Greater Geelong includes suburban, coastal and rural areas. Things to do in Geelong include waterfront paths and public art along the Waterfront, galleries, gardens, and a museum of wool and textiles. Themes range from time by the water to art and history, as well as regional produce and nature.
Waterfront paths and art along Corio Bay
The Bay Trail runs along the shore of Corio Bay from Rippleside Park in Drumcondra to Eastern Beach in Greater Geelong. It follows the bay between two clearly named points. For a walk that takes in public art and local history, Geelong's Waterfront also has the Waterfront Bollards Trail: this self-guided, 30-minute walk passes artworks that convey the city's local history and character.
The two trails have different focuses. The Bay Trail centres on the route along the shore; the Waterfront Bollards Trail focuses on public artworks and their historical interpretation. Choose your walk based on whether you’d rather follow Corio Bay or discover Geelong’s local history through art.
Galleries, a museum and regional history
Geelong Gallery presents exhibitions and public programs featuring international and local artists. It also has a significant collection of Australian and European painting, sculpture, prints and decorative arts. The different areas of the collection give the gallery a broad artistic focus; its exhibitions and programs also bring together artists from different backgrounds.
The National Wool Museum tells the Australian story of wool, fibres and textiles and presents art exhibitions. The award-winning exhibition “On the Land: our story retold” offers insights into Wadawurrung Country, the history of agriculture, land management practices and innovations in the wool industry. In this way, the museum complements the visual arts with themes related to materials, agriculture and wool production. Exhibition availability may change; check whether it will be on display during your trip before visiting.
Gardens and other regional highlights
The Geelong Botanic Gardens preserve plants from around the world, adding a botanical focus to the range of local experiences. While the Bay Trail and Waterfront Bollards Trail follow the waterfront, the gardens turn the focus to plants from different parts of the world.
In the wider region, the Bellarine Taste Trail, a tourism program, showcases food and drink producers and artisans from across the region. This offers an additional theme for travellers interested in regional produce and crafts, alongside the galleries and museums in Geelong.
For mountain biking, the You Yangs Regional Park in the wider region offers more than 50 kilometres of purpose-built trails for beginners and advanced riders. This is a different kind of activity from the waterside walking paths: the focus here is on purpose-built mountain biking trails. At the broader destination level, Geelong is also a gateway to the coast in southwestern Victoria via the Great Ocean Road.
Discover more destinations: Waurn Ponds, Indented Head, Gannawarra Shire, Maribyrnong City, Moira Shire, Alpine Shire, Ballarat City, Surf Coast Shire
Go to the broader travel overview: Victoria.
