Things to Do in Ballarat For Adults: A Local’s Guide to the Best Experiences

One of the largest gold nuggets ever seen by human eyes was pulled from the earth in Ballarat, just near the McDonalds and the big roundabout. During the Gold Rush, this sturdy rural city 90 minutes from Melbourne was, for a couple of decades, awash with obscene riches. In fact, it was the fastest-growing city on earth.

To help you understand the kind of wealth we’re talking about, let me put it like this: If you sold all the gold ever extracted from under Ballarat on today’s market, it would fetch over 90 billion dollars. BILLION, not million. And what most people don’t know is: there’s still gold down there. Nearly a kilometre below the city, mining continues to this day.

These days, the city itself glitters in other ways, with pristine Victorian architecture, elegant lakeside gardens, and a culinary scene good enough make Gordon Ramsay stop swearing - and authentic enough to please Uncle Roger.

Among the locals (Are they Ballafornians or Balla-rodents?), there’s a quiet pride in living well without the big-city rush. Ballarat is one of Victoria’s most fascinating regional cities, and if you’re looking for an indulgent weekend getaway or an enthralling family adventure, Ballarat brims with charm, history, and energy. Here’s the best stuff to do in Ballarat.

Step Back in Time at Sovereign Hill

Yes, I would actually recommend Sovereign Hill for adults. To get the most out of your visit, go on a weekday as it gets really crowded on the weekends, and don’t go during the school holidays.

No things-to-do-in-Ballarat list is complete without Sovereign Hill. This resplendent open-air museum vividly brings the 1850s gold rush to life through its meticulous streetscapes, costumed characters, traditional trades, gold panning, and underground mine tours.

A staple of Victorian childhoods since 1970, it continues to evolve with new activities, performances, and displays regularly added to its ever-growing roster. We’ve visited Sovereign Hill at least eight times, and each time we’ve discovered something new. One thing we’ve loved doing is the candle-making workshop, learning about the old crafts including wheel-making for carts, as well as the underground mine tour.

And we recommend you take the time to chat to the costumed actors - they usually stay in 1850s character and explain who they are to you and what their historical character’s life is like, it’s fascinating stuff. We particularly like listening to the troopers share their tales of corruption and brutality; and the once world-famous exotic dancer, Lola Montez, is often found resting on the veranda of the United States Hotel … ask her to tell you about her spider dance!

And finally, make sure you allow the better part of a day to explore Sovereign Hill, it’s one of the best-known attractions in Ballarat for a reason!

Stroll Around Lake Wendouree

Home to over 150 bird species in the heart of Ballarat, Lake Wendouree is a favourite with locals and visitors alike. The six-kilometre shared path around the lake takes you past rowing sheds, public art, towering sequoia trees, and more swans than you’ve ever seen in your life. Have a picnic lunch, grab a coffee from one of the lakeside cafés, explore the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, or even hire a pedal boat and go for a paddle. On Tuesdays and Sundays the tram runs, and they also have a fascinating museum.

It’s also great for cycling: roadies, it’s easy to make the circuit of the lake part of a longer ride - if you’re more of a leisure cyclist, use the shared path and just do a circuit of the lake. Either way it’s one of Victoria’s most charming experiences to pedal around the lake’s deep blue waters on a warm spring day with the forested dome of Mount Warrenheip and Ballarat’s Victorian buildings as a backdrop. You’ll think you’re in rural France!

Get on ya bike!

Speaking of cycling, there is no better way to explore further afield in Ballarat than on a bike. You can explore nearly every nook and cranny of the city safely on shared pedestrian-bicycle paths. Ballarat’s several creeks have paths that run all the way to the edge of the city and can be connected safely to create a circuit utilising the grid of quiet, safe suburban backroads which make up most of Ballarat.

(We’d recommend you avoid cycling on any main road in Ballarat that doesn’t have a separated path - those roads can be dangerously narrow, and the bike lanes are not to be trusted #doorzonecyclingdanger. Luckily, the main roads are also fairly easy to avoid most of the time.)

To cycle along Sturt Street’s shared path, Ballarat’s grand boulevard, beneath golden elms and oaks under a vibrant blue Autumn sky, is to experience pure bliss.

Bring your own bike or hire one from Ballarat Bike Hire.

Discover Ballarat’s Hidden Stories on a Walking Tour

Ballarat is a city rich in intriguing historic tales, charming enclaves, and epicurean delights. The best way to discover it is on a Hidden Lanes walking tour. Our walks are guided by local experts and take you beyond the city’s more obvious attractions to unveil Ballarat’s fascinating history, architecture, and cultural life; from its chaotic gold rush beginnings to its sparkling grandeur at the turn of the century, from the violence of the Eureka Stockade to the entrepreneurial spirit of the Lucas girls. These tours are slow travel at its best: fun, relaxing, and full of laughs, they’re a perfect way to explore and connect with the city. Each walk is filled with extraordinary tales that are so incredible you’ll think we’re making them up (we’re not). You’ll never see Ballarat the same way.

Hidden Lanes offers a range of small-group tours that suit foodies, fashionistas, couples, families, and curious travellers alike. There are also an array of other fantastic tours in Ballarat.

Shop Till You Drop at the Main Road Precinct

The Main Road Precinct is a tiny pocket of hipster heaven tucked away in Bakery Hill. It feels a bit like Smith Street, Collingwood, in the ’90s: a little rough around the edges, and full of charm.

Begin your stroll at Main Road Gallery, where talented local artist Kerry Nuzum showcases her creations alongside elegant vintage pieces. A few doors down, Antiques, Goods & Chattels is an antique treasure trove where you might find anything from Victorian egg holders to ’80s Japanese robot figurines. The store itself is a bit of an antique gem, occupying in the former Gleesons-Eglinton Hotel, built in 1856! (You can almost hear the shouts of drunk miners and the scrape of whisky shots sliding along the bar.)

When you’re ready for a break, head to Kank Wolverang for top-shelf coffee and an eclectic mix of secondhand vinyl, band posters, and vintage music tees - on weekends, you might even stumble across a live gig.

Allow at least an hour to lose yourself in The Known World Bookshop, a cosy independent emporium stacked floor to ceiling with wondrous tomes. Make sure you venture to the far back-right corner, where you’ll find a staircase leading down to a charming little basement - also filled to bursting with great books.

If you have any money left at this point, dive headfirst into Fashion Recycled, which boasts two floors of beautifully curated outfits spanning every decade since 1900 - it’s a time capsule for fashion lovers. If you need a hand putting together an ensemble, the owner, Dianne, has a great eye and is always more than happy to help.

This street is a whimsical haven of eclectic trade: historic, handcrafted, and distinctly local.

Savour Ballarat’s Food and drink Scene

Ballarat has some serious foodie cred - it was home to the very first Chinese restaurant in Australia after all - owned by a chap from Hong Kong named Johnny Aloo. And when it comes to drinkies, Ballarat has no less than four gin distilleries. From laneway coffee spots to Asian-fusion restaurants, sourdough bakeries to breweries, Ballarat’s food scene is still flourishing. Take in a hearty breakfast at The Turret Cafe, enjoy an elegant lunch at Piper’s on the banks of the lake, or indulge in an exquisite Asian-fusion dinner at Mr Jones Dining in the Main Road precinct (where the Gold-Rush dancing girls once cavorted). If, like us, you love a good old-fashioned Aussie meat pie, we recommend 1816 bakery on Armstrong Street, their pepper-steak pie is filled with chunks of slow cooked beef (just like your Mum used to make) and their pastry melts in your mouth. To really help you dive in and discover the best bits, (and some places you can’t go usually) we’ve created a Ballarat Foodie & Gin Distillery Tour.

Make Ballarat Your Next Escape

Ballarat offers a perfect blend of history, nature, creativity, and culture, so if you get the chance, come and wander its streets, sample its flavours, and experience it’s Victorian charm for yourself - we think you’ll agree, this is a city worth getting to know.

Ready to see Ballarat through a local’s eyes? Join a Hidden Lanes Walking Tour or a 3-day package and discover the tales, characters, and secrets that make this city so special.