Things to do in Bendigo
Mine tours, dragons, trams and heritage parks, checked against official sources
The best things to do in Bendigo are going underground at Central Deborah Gold Mine, riding the Vintage Talking Tram, seeing the dragons Sun Loong and Loong at the Golden Dragon Museum and walking up to the Poppet Head lookout in Rosalind Park. As of October 2026, Bendigo Art Gallery is showing its exhibitions at Bendigo Town Hall while its View Street building is closed for redevelopment. Most of the central sights are within about a 10-minute walk of the Bendigo Visitor Centre (approximate).
How we chose
We started with the attractions that official sites, the City of Greater Bendigo, Bendigo Tourism, heritage listings and recent travel writing keep pointing visitors to, then checked each fact against those sources on 20 October 2026. That day several official sites, including Central Deborah, Bendigo Tramways, the City of Greater Bendigo and Bendigo Tourism, could not be loaded directly, so we have left out opening times and prices we could only see second-hand and named the site to check instead. We also point out where older guides have gone stale, such as listings that still give opening hours for the closed View Street gallery.
Bendigo Art Gallery, at the Town Hall for now
Bendigo Art Gallery was founded in 1887. Its View Street building closed on 1 December 2025 for redevelopment, which is expected to run until early 2028. As of October 2026, the gallery is running its exhibitions from Bendigo Town Hall at 189-193 Hargreaves Street, about 314 m or a 4-minute walk from the Visitor Centre (approximate).
Many older listings still give View Street opening hours and admission details, and those describe the building before it closed. Check exhibition days, times and ticket prices on the gallery's pages at bendigoregion.com.au before you go.
Our picks
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At Central Deborah Gold Mine on Violet Street you put on a hard hat and head down into a former working gold mine.
76 Violet St, Bendigo VIC 3550
Why it ranks here
The Mine Experience Tour takes 75 minutes, goes 61 metres down to the mine's Level 2 and is open to children from age 3. The Underground Adventure Tour takes about 2.5 hours and goes 85 metres down. It is meant for older children and adults and includes a miner's lunch or afternoon tea in the Crib Room, so check the minimum age when you book. The deepest tour goes to 228 metres.
Back on the surface there is vintage mining machinery, gold panning, museums and a picnic area. A Vintage Talking Tram ticket includes entry to this surface area. The mine highly recommends booking underground tours, and the prices we found disagree between its own pages, so check session times and prices at central-deborah.com.
Ride the Vintage Talking Tram
Bendigo Tramways runs the Vintage Talking Tram, a hop-on hop-off tour that starts at Central Deborah Gold Mine.
Why it ranks here
The operator lists its stops as Central Deborah Gold Mine, Alexandra Fountain, Lake Weeroona and the Bendigo Joss House Temple, with the Tramways Depot as another place to board. You can buy tickets on board, at the mine, at the Bendigo Visitor Centre or online. We could not confirm current running times, and fares differ between the operator's own pages, so check bendigotramways.com on the day.
The Depot Discovery Tour runs on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30am and 12:30pm, as of October 2026. It is held at the tram depot on Tramways Avenue, which also has a tram museum.
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The Golden Dragon Museum at 1-11 Bridge Street opened in 1991 to document, interpret and preserve Chinese heritage in Australia.
1/11 Bridge St, Bendigo VIC 3550
Why it ranks here
Its permanent display includes Sun Loong, roughly 100 metres long, and Loong, described as the oldest imperial dragon, along with their regalia. Sun Loong was the dragon in Bendigo's Easter parade until Dai Gum Loong took over.
The museum is open 9:30am to 5pm, Tuesday to Sunday, with last entry at 4:30pm, and it opens seven days a week during Victorian school holidays. The Yi Yuan Gardens and Guan Yin Temple are open 9:30am to 4:30pm, Tuesday to Sunday. The museum's site lists group prices only, so for individual tickets check goldendragonmuseum.org or call (03) 5441 5044.
The Bendigo Joss House Temple was built by Chinese miners, is dedicated to Kwan Tai and is still used for worship. It is a stop on the Vintage Talking Tram. Its opening hours vary between listings, so check with Bendigo Tourism at bendigoregion.com.au before you go.
Further out: the Great Stupa and Bendigo Pottery
The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion is a large Buddhist stupa in ironbark forest north-west of Bendigo. You will need a car, and opening times and entry details conflict between listings, so read stupa.org.au before you set out.
Bendigo Pottery on the Midland Highway at Epsom is described as Australia's oldest working pottery workshop. It is about 6.6 km, or a 9-minute drive, from the Visitor Centre (approximate). Listings disagree on its opening hours, so check its page on bendigoregion.com.au.
Quick picks
- Rainy day: the Discovery Science and Technology Centre, where you can add a planetarium show to general entry.
- Travelling with a toddler: general entry to the Discovery Centre is free for under-3s.
- Mining history: the Mine Experience Tour at Central Deborah takes you 61 metres underground in 75 minutes.
- Chinese heritage: the Golden Dragon Museum, home to Sun Loong and Loong.
- A weekend morning: the Depot Discovery Tour runs on Saturdays and Sundays.
- An easy walk: the circuit path around Lake Weeroona.
- A Monday in school term: the Golden Dragon Museum and the Discovery Centre are both closed, so plan around them.
- Two days or children in tow: see our weekend in Bendigo itinerary and our guide to Bendigo with kids.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bendigo Art Gallery open?
Bendigo Art Gallery's View Street building has been closed since 1 December 2025 for redevelopment and is expected to reopen in early 2028. As of October 2026, the gallery is showing exhibitions at Bendigo Town Hall on Hargreaves Street. Check days, times and prices at bendigoregion.com.au.
How long is the Central Deborah Gold Mine tour?
The Mine Experience Tour at Central Deborah Gold Mine takes 75 minutes, goes 61 metres underground and is open to children from age 3. The Underground Adventure Tour takes about 2.5 hours and goes 85 metres down.
What are the Golden Dragon Museum's opening hours?
The Golden Dragon Museum in Bendigo is open 9:30am to 5pm, Tuesday to Sunday, with last entry at 4:30pm. It opens seven days a week during Victorian school holidays.
Can you climb the Poppet Head in Rosalind Park?
As of October 2026, the Poppet Head lookout in Rosalind Park is open to Level 1 only. The upper levels closed for repairs after rust was found, and the timing of repairs depends on approvals and funding.
Where is the Alexandra Fountain in Bendigo?
The Alexandra Fountain stands at Charing Cross in central Bendigo, where View Street meets Pall Mall, opposite the main entrance to Rosalind Park. The water feature inside the park itself is the Cascades. The Cascades were built in 1880 to a design by William Vahland.
Is there a lake in Rosalind Park?
No. Lake Weeroona is a separate reserve north of Bendigo's city centre, at the corner of Nolan and Napier Streets.
What is there to do in Bendigo when it rains?
Good wet-day options in Bendigo are the Discovery Science and Technology Centre, the Golden Dragon Museum and an underground tour at Central Deborah Gold Mine. The Discovery Centre is closed for all of February.
How does the Bendigo Vintage Talking Tram work?
The Vintage Talking Tram is a hop-on hop-off tour that starts at Central Deborah Gold Mine and also stops at Alexandra Fountain, Lake Weeroona and the Bendigo Joss House Temple. A ticket includes entry to the mine's surface area. Check running times and fares at bendigotramways.com.