Free activities
There are many activities available in Perth and Fremantle which are free or cost next to nothing. These will be of particular interest to those with children.

Awesome Festival A ten-day international arts celebration for young people, held annually in the Perth central business district in November. Featured events include theatre, animation, light painting and much more. Many of these events are free of charge. For more information phone 9485 0560 or visit Awesome online.

Burswood Entertainment Complex Open 24 hours a day, very nearly 365 days a year. There is no admission charge to the Casino - of course, we can't help it if you're tempted once inside! Located within the Burswood Resort, Great Eastern Hwy, Burswood Phone 9362 7646.

Burswood Park Just three minutes from the centre of Perth and surrounding the magnificent Burswood Resort and Casino complex, this beautiful public park offers a pleasant outdoor environment for walking, picnicking or simply relaxing with friends on a sunny day. Burswood Park conducts free tours of the park and its attractions. Tours take around 40 minutes and leave from the Visitor Information Centre at 11.30am daily. Resort Dve, off Great Eastern Hwy, Burswood Phone 9361 4475.

City entertainment Right in the city centre, check out the intersection of Forrest Place and the Murray Street Mall. It's used by the city council as a performance space and there's often something interesting going on, particularly during school holidays.

Fremantle Take the kids for a walk along the quay at Fremantle. Kailis' cafe has a sumptuous display of seafood which is well worth a look down the far end of the building.

Still in Fremantle and perched high on a hill overlooking the beach, the Round House was built in 1831, making it WA's oldest public building. Although it has had many uses over the years, the Round House was first put to work as a prison. Some of the old cells are open for free inspection, and are well worth a look. Outside, the Round House lawns make an ideal picnic spot and offer delightful views over the water to Rottnest. After lunch, take the tribe downstairs to walk through the old tunnel that runs under the hill. This is where the whalers used to carry their supplies down to what is now Bathers Beach. More information on Fremantle.

Galleries and museums There are children who enjoy a visit to the art gallery. Mind you, some hate it. If you own any of the former, take them to the WA Art Gallery in the cultural centre, Northbridge. There's an extensive display of aboriginal art and some interesting exhibitions. Most exhibitions are free, and the Gallery also conducts tours for current exhibitions at 1.00pm Tuesday through Friday plus Sundays. If you go at the weekend, you can all enjoy browsing through Galleria, the lively open air market that's set up outside the gallery on Saturday and Sunday. More information about current exhibits.

A great museum in the heart of Perth city is the WA Museum on Francis Street, Northbridge. Its many colourful displays are designed to appeal to even the shortest of attention spans, and include aboriginal artefacts, bits of animals and marine life, giant meteorites and a dinosaur gallery. The museum is open 10.30am to 5pm weekdays and 1pm to 5pm weekends (and even if they don't like the displays, they're sure to enjoy the lifts). Within the WA Museum complex, The Old Gaol is Perth's original prison. This is Perth's oldest colonial gaol and is well worth a visit for the interesting displays of memorabilia. The children will have a good time on the stairs. Opening hours as for the museum. more museums

The Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery runs free lectures and tours of exhibits. Times and dates vary. Located within the grounds of the University of WA, Winthrop Ave, Nedlands Phone 6488 3707.

Kings Park As well as being a great vantage point from which to see the city of Perth, Kings Park conduct free guided walks of the park twice daily. The walks leave from Fraser Avenue, opposite the War Memorial and are taken by volunteer guides and routes vary depending on the day and the time of year. The information centre in the Kings Park restaurant complex will give more detailed information on the walks, as well as the many other aspects of the park. More information

Markets Markets can be fun as long as they're lively and there's some entertainment to distract younger visitors. Scarborough has such a market, open on weekends and public holidays. Subiaco has two good markets, on either side of the railway line. Both are open Fridays, weekends and Monday public holidays, and both have good, cheap food halls. Fremantle also operates markets on South Terrace and at Victoria Quay. More information about Perth's markets.

Outdoors If you have offspring and they enjoy the outdoors, take them to one of the many national parks that are scattered around metropolitan WA. These pockets of unspoilt bushland have ample shade trees and are good places for picnics. They're also good places for letting off steam.

The Department of Environment and Conservation actively encourages families to use its parks, and has produced a couple of retail publications that outline in detail many outdoor activities and walks not just in national parks but throughout the Perth area. These are available at most book stores and newsagents. If you don't want to fork out for the books and you already know which park you want to visit, phone 9334 0481 for a free park brochure.

A word of caution - as one of the sunniest cities in the world, Perth sometimes has too much sunshine for visitors' health - so if you come from a cooler climate, it might be wise to take a look at our Sun Sense information to stay safe.

Public artworks The City of Perth has an exciting and contemporary collection of public artworks located throughout the city. For a complete guide to these pieces, please contact the City of Perth on 9461 3333.

Seven kangaroos can be found opposite Florence Hummerston Park on the corner of St Georges Tce and Milligan St. They are Going Home to Kings Park after a hard day at work, briefcases in hand. These charcoal black kangaroo silhouettes add a touch of humour and creativity to Perth’s premier business avenue.
The Unidentified Photographer is a modern youth wearing a backwards baseball cap. Located on the corner of St Georges Tce, Elder and Mount Sts in front of the Barracks Arch, he is holding a 1950s Box Brownie camera in one hand and a handful of slides representing the Barracks Arch in the 1920s.
A bronze statue of the Aboriginal patriot Yagan is located on Heirisson Island. He resisted the invasion of the white settlers but was eventually captured and exiled to Carnac Island. After his death, his head was hacked off from his body and taken to English museums.
The bronze mob of Kangaroos outside Stirling Gardens on St Georges Tce features Australia’s most famous species in all its majestic splendour. The animals are startled from their quiet feeding and start to bound away, led by a large male.
The bronze Gumnut Babies on the edge of Stirling Gardens on Barrack St are based on the characters Snuggle Pot and Cuddle Pie created by May Gibbs in the 1930s.
Two Fighting Snakes is a popular Forrest Place artwork depicting two snakes fighting over two Tjupurulla men at the homeland of the artist’s father near Lake Mackay in WA’s north west. This large mosaic was constructed using over 17,000 mosaic tiles of red, black, yellow and white granite.
The Meteorite is a water art-piece is located at the southern end of Forrest Place. Made of orbicular granite from Mt Magnet in the north of the state, it symbolises a meteorite impact, a common phenomenon in WA. Surrounding the sphere and its base is a swirling pattern of WA stone, incorporating images of lizards on black polished granite and pink stone. The sphere can easily be stopped and turned by children or adults.

Whiteman Park Open 7 days a week, Whiteman Park is home to Caversham Wildlife Park, the Motor Museum of WA, tram and train rides, shops, bush walking trails/bike paths, children's playgrounds and well-appointed picnic grounds. Be sure to allow time to explore this huge bushland reserve. Lord St, Whiteman Phone 9209 6000

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Site last updated: 10th November 2008        

Disclaimer: The information on this website, which is believed to be accurate and current at the time of publishing, has been prepared in good faith and is given as a guide only. The publisher accepts no responsibility for loss, injury, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of using this information. Customs, travel, safety and health issues should all be confirmed with the relevant authorities before you travel.