Cairns Art Gallery
Cairns Art Gallery
4.5
Speciality & Gift ShopsArt GalleriesArt Museums
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
About
Housed in a landmark heritage building the Cairns Art Gallery is the region's premier destination for exhibitions featuring historical and contemporary art by leading regional, national and international artists. The Gallery also presents exhibitions highlighting key works and themes from the permanent collection that focus on the unique cultural heritage of Far North Queensland. Throughout the year the Gallery presents a range of creative learning programs for audiences of diverse ages and backgrounds including art classes, talks and events that relate to exhibitions and the permanent collection.
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  • rotten_66
    48 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Ellis Rowan collection was amazing.
    A rainy day and popped in mainly to try to keep dry. Spent ages looking at the Ellis Rowan Collection, amazing historic impressions of birds, butterflies and plants of northern Australia, and PNG. That is the main part of my rating. A lot of the other stuff was not to my appeal.
    Hello , so glad that you enjoyed our beautiful Ellis Rowan works!
    Written 14 March 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 26 December 2023
  • Ken R
    Cronulla, Australia57 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best Hour in Cairns
    A delightful interlude from the hustle and bustle of the Esplanade. The colonial style building is beautifully adapted as a gallery. The art works were presented well and gave great insight into indigenous culture. Loved it.
    Thanks so much for visiting the Gallery- it's wonderful to hear that you enjoyed our exhibitions! Our heritage building certainly is beautiful and really compliments the works on display.
    Written 24 July 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 12 July 2024
  • Jeffry b
    Essendon, Australia13,631 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Indigenous art works are on show in Cairns
    The notable Cairns Art Gallery is housed in a renovated historic public building, which is open to public viewers, both local and visitors. The paintings on display are mainly indigenous creations, by both outback Aboriginal spot paintings and Torres Strait islanders. The Cairns Art Gallery is spread over a number of levels, which are convenient to move around. The Cairns Art Gallery is popular with observers of interesting Indigenous art works from Australia.
    Hi, thanks so much for visiting the Cairns Art Gallery and for taking the time to leave a review. We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed our four current exhibitions, which are all by Queensland First Nations artists. Our exhibitions change every few months and can range from local Indigenous artists, to Australian artists to touring exhibitions, to international artists. We hope to welcome you back again soon.
    Written 21 August 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 12 August 2024
  • Bartonbears
    Coffs Harbour, Australia2,737 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fabulous regional gallery
    We like visiting art galleries and we were very impressed by the Cairns Art Gallery. The building is suitably grand and there are a number of rooms with several concurrent exhibitions. There is also an excellent shop and outside there is an independent cafe. It's easy to spend an hour or so here.
    Hi, thanks so much for visiting the Cairns Art Gallery and for taking the time to leave a review. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed our exhibitions and we hope to welcome you back again soon.
    Written 15 September 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles359 reviews
Excellent
177
Very good
132
Average
40
Poor
7
Terrible
3

matondy
Brisbane, Australia41 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
On a hot humid day the Art Gallery was an absolute pleasure to see. So much that I now have gone another 2 times with family. The artwork was wonderful to view and the three levels where easy to access.
Written 29 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rose H
Australia300 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020 • Couples
The Cairns Art Gallery is housed in a beautiful heritage building which was lovely to see in itself, as well as the exhibitions. It’s a small place but had interesting art, a nice shop and friendly staff. Plus it’s free to enter!
Written 13 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

G.
Australia273 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
I loved sauntering through this vibrant and fascinating installation at The Cairns Gallery. The building itself is an 18th century architectural gem and the 'Rituals' collection, currently on offer is nothing short of breath taking. All of the staff were kind and helpful. We thoroughly LOVED our visit to this fantastic gallery!
Written 17 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rotiman1
Sydney, Australia2,021 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Couples
How lucky were we to find the special exhibition The Archie’s - A century of the Archibald Prize at the gallery. The gallery is housed in and old building and is small and accessible. The Archie’s were really well displayed with the perfect balance of information related to the paintings. Being spread over 3 floor meant that you never felt crowded.
The gallery staff at reception were very welcoming and informative.
The gift shop had a good selection of products.
Having Perottas next door was a great bonus, as you could have a coffee break mid way through touring the exhibition.
Written 8 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RobGymeaBay
Miranda, Australia464 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
This current exhibition at Cairns Art Gallery in Fair North Queensland celebrating a 100 years of the NSW Art Gallery's Annual Archibald Prize Exhibition. The exhibition features paintings by William Dobel, Wendy and Brett Whitely, Ben Quilty back to the days of the traditional portrait paintings. The Whitley and Quilty paintings are well spending a bit of time to absorb. This exhibition is a credit to this beautiful Regional Cairns Art Gallery. Well done.
Written 4 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

acorns40
47 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020 • Family
We loved this gallery. It’s a gorgeous building and it has a great little collection, with plenty of indigenous artworks.
We were fortunate to catch the Sidney Nolan exhibition (free). The gallery shop is also excellent.
Written 25 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anita C
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
What a wonderful gallery! The Cairns Art Gallery is tiny, but punches way above its weight. It's conveniently located close to the Esplanade and has an excellent cafe on site.

The permanent collection is a wonderful one featuring local and indigenous artists in the beautiful old building. When I was there, they were hosting the "Archie 100: A Century of The Archibald Prize" exhibition, which was truly wonderful (runs till 12 June 2022!). Did I mention that entry was FREE?

The gift shop has a beautiful range of items that are much, much better than most of the crappy souvenirs you'll find elsewhere in the area. However you can enjoy the exhibitions for free, there is no pressure to buy anything, and they also provide a free bag checking service.

The staff were helpful and friendly, and it was lovely to spend an hour or so in this oasis in the middle of Cairns' tourist area.
Written 26 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ed H
10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
Not just the usual dot paintings, but works that combine the history of the people and their experiences in a modern interpretive way. For me it was a truly inspirational experience. You cannot help but fall in love with every one of these works and their authors.
Written 20 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cat J A
Melbourne, Australia421 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2021
Small gallery with limited collection but triumphantly celebrates local art and artists. Beautiful building to explore but not that much to look at. Free entry so finish your visit with a coffee outside at the balcony cafe.
Written 11 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anventure
Atlanta, GA161 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Friends
Beautiful building and really engaging exhibits. The set up for enjoyment of each piece was really comfortable in that other people were present yet it didn’t feel crowded. The works were set in a way they could be enjoyed from different angles so each attending could fully appreciate the experience. The staff are helpful, welcoming and share great information. This was one of my highlights while visiting Cairns.
Written 12 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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