Chilled days: gardens, parklands and picnics in Canberra

Canberra is built for the slow day. Lennox Gardens in Yarralumla gives families a quiet, tidy lawn by the water where toddlers can toddle and parents can sit. The Australian National Botanic Gardens at Acton has the Paperbark Treehouse and Garden, a gentle play area among native plants, and Stromlo Forest Park at Wright offers a bigger landscape of trails and open space. For something with a different flavour, disc golf courses at Eddison Park, Gold Creek and John Knight Memorial Park are free to play if you bring your own discs, and children often take to them quickly. The Gungahlin Child and Family Centre and Westfield Belconnen Playworlds add indoor and community options for days when the weather is uncooperative. A chilled day in Canberra is about space and quiet, a rug under a tree and a thermos in the bag. Spring and autumn are the loveliest times, and winter picnics are a local sport if the day is sunny enough. Summer is dry, so aim for early or late. Weekdays are the quietest, especially in the gardens, and the open spaces make it easy to find a spot with no one near you.

Our picks

  • Lennox Gardens Lennox Gardens Yarralumla

    Lennox Gardens District Park is a formal urban park between the Hyatt Hotel Canberra and Lake Burley Griffin in Yarralumla, entered through a formal gateway with a red…

    Playground · ★ 4.6 (695)

  • National Rock Garden National Rock Garden

    The National Rock Garden is a display of large rocks from across Australia and Antarctica, including fossils and minerals, set out in Forest 13 at the National…

    ★ 4.2 (215)

  • Paperbark Treehouse and Garden, Australian National Botanic Gardens Paperbark Treehouse and Garden, Australian National Botanic Gardens Acton

    The Paperbark Treehouse is a three-level treehouse in a grove of swamp paperbark trees inside the Australian National Botanic Gardens, whose main entrance is on Clunies…

  • Stromlo Forest Park Stromlo Forest Park Wright

    Stromlo Forest Park (UC Stromlo) is an ACT Government recreation park in the Molonglo Valley with over 50km of mountain bike trails graded from easiest to extremely…

    ★ 4.9 (103)

  • Gungahlin Child and Family Centre Gungahlin Child and Family Centre Gungahlin

    Gungahlin Child and Family Centre is an ACT Government centre at 51 Ernest Cavanagh St, Gungahlin, offering help and advice to support children's health, wellbeing,…

    ★ 4.7 (73)

  • Eddison Disc Golf Eddison Disc Golf Phillip

    Eddison Park in Phillip has a public 18-basket disc golf course, including a practice basket, maintained by the ACT Disc Golf Club.

Before you go

Best for which ages

Gardens and lawns suit everyone from babies to grandparents. Toddlers love the open space, and primary-age children enjoy the treehouse and trails. Disc golf is easy for school-age children and teens to pick up, and gives everyone something to aim at.

What to bring

A picnic rug, food, water and a hat. A warm jacket outside summer, since open lawns can be breezy. Bring your own discs for disc golf, and a ball or a kite for the lawn. A flask of something warm is welcome in winter.

Parking and facilities

The botanic gardens and larger parks have car parks and toilets, though they can fill on sunny weekends. Smaller sites may have little more than a bench. Check the listing to see what is on site, and bring your own food if there is no cafe.

Prams and accessibility

The gardens have a mix of paved and gravel paths, with some gentle slopes. Lennox Gardens and many lawns are easy with a pram, while forest tracks at Stromlo can be rougher. The listing gives details. Lawns beside the paths give prams room to roam, and most garden entrances are level.

Best time of year

Spring and autumn are the most pleasant, with colour and mild weather. Summer is best early or late in the day, and winter suits sunny, still days. Weekdays are quieter than weekends throughout the year. On hot days, the shade under the big trees makes a garden far more pleasant than the street.

Botanic gardens and big parklands

Open lawns, shaded paths and room to run, with toilets and a picnic spot close by.

  • Lennox Gardens Lennox Gardens Yarralumla

    Lennox Gardens District Park is a formal urban park between the Hyatt Hotel Canberra and Lake Burley Griffin in Yarralumla, entered through a formal gateway with a red…

    Playground · ★ 4.6 (695)

  • National Rock Garden National Rock Garden

    The National Rock Garden is a display of large rocks from across Australia and Antarctica, including fossils and minerals, set out in Forest 13 at the National…

    ★ 4.2 (215)

  • Paperbark Treehouse and Garden, Australian National Botanic Gardens Paperbark Treehouse and Garden, Australian National Botanic Gardens Acton

    The Paperbark Treehouse is a three-level treehouse in a grove of swamp paperbark trees inside the Australian National Botanic Gardens, whose main entrance is on Clunies…

All gardens and parklands in Canberra, free and paid

More free days out

Community farms, wildlife spots and other places that cost nothing to get into.

Questions parents ask

Is the Australian National Botanic Gardens free?
Entry to the gardens is generally free, but some special events or car parks may charge. Check the listing for current arrangements.
What is the Paperbark Treehouse?
It is a play area in the botanic gardens built around native plants and natural materials. Check the listing for what is there and who it suits.
Can children play disc golf?
Yes, many do, and it is a relaxed activity for school-age children and teens. Bring your own discs, and be careful to keep clear of other players.
Is Stromlo Forest Park good for families?
It has trails and open space and suits families who like to walk or ride. The listing gives more detail on what is available.

Other kinds of free day in Canberra

Chilled days in other cities