The Storytellers: Walking Tours

Museum of Brisbane

Our city is filled with stories - tales that are much loved, history that is well known and memories that are long lost.

Museum of Brisbane invites you to step into the storybook that is our city and discover the tales it holds with a series of fascinating new walking tours.

From Architecture, art, design and history, experience Brisbane from a new perspective with a tour tailored to your interests. The tours will explore sites of cultural and historical significance, including City Hall, City Botanic Gardens, Anzac Square, Regent Theatre, Commissariat Store and much more.

The three new walking tours on offer are:

Stories Around the Riverbend Tour

Looping from City Hall to the banks of the Brisbane River and back, this guided walk explores many facets of Brisbane’s history. On your way to the river, you will stop at the historic Regent Theatre and Tattersall’s Club in the Queen Street Mall, before heading to MacArthur Chambers, used by General Douglas MacArthur as his headquarters during World War II, and on to St Stephen’s Cathedral.

In Charlotte Street, you will hear tales of the devastating floods of 1893 which claimed 35 lives and left 10,000 people homeless. From the riverfront at Eagle Street Pier, gaze across to the remarkable Kangaroo Point Cliffs and iconic Story Bridge. Creek Street then leads back to Anzac Square and the grand edifice of Central Station. From there, stop off at two of Brisbane’s historic churches - Ann Street Presbyterian and Albert Street Uniting - before completing your loop walk at City Hall

Sat & Sun 10:00-11:30 | Mon, Wed & Fri 10:00-11:30
$20-$25, Children under 12 - Free

Journey to City Botanic Gardens Tour

Established in 1828 to provide food for the Brisbane penal colony, the City Botanic Gardens is the green heart of the city. Starting at Brisbane City Hall, this guided walking tour takes you past many of the convict sites linked to the gardens’ early beginnings, including the barracks for male convicts, as well as the historic George Street strip (look up for the gargoyles on the old Printery Building). Hear the stories of those who lived here, before reaching Parliament House and Old Government House.

In the Botanic Gardens, learn how the city’s magnificent Spring jacaranda displays began with the planting of Australia’s first jacaranda tree here in 1864 by the gardens’ first curator, Walter Hill. Returning to the street, hear the history of the Commissariat Store (one of only two surviving convict-built structures in Brisbane), of the Victoria Bridge (the city’s first pedestrian river crossing) and of pioneering women’s activist, Emma Miller

Sat & Sun 2:00-3:30 | Tues & Thurs 10:00–11:30
$20-$25, Children under 12 - Free

Americans in WWII Brisbane Tour

Discover the hidden histories of more than 80,000 American soldiers stationed in Brisbane during World War II on this tour, immersing you in a fascinating period of the city’s social history. Explore significant sites of the era, including the headquarters of the Allied Forces in the South-West Pacific, and learn of the lasting impact on contemporary Brisbane.

Starting in the opulent foyer of Brisbane City Hall, learn about the important role the building played during World War II, before heading off to uncover locations in the city that reveal stories of wartime experience. Stop at the picturesque Albert Street Uniting Church to learn about Brisbane’s war brides, learn of the tensions between Australian and US troops which led to the infamous ‘Battle of Brisbane’ and complete your tour at the MacArthur Museum, the former headquarters of General MacArthur

Tues, Thurs & Sun 10:00-12:00
$30-$35, Children $5.00

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More info here