Ipswich Art Gallery is a free public gallery in the restored old Town Hall in the Ipswich CBD, open seven days a week from 10 am to 5 pm. You enter from d’Arcy Doyle Place, a pedestrian section of Nicholas Street between Brisbane and Limestone Streets.
It is a good wet-weather or heatwave stop: indoors, temperature controlled, free, and close to the train. The gallery also has a Children’s Gallery, a shop and a heritage building with a story of its own.
What you will find at Ipswich Art Gallery
It runs contemporary exhibitions, with workshops, events and programs for children and families. Exhibitions change through the year, and the gallery’s “What’s on” page lists what is showing now and what is coming.
The gallery has a Main Exhibition Gallery and a Stage Gallery.
The ground floor has the gallery shop. It sells jewellery, ceramics and woodwork by local makers, prints, art books, postcards and cards based on the gallery’s collection, and toys and craft kits including STEM and wooden toys. The shop is open the same hours as the gallery.
The old Town Hall: the building’s history
The building opened in 1861 as the Mechanics’ School of Arts. It cost 150 pounds to build and Governor Bowen opened it. It was extended to the Brisbane Street frontage in 1864, and by 1869 Ipswich Municipal Council had moved in and it became the Town Hall.
The hall has seen a Prince of Wales gala dinner in 1920 and wartime dances for American armed forces in the 1940s. After a fire in 1985 it briefly housed the Reids department store.
The art gallery itself started in the foyer of the Town Hall in March 1951. It moved in 1980 to the former St Paul’s Young Men’s Hall, now the Ipswich Community Gallery, and the first professional Gallery Director started in 1985. After community consultation and donations to the Ipswich Arts Foundation, the gallery relaunched in 1999 in the restored old Town Hall. That renovation and extension kept the scissor beam roof, the arched windows and the proscenium arch.
Ipswich Art Gallery with kids
The Children’s Gallery is a hands-on space with interactive activities for kids and families. The kids program has included Toddler Time sessions and school holiday workshops. The gallery’s kids page has the current program, and costs and booking details are listed on each event.
The Children’s Gallery closes now and then while a new exhibition is installed, so check the website before you promise it to the kids. The main galleries stay open during those closures.
Planning your visit
- How long: a quick look takes under an hour. Allow longer with children, or to take in the shop and the nearby historic buildings.
- Cost: free. Major exhibitions or events may charge an entry fee, listed in the program details.
- Photography: personal photography is allowed. Flash, tripods, selfie sticks and lighting equipment are not.
- Toilets: all public toilets are on the Lower Ground level, reached by lift. There are baby change tables in the accessible toilet and the parent’s bathroom.
- Accessibility: the main gallery is wheelchair and pram accessible with a lift to all public levels. Guide dogs and other registered assistance animals are welcome. The building is temperature controlled, so a jumper helps.
- Groups and schools: groups are welcome, and organised groups must book ahead. Group bookings are not available during Queensland school holidays.
- Contact: (07) 3810 7222 or [email protected].
For the current exhibitions, kids program and any closures, see the Ipswich Art Gallery visit page.
Parking at Ipswich Art Gallery
The gallery has no car park of its own. Metered on-street parking is on Limestone, Nicholas and Brisbane Streets, and street parking is free on weekends (check the signs). The Ipswich CBD car park is underground beneath Tulmur Place, with its entrance on Bremer Street. It is free for up to 3 hours on weekdays and free on weekends.
Getting there
By car, the gallery is about 40 minutes from the Brisbane CBD. Take the Ipswich Central exit from the Ipswich Motorway and follow Brisbane Road, which becomes Limestone Street. Pass three sets of lights and the Civic Centre is on your left, with d’Arcy Doyle Place opposite. Brisbane and Limestone Streets are one-way.
By train, get off at Ipswich Station. It is about a 4 minute walk: go left up Bell Street, right onto Brisbane Street, then left onto d’Arcy Doyle Place. Bus stops are also a short walk away, and TransLink has timetables.
Nearby
- Old Ipswich Court House – another historic Ipswich building, a short trip from the gallery.
- Queens Park Ipswich – a playground, gardens and the nature centre, good for kids after the gallery.
- Nerima Gardens – a Japanese garden in the city.
- Workshops Rail Museum – a railway museum in Ipswich, another indoor option.
- More to see across the city on the Ipswich page, and more galleries on the art galleries page.
You might also like
- Logan Art Gallery (Logan Central)
- Redland Art Gallery (Cleveland)
- GOMA (South Brisbane)
Quick answers
Is Ipswich Art Gallery free?
Yes. General admission is free unless an exhibition or event states a fee in its program details.
What time does Ipswich Art Gallery open?
It is open seven days a week from 10 am to 5 pm. It closes briefly now and then for installations, so check the website first.
Where do you park for Ipswich Art Gallery?
The gallery has no parking. Use metered street parking on Limestone, Nicholas and Brisbane Streets, or the Ipswich CBD car park under Tulmur Place, which is free for up to 3 hours on weekdays and free on weekends.
Can you get to Ipswich Art Gallery by train?
Yes. Ipswich Station is about a 4 minute walk away.
Is Ipswich Art Gallery good for kids?
Yes. It has a Children’s Gallery with hands-on activities, and the kids program includes Toddler Time sessions and school holiday workshops. Check the kids page for what is on.
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