Free things to do with teenagers in Brisbane

Brisbane gives teenagers more room than most cities, and it helps if you let them have some say. Warm weather, cheap trains and a mix of water and views suit a restless age group. For water, Streets Beach at South Bank is an easy win, with a social atmosphere and a skyline backdrop. Suttons Beach at Redcliffe and Wellington Point give a bay beach feel, and Main Beach at Point Lookout on Minjerribah gives real surf for those who want it. Where patrols run, swim between the flags, and treat a beach with no flags as one with no lifeguards. For something with a view and some effort, the Point Lookout Gorge Walk and Mt Coot-tha Lookout give a reason to walk. Indoors, Museum of Brisbane, QUT The Cube, Queensland Museum's Dinosaur Garden and Ipswich Art Gallery give options that are more interesting than they sound, especially where technology or design is involved. Let them choose between a couple of options. Food is a fine bribe, and a loose plan for where to meet gives them room to feel grown up. Check the listing for details on what is on and any age rules, and remember that a teenager who feels listened to is a much better travelling companion.

Our picks

  • Point Lookout Gorge Walk (Minjerribah / North Stradbroke Island) Point Lookout Gorge Walk (Minjerribah / North Stradbroke Island) Point Lookout

    The Gorge Walk at Point Lookout on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) is a 1.2 kilometre boardwalk circuit around the headland on Redland City Council land.

    ★ 4.9 (1,953)

  • Mt Coot-tha Lookout Mt Coot-tha Lookout Mount Coot-tha

    Mt Coot-tha Lookout is Brisbane's highest point, a heritage-listed lookout in Mt Coot-tha Reserve with views across the city and out to Moreton Bay.

    ★ 4.7 (15,237)

  • Queensland Museum - Dinosaur Garden Queensland Museum - Dinosaur Garden South Brisbane

    The Dinosaur Garden is a permanent, enclosed garden on Level 0 of Queensland Museum Kurilpa, on the corner of Grey and Melbourne Streets in South Brisbane.

    ★ 4.6 (10,235)

  • Ipswich Art Gallery Ipswich Art Gallery Ipswich

    Ipswich Art Gallery is in d'Arcy Doyle Place, the pedestrian section of Nicholas Street in the Ipswich CBD, and has a Children's Gallery inside.

    ★ 4.6 (711)

  • Museum of Brisbane Museum of Brisbane Brisbane City

    Museum of Brisbane is a social history museum and art gallery on Level 3 of Brisbane City Hall, King George Square, reached by lift from the King George Square foyer.

    ★ 4.5 (3,208)

  • Woorim Beach Woorim Beach Woorim

    Woorim Beach on the ocean side of Bribie Island is one of City of Moreton Bay's 2 patrolled beaches.

    Patrolled September school holidays to Labour Day in May · All-abilities access

Before you go

Best for which ages

The ideas here suit thirteen and up, though a younger sibling who likes water will probably keep up. Sixteen-year-olds may want to meet friends there instead, which is a call for you to make before the day. Fourteen-year-olds usually want more independence than thirteen-year-olds, so adjust accordingly and be ready to renegotiate.

What to bring

Water, a hat, sunscreen and food that survives a hot bag. A charged phone and a power bank are worth the weight. Bring swimmers for beaches and lagoons, comfortable shoes for walks, and headphones for the trip. A little spare cash for a snack buys goodwill, and a thin layer for the cooler evening ferry or the air-conditioned museum avoids a complaint.

Parking and facilities

Many places are in the city or on the bay, where parking can be limited. Trains and ferries give teenagers some independence and are often easier. The listing says what is on site. A train or ferry ride with friends can be part of the outing, and many teenagers find it more fun than the car.

Best time of year

Winter and spring suit walks and lookouts, and summer suits water. Galleries and museums work in all seasons and are good on stormy days. School-day afternoons in the cooler months are quiet at the lookouts and lagoons. Holiday weeks fill Streets Beach and the museums, so go midweek if you can.

How to make a day of it

Let them vote between three options. Put a meal in the plan, and let them read the map or take the photos. Keep the plan loose, and allow time for doing nothing. Teenagers cooperate more when the plan was partly their idea.

Waterfalls, lookouts and forest walks

Walks the park service or council describes with a length and grade. Each listing says how far, how hard, and what is at the start.

All walks, waterfalls and lookouts in Brisbane, free and paid

Free museums, galleries and science

Permanent collections with free entry. Special exhibitions can be ticketed; the listing says so.

  • Queensland Museum - Dinosaur Garden Queensland Museum - Dinosaur Garden South Brisbane

    The Dinosaur Garden is a permanent, enclosed garden on Level 0 of Queensland Museum Kurilpa, on the corner of Grey and Melbourne Streets in South Brisbane.

    ★ 4.6 (10,235)

  • Ipswich Art Gallery Ipswich Art Gallery Ipswich

    Ipswich Art Gallery is in d'Arcy Doyle Place, the pedestrian section of Nicholas Street in the Ipswich CBD, and has a Children's Gallery inside.

    ★ 4.6 (711)

  • Museum of Brisbane Museum of Brisbane Brisbane City

    Museum of Brisbane is a social history museum and art gallery on Level 3 of Brisbane City Hall, King George Square, reached by lift from the King George Square foyer.

    ★ 4.5 (3,208)

  • QUT The Cube QUT The Cube Brisbane City

    The Cube is a digital interactive learning space at QUT's Science and Engineering Centre, Gardens Point campus, 2 George Street, next to the City Botanic Gardens.

    ★ 4.4 (64)

  • Gallery of Modern Art Brisbane Gallery of Modern Art Brisbane South Brisbane

    The Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) on Stanley Place, South Brisbane is one of the two QAGOMA galleries, 150 metres from the Queensland Art Gallery and next to South Bank…

Beaches, rock pools and ocean baths

Swim between the red and yellow flags. Patrol seasons and hours on each listing come from the surf club or council page.

  • Woorim Beach Woorim Beach Woorim

    Woorim Beach on the ocean side of Bribie Island is one of City of Moreton Bay's 2 patrolled beaches.

    Patrolled September school holidays to Labour Day in May · All-abilities access

  • Streets Beach Streets Beach South Brisbane

    Streets Beach in South Bank Parklands is a free, man-made swimming lagoon with white-sand beaches, palm trees, pebbled creeks and shady shallows, overlooking the…

    Patrolled

  • Wellington Point Recreation Reserve beach Wellington Point Recreation Reserve beach Wellington Point

    The beach at Wellington Point Recreation Reserve is described by Redland City Council as one of its most loved beaches on the Redlands Coast.

    Patrolled September – April · All-abilities access

  • Suttons Beach Suttons Beach Redcliffe

    Suttons Beach on the Redcliffe Peninsula is one of City of Moreton Bay's 2 patrolled beaches.

    Patrolled Mid-September to Labour Day in May · All-abilities access

  • Main Beach, Point Lookout Main Beach, Point Lookout Point Lookout

    Main Beach runs from Point Lookout to the southern tip of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island).

    Patrolled September school holidays to first weekend in May

All beaches and rock pools in Brisbane, free and paid

Skate parks, pump tracks and bike paths

Council-run and free. Bring helmets; the listing notes lighting, shade and whether there is a beginner area.

All skate parks and bike tracks in Brisbane, free and paid

Questions parents ask

What free things can teenagers do in Brisbane?
Lagoons, beaches, lookouts, museums and galleries are all free or have free entry. Put a couple of choices on the table and let them decide. Check the listing for details.
Is Streets Beach good for teenagers?
It is a social, relaxed spot with sand and water in the middle of the city. Check the listing for facilities, and remind them to be sun smart.
What gets a Brisbane teenager to come along?
Let them choose, and make sure there is food. Once you are there, give them some room to roam with a time and place to meet.
Can teenagers go to the beach on their own in Brisbane?
That is your decision as a parent. Remind them to swim between the flags where patrols operate, and to leave the water if a storm approaches. Agree a meeting spot and a time.

Other kinds of free day in Brisbane

For teens in other cities