A visit to Ballarat doesn’t have to break the bank, you just need to know where to look.

Here are some of our favourite things to do for less than a tank of petrol.

Catch free live music

Is there anything better than sitting back on a Sunday afternoon in summer listing to live music? Yeah, we think it’s a pretty good combination too.
You’re guaranteed to catch a tune on a Sunday afternoon at Aunty Jacks and Hop Temple. While you’re there, make sure you try a local brew or two.
You can also catch live music at RJM’s Wine Bar every Friday from 6pm and Sunday from 2pm.

Grab your favourite takeaway to enjoy lakeside

There’s few places in Ballarat to enjoy the sun set like Lake Wendouree. Throw in a bottle of local wine and good company and you’ve got all the makings of a great day!
Take advantage of Ballarat’s long balmy evenings and picnic with friends by the water’s edge. There are also a number of barbeques located around the lake’s 6km foreshore if you feel like cooking yourself.

Visit the Art Gallery of Ballarat

On a hot summer’s day, a visit to the Art Gallery of Ballarat is one of the best ways to beat the heat. Cool down inside as you wander Australia’s oldest regional gallery.
Admission is free and includes entry to the permanent collection and most temporary exhibitions.

Right now, you also have the chance to check out exclusive works from photographer Linda McCartney as part of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale. This exhibition is ticketed, but for $24 on weekends and $18 during the week, you’ll get to see more than 200 photographs, including images of the 1960s music scene and a series of never-before-seen prints of the McCartney family.

Check out Ballarat’s cool wall murals

History is everywhere in Ballarat – often serving for the perfect Instagram backdrop. Just like the old Ballarat Bitter mural in Lyon Street South.
There’s also so much modern street art to uncover around Ballarat like the Cax One beauty which is located on the side of the city’s only niche perfumery in Armstrong Street. On the side of Webster’s Market and Café you’ll also find a very cool Travis Price mural. It’s one of four murals created by this Ballarat artist around the city, you’ll find his others down Hop Lane, at the end of the Main Road and in McKenzie Street.

Shop secondhand at The Amazing Mill Market

With 80 stalls and thousands of pre-loved goods to be discovered, you can easily spend hours wandering this Warrenheip warehouse. You’ll find everything from vintage clothing and antique furniture, through to collectables and vinyl. You’ll discover the Amazing Mill Market just off the Western Highway at Warrenheip.

Tuck into good grub

From woodfired pizza at The Forge and big burgers and loaded fries at Griffin Burger, to Vietnamese pho at Saigon Allee and Korean burritos at Black Vault, you certainly won’t go hungry while you’re here.