Keen to find out what to do in Brisbane when the weather’s bad? From art galleries and mini golf, to brewery tours and some serious retail therapy, here are some ideas for indoor activities that will suit different ages and tastes in the Queensland capital.
See world-class art at the Gallery of Modern Art
The Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (known collectively as QAGOMA) are located in South Bank, a short walk across the Brisbane River from the CBD. The two buildings are next to each other in a cultural precinct that’s also home to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre and the State Library. What to expect at the two galleries? In short, a huge range of contemporary and historical Australian and international art, along with a steady stream of dynamic programs and events. Admission is free, though some of the bigger exhibitions do have an entry fee.
Within the Gallery of Modern Art you’ll also find the Children’s Art Centre, which presents fun interactive artworks for kids and families. There’s also Australian Cinémathèque, the only cinema space in an art museum in the whole country. It shows films you’re unlikely to see in regular theatres, from rare 35mm prints to silent films with live musical accompaniment.
QAGOMA also has shops and places to eat, with revenues going back into supporting the galleries. You can soak up the best part of a day in the precinct, making it a top place for indoor activities in Brisbane.
Stroll along the Queen Street Mall
If you’re unsure what to do in Brisbane on a gloomy weekday, you can always just head to the Queen Street Mall. This is Brisbane’s main shopping boulevard, located in the centre of the city. It’s lined by over 700 shops, from local boutiques to international brands and flagship stores. And there are countless restaurants, cafes and bars in the vicinity where you can grab a coffee or a bite. A number of Brisbane’s leading hotels are also in this area, plus there are cinemas, spas and casinos all within walking distance.
It’s also a good starting point for exploring more of Brisbane. For example, from the top end of Queen Street, you can walk across Victoria Bridge to South Bank, home to a number of the city’s museums and galleries (including those mentioned above). Or take a CityCat ferry along the Brisbane River to other destinations.
Reminisce in the Brisbane Arcade
One must-see spot while you’re exploring the Queen Street Mall (above) is the Brisbane Arcade. Now over a century old, this is a heritage-listed building that has stood the test of time. Brisbane’s oldest shopping arcade is an elegant two-level building with an upper floor that’s home to some of the city’s best antique jewellers and watchmakers. (From the 1950s to the 1970s, the arcade was also the epicentre of Brisbane’s fashion scene.) You can also try some handmade chocolates or a coffee at one of the cafés. It’s especially pretty in the lead-up to Christmas, when the halls and staircases are bright with decorations, including over a kilometre of sparklig LED lights and thousands of baubles!
This arcade has a fascinating aspect to its history. It was built in the 1920s for one Dr James Mayne and his siser Mary, whose father Patrick Mayne had earlier confessed to robbing and murdering a man in a city alley. The money he stole established the Maynes as a wealthy Brisbane family; their legacy today includes the University of Queensland and the Herston Medical School.
Go on a brewery tour
Plenty of Queenslanders love a cold beer, and many of them choose XXXX (pronounced “Four-ex”) as their drink of choice. The XXXX Brewery is located close to the city centre and has been operating for almost 150 years. It runs daily brewery tours that let you see the brewing process and get a sense of the tradition behind the brand. Each tour lasts about 90 minutes. You can watch the ingredients being mixed until they ferment and get a some perspective of how much work goes into a single bottle of beer.
After all the walking and learning, the tour ends at the Ale House bar. Here, you can relax and taste different beer varieties. So, over the course of an hour and a half, you get a mix of history, science… and beer tasting! That’s why, for adults, this is one of the best indoor activities in Brisbane.
Indoor activities at Project Immersive
Escape room concept Project Immersive is located in The Paint Factory, a developing art space in the suburb of Yeronga. This fun, fully immersive experience takes advantage of the atmospheric industrial character of the old factory, adding a thrilling videogame-like story. Expect challenging puzzles that test even the best problem-solving skills, along with lots of lasers and theatric touches. One game centres around a workplace dispute in a nuclear reactor, and draws inspiration from the likes of Stranger Things. (So you can think of it as escape room dialled up to 11…)
Discover the city’s history at the Museum of Brisbane
Located on Level 3 of the iconic City Hall (just a few minutes’ walk from the aforementioned Queen Street Mall), the Museum of Brisbane combines history, art and indoor activities. There’s something for every age and interest, including historical exhibitions, contemporary local art and plenty of fun for kids.
While you’re there, be sure to sign up for the free Clock Tower Tour (starting every 15 minutes). Along with a ride in an antique-style metal-cage lift, you also get to stand behind the huge clock that shows the time to the people in King George Square below, from 92 metres up. This is actually Australia’s largest analogue clock face, with a five-metre face and a three-metre-long minute hand.
Experience VR at Zero Latency
When it comes to fun indoor activities in Brisbane, a session of virtual realty gaming is tough to beat! Zero Latency is tucked away in a large warehouse in Newstead, a trendy suburb between Fortitude Valley and the Brisbane River. It offers a free-roam, multiplayer virtual reality experience with a diverse range of games. You can start with something light like Engineerium, which is more about puzzles and mazes – great for VR newbies.
Or, if you’re keen for a real thrill, dive into Zombie Survival, where you fend off zombie hordes, or Singularity, where the challenge is to outsmart killer robots and menacing space drones. As you wander around the space, you can talk and strategise with other players who appear as full-motion avatars, adding a layer of teamwork that’s often missing in VR centres.
Head along to a high tea
Not so nice outside? Why not raise a pinky and indulge in a gourmet afternoon tea? Brisbane has plenty on offer, with the likes of ribbon sandwiches, moreish scones, global teas and plenty of sweet treats on the menu. Customs House is among the best, with a Champagne High Tea available from Wednesday to Sunday ($90 including a glass of bubbles), served up in a heritage building dating to the 1880s. The aforementioned Brisbane Arcade also has a couple of options, or you can hit the city’s best hotels, from Lennons restaurant the Hyatt Regency, to the Treasury Heritage Hotel and Sofitel Brisbane.
Climb and leap at The Jungle Adventure Play
The Jungle Adventure Play in Tingalpa (20 minutes from the city) is a place that offers plenty of indoor activities in Brisbane all under one roof. Spanning 3,000 square metres, the centre caters to various age groups and has designated play areas. Highlights include the Jungle Jump, a free-falling experience into a giant inflatable bag for safety, the Southern Hemisphere’s longest indoor flying fox (140 metres), and the Tribal Climb, with climbing walls supported by an auto-belay system for novice and experienced climbers alike. There’s also the Gorilla Warrior section featuring an indoor Ninja Course to test strength and coordination, and a High Ropes course with over 20 obstacles.
There are dining options at the Base Camp Café and Vines Restaurant, and the venue can also accommodate groups ranging from 10 to over 700 people with customisable packages.
Get some strikes or a hole-in-one
What to do in Brisbane when it’s wet outside? Well, this is a very sporty city, so a bit of rain doesn’t dampen anyone’s spirits! For indoor fun of the sporting kind, head to Strike Bowling in the Wintergarden, one of the malls in the city. Along with 10 lanes of ten-pin bowling, it also has a laser tag arena, pool tables, private karaoke room and some escape rooms! The Wintergarden is also home to Holey Moley for some more indoor activities, in the form of fun mini-golf action. Quirky names of the putt-putt holes include “Drop it Like It’s Slot” and “A Hop, Skip and a Gump”.
And, if you’d rather watch some sport from the comfort of indoors rather than play it, iconic pub The Lord Alfred isn’t too far away. It has a regular schedule of screened matches and events from all around the world. Grab a beer and settle in!
For more ideas about what to do in Brisbane, see our roundup of the city’s best outdoor activities.
