Family fun in Australia’s Capital City

Family Fun

AMF Belconnen Ten Pin Bowling Centre
Take a break from sightseeing and go ten pin bowling. Choose from 32 bowling lanes at AMF Belconnen. If you book your lane in the evening, you can enjoy the  go glow in the dark bowling.
Get refreshed at their café and fully licensed bar, and have fun with the arcade games and pool table. See their website for special deals and opening hours.
1 Emu Bank, Belconnen ACT 2617

Big Splash Waterpark

If you’re visiting during the summer months, head to Big Splash and cool down in this awesome waterpark. Nine waterslides and five heated pools will keep you going all day! Lounge around the pools or float on rubber tubes in Canberra’s only waterpark cinema. Let your children enjoy the play area when they’re not getting waterlogged. Trained lifeguards on duty.
Get your refreshments from the hot food kiosk or their fresh sandwich bar.
Check their website for full details on pricing and opening hours.
1 Catchpole Street, Macquarie ACT 2614

The Canberra Olympic Pool

The Canberra Olympic Pool and Health Club is a public swimming pool and gym just a 10 minute walk away from the hotel. The club has both indoor and outdoor pools, meaning you can go for a dip year-round. The outside pools are also equipped with a diving board and three diving platforms.
Talk to our concierge team for walking directions, or check their website for more details.

Canberra Reptile Zoo 

Come face to face with some of Australia’s largest, deadliest and most colourful reptiles in the Australian Reptile Gallery with thematic exhibits encompassing the tropical, temperate and arid zones. In the Prehistory Gallery, the ‘Reptiles in Space and Time’ exhibition graphically portrays the evolution of reptiles through the fossil record.
Located in Gold Creek Village, Barton Highway, Nicholls ACT 2913
Open daily 10am – 5pm

Cockington Green Gardens

Experience family fun at one of the most charming and unusual tourist attractions in Canberra. Venture into the fascinating display of meticulously crafted miniature buildings, currently featuring 30 different countries, set within beautifully landscaped gardens.  Take a ride on the miniature steam train around the displays, and enjoy lunch in the cafe afterwards.
Located in Gold Creek Village, Barton Highway, Nicholls ACT 2913
Entry from 9.30am – Last Entry time 4.15pm with viewing available until 5.00pm

Phillip Ice Skating Centre

Get your skates on in the nation’s capital.
This is the perfect remedy for a super hot Canberra day, or just great fun at any time of the year.  Lessons and skate hire are all available on site. All you have to do is wear some warm clothes. Long pants on the ice are definitely best for beginners. See their website for all opening hours and price info. Hot tip – Friday night is disco skating!
Address : Irving Street, Phillip ACT 2606

National Zoo & Aquarium 

Take a drive out to the National Zoo & Aquarium for some close encounters of the animal kind. You can either walk around and check out the different animal enclosures, or you can book ahead to ‘Meet a Cheetah’ or take a ‘Zooventure’ tour and hand feed lions, tigers, and bears – oh my!

Located at 999 Lady Denman Dr, Weston Creek ACT 2611 – see their website or talk to our concierge team about driving directions.
Phone (02) 6287 8400 to enquire about animal encounter prices and bookings.

Questacon – The National Science & Technology Centre

A favourite among kids and adults alike, Questacon makes science fun! Located on the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin, it is approximately half an hour’s walk away from the hotel. It houses more than 200 interactive exhibits relating to science and technology, and they also have daily shows to help explain a wide variety of topics such as the science of flight, the science of mummification, and the science of sound.

Located on the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin, it is approximately half an hour’s walk away from the hotel, or if you prefer to take your car there is plenty of free onsite parking.

Questacon is open daily between 9am and 5pm. See their website for entry fees and information on special exhibitions.

Kid-friendly Parks and Gardens

Head outside to enjoy the sunshine and wear the kids out! Recommended parks and gardens near the hotel include:

• The National Botanic Gardens – wander through rainforests or sit on the lawns and have an ice cream! Clunies Ross Street, Acton ACT.
• Glebe Park – several different playgrounds to explore, right in the centre of town. 15 minutes from the hotel on Bunda Street.
• Black Mountain Peninsula – awesome adventure playground and maze area, plus heaps of barbeque and picnic spots. Garryowen Drive, off Lady Denman Drive, Acton ACT.

Movie theatres

At your wits end trying to keep the kids entertained? Or just looking for somewhere to relax for a couple of hours?

There are two Hoyts cinemas in Canberra, both located within a 15 minute drive of the hotel. See their websites (Woden or Belconnen) for all information regarding what’s on, session times and price information.

In the nearby Canberra Centre shopping mall, you will find the Dendy Cinema. Take the kids to see something fun, or take yourself to see a movie in the Premium Lounge – recliner lounges and in-movie food and drink service – now that’s entertainment!

Finally, located just one block away from the hotel you can find Palace Electric Cinemas. You can’t get more convenient!