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10 things to do in Ballarat when it’s raining

Visit Ballarat

31 May 2022

Filed underSee & Do

Don’t let a little rain dampen your spirits – it is winter after all!

So, when it’s wet outside, head indoors and let the locals treat you to something a little more warming. 

Put your feet up, relax and take Ballarat at a slower pace. It’s truly the best way to make the most of a rainy day. 

Wander the Art Gallery of Ballarat

From the moment you step inside the Art Gallery of Ballarat, you’re welcomed by a cosmic display of colour that instantly has you forgetting those grey skies outside. 

Take your time, wander the gallery and admire works that have been purposely placed to take you on a journey of old meets new.   

See fine art from Australian painter Eugene Von Guerard that depicts a tent-sprawled Ballarat from the summer of 1853-54, to modern works by local Wadawurrung artists Aunty Marlene Gilson and Deanne Gilson.

The Art Gallery of Ballarat. Image: Matt Dunne.

Find your next read at a cosy bookstore

Sitting pretty in a heritage building that was once filled with miners is Collins Booksellers Ballarat on Lydiard, a must-visit on any book-lovers’ bucket list. 

Step inside this Lydiard Street store and you’ll instantly be transported back in time, with old-style bookshelves lining the walls, timber floors and open fireplaces, a heritage counter and old-fashioned signage.

It gives off serious Harry Potter vibes, which explains why their Harry Potter-themed school holiday programs are always a buzz. 

The Known World Bookshop on the picturesque Main Road is another one of our faves.

Search for pre-loved treasures

Head into Ballarat and you’ll quickly find you’re spoilt for choice if rummaging through secondhand goods is your thing, including Rocket and Belle Antiques and Vintage and Alexa’s Treasures.  

Visit a day spa

Put some “me time” at the top of your to-do list this winter and leave life’s stresses at the door of one of Ballarat’s blissful day spas.

Wind down after a morning of shopping with a facial at Elysium Day Spa or escape for a few hours on one of Ballarat’s Sanctuary Day Spa’s award-winning spa journeys. 

Ballarat Sanctuary Day Spa. Image: Alex Drewniak.

Sip on whisky, reds and mulled wine

Bistro-esque discotheque Renard is Ballarat’s newest cocktail bar and social club.

Made for pre and post-dinner drinks, the Mair Street venue also serves small snackable dishes to pick at, such as Meredith’s goat’s cheese doughnuts and truffled honey; oysters with green mignonette; and fried Jerusalem artichoke with miso cream.

You’ll also find The Comfort of Strangers just up the road.

With its cool combination of live jazz, bottle shop and rooftop bar, Ellington’s Wine Bar is Ballarat’s go-to to discover wines from a carefully curated selection of local and international varieties.

This European-inspired neighbourhood bar also features a menu of small, share plates inspired by the region’s best producers.

Right next door you can take your pick from more than 150 different craft beers at the freshly-minted Midtown Cellars & Bar.

Just up the road you’ll also discover a local favourite, Mitchell Harris Wine Bar.

Sit down for a hearty meal at a historic pub

There’s something nostalgic about walking into an old pub, shrugging off your raindrop-covered jacket and sitting down for a good hearty pub meal that you just can’t get anywhere else. 

Well, you’re in luck because Ballarat knows good pubs.

The ol’ fashioned pub has been at the heart of the city since the gold rush, when more than 500 pubs operated across the goldfields. 

Today, many of those same pubs still operate after having been tastefully restored.

In fact, the city’s variety in pubs was one of the reasons it was named Australia’s Top Pub Town in 2018.  

From your own cosy dining room at The North Britain, to craft beer on tap at The Mallow and modern eats at the newly-renovated North Star Hotel, you’re in for a one-of-a-kind pub experience.

Sign up for a hands-on workshop

Cook gnocchi like Nonna used to make, paint like Picasso or channel Demi Moore’s famous pottery wheel scene from Ghost.

Eat until you can’t eat any more

Take your tastebuds on a global food discovery at one of Ballarat’s internationally-inspired restaurants and cafes by eating your way around the city.

Indulge in the delicacies of an Asian street market, French patisserie or South American tienda without the need for a long international flight or the threat of excess baggage charges. 

Pancho. Image: Matt Dunne.

Visit a cellar door or brewery

If craft beer is your thing, then you’re in luck.

Get the crew together for some brew grub and craft beer at popular watering hole Hop Temple, take in the scenes of a working brewery and beer school at Aunty Jacks, or chat with a brewer at one of the city’s many microbreweries. 

For gin, Kilderkin Distillery or Red Duck Brewery is where you’ll want to be.

And as for the best local drops, you’re going to need to book a night or two because there’s too much to try in one day. 

Shop ’til you drop

Take home a little bit of Ballarat with you, from locally-made candles from The Essential Candle Co and handmade Ruby Pilven ceramics from Hattie and the Wolf, to Australian bushfoods from Saltbush Kitchen, silky smooth Lucky & James chocolate and local hot cocoa Grounded Pleasures from Campanas or Windflower, what better excuse to restock the pantry (and your wardrobe).

Some other popular boutique shops include Ivy and Coco and Sweet Fern Fragrance.

Across Victoria’s Midwest, we acknowledge that we travel across the ancient landscapes of many First Peoples communities.

These lands have been nurtured and cared for over tens of thousands of years and we respect the work of Traditional Custodians for their ongoing care and protection.

We recognise the past injustices against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in this country. As our knowledge grows, we hope that we can learn from their resilience and creativity that has guided them for over 60,000 years.

As we invite people to visit and explore Victoria’s Midwest, we ask that alongside us, you also grow to respect the stories, living culture and connection to Country of the Ancestors and Elders of our First Peoples.