildlife, the Great Barrier Reef and First Nations cultures, with the hands-on SparkLab science centre upstairs. Life-size whale models hang in the entrance area.
SparkLab charges separately; the main galleries are free and suit a hot or rainy afternoon.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Rainy day
- History
Gallery · South Bank
3.Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)
Australia's largest gallery of modern and contemporary art sits on the river at Kurilpa Point, known for its large-scale installations, the Asia Pacific Triennial and a strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collection. Its Children's Art Centre runs hands-on exhibitions for young visitors.
Check the programme for the Children's Art Centre and the cinémathèque, both included in or alongside the free collection displays.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Architecture
Zoo · Fig Tree Pocket
4.Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Founded in 1927, Lone Pine is the world's oldest koala sanctuary, with well over 100 koalas, a free-roaming kangaroo reserve where you can hand-feed eastern grey kangaroos, platypus, wombats and birds of prey shows.
A river cruise from the city centre is a scenic way to arrive; otherwise take a bus from the CBD in about 40 minutes.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Iconic
- Nature
- Outdoors
Experience · Brisbane River
5.CityCat river ferry
Sleek catamaran ferries run the length of the city's river reaches from the University of Queensland to Northshore Hamilton, passing South Bank, the CBD, the Story Bridge and New Farm. At public-transport fares it is the best-value sightseeing cruise in Brisbane.
Ride the whole route once, sitting on the outside deck at the front, and stop off at New Farm Park or Howard Smith Wharves.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
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Garden · Brisbane CBD
6.Roma Street Parkland
A large subtropical garden on the edge of the CBD with lakes, rainforest walks, themed garden beds, a playground and lawns. It is a calm green walk between Roma Street station and Spring Hill.
Bring lunch; the barbecues and lawns by the lake are rarely crowded on weekdays.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Park · New Farm
7.New Farm Park and Brisbane Powerhouse
A riverside park famous for its jacaranda trees, which turn purple from about late October, with rose gardens, a large fig-tree playground and its own CityCat stop. Next door, the Brisbane Powerhouse converts an old power station into theatres, bars and a Saturday farmers' market.
Time a visit to the Saturday market and stay for a picnic under the jacarandas in spring.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Food
- Outdoors
- Couples
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Viewpoint · Mount Coot-tha
8.Mount Coot-tha Lookout and Botanic Gardens
The lookout at 287 metres, about 15 minutes' drive west of the CBD, gives the widest view of the city, river and Moreton Bay islands. Below it, the Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Coot-tha have a Japanese garden, a tropical display dome and the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, and bushwalking tracks thread the surrounding forest.
Visit the lookout at sunset, then walk the short trails in the gardens earlier in the day when it is cooler.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Kids
Rainy-day ideas
- Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) — Check the programme for the Children's Art Centre and the cinémathèque, both included in or alongside the free collection displays.
- Queensland Museum Kurilpa — SparkLab charges separately; the main galleries are free and suit a hot or rainy afternoon.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for families, first-timers, culture and couples
South Bank
Built on the site of World Expo 88, South Bank Parklands run along the river opposite the CBD, with the free Streets Beach lagoon, a bougainvillea-covered arbour, the Wheel of Brisbane and restaurants on Little Stanley Street. At its northern end, the Queensland Cultural Centre holds the art galleries, Queensland Museum, the State Library and the performing arts centre.
- Good
- Galleries, lagoon and parks on the doorstep; Riverside views of the city; Good for families
- Watch out
- Busy on weekends and school holidays; Hotels are mostly large chains
- Nearby
- Streets Beach, Gallery of Modern Art, Queensland Museum, Wheel of Brisbane
Family travel tips
- Use sunscreen, hats and rash vests even in winter; the UV index is high year-round.
- Children travel at reduced fares on Translink services.
- Plan outdoor activities for the morning in summer, before afternoon storms roll in.
- GOMA's Children's Art Centre and the Queensland Museum's SparkLab are ideal on wet days.
Day trips for families
- Gold Coast (About 1–1.5 hours by train and light rail) — Surf beaches, theme parks and the SkyPoint observation deck at Surfers Paradise.
- Australia Zoo (About 1 hour 15 minutes by car) — Steve Irwin's family zoo in the Sunshine Coast hinterland is known for crocodile shows in its Crocoseum, plus koalas, Tasmanian devils and an African savannah area.
- North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) (About 1.5–2 hours by train and ferry) — Surf beaches, the North Gorge Walk at Point Lookout — where turtles, dolphins and, in season, whales are often seen — and freshwater lakes make Straddie the city's favourite island escape.
- Moreton Island (Mulgumpin) (About 75 minutes by ferry) — A sand island with huge dunes for sandboarding and the Tangalooma Wrecks, a line of scuttled ships close to shore that are popular for snorkelling among reef fish.
- Glass House Mountains (About 1 hour by car) — Volcanic plugs rising abruptly from the plain north of the city, with lookouts, short walks and a climb of Mount Ngungun for the classic view of the peaks.
When to go with children
The best months overall are April–June and August–October. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Brisbane good for kids?
Brisbane is one of Australia's easiest cities with children: a free lagoon beach in the centre, free museums with hands-on areas, koalas and kangaroos at Lone Pine, river ferries and plenty of parks with barbecues and playgrounds.
+What can kids do in Brisbane?
South Bank Parklands and Streets Beach, Queensland Museum Kurilpa, Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and CityCat river ferry.
+Where should families stay in Brisbane?
South Bank: Riverside parklands, Streets Beach lagoon and the Queensland Cultural Centre.