Overview
No matter which city you live in, it's easy to walk around town and barely notice the buildings that you're passing by day in and day out. Whether we're buried in own phones or thoughts, we all do it. Once a year in Brisbane, Open House offers up the antidote: the chance to wander into and snoop your way through some of the spots that make the Queensland capital what it is. It's a dream for architecture fans, nosy parkers and everyone keen to sneak a behind-the-scenes peek at the Queensland capital's spaces alike.
2024's Brisbane Open House will take place across two days in July, with the doors at everywhere from the Merthyr Croquet Club and Centenary Pool to New Farm Cinemas and Newstead House being thrown open across Saturday, July 13–Sunday, July 14. While this is a citywide celebration, this year's program is focusing on inner-city Brissie in particular, with hubs at Brisbane Powerhouse and Queensland Ballet's Thomas Dixon Centre.
Brisbane Open House is also showing New Farm some extra love as its chosen village of Brisbane this time around; if you notice a heap of venues on the list from the riverside suburb, that's why. The New Farm and Districts Historical Society has been enlisted to assist, in what doubles as celebration of the organisation's 30th anniversary.
For those eager to get peering, heading along is as simple as choosing where you'd like to explore, and reserving your attendance in advance in some cases. A few always-popular spots have already booked out, such as Brisbane Arcade, Miss Midgley's in New Farm, the Spring Hill Windmill Tower and Service Reservoirs, State Library of Queensland and The Moreton Club; however, given that there's 54 locations taking part, there's still plenty of addresses to hit up.
Other highlights include the Spring Hill Baths, ABC Brisbane, Anzac Square, Brisbane City Hall (including the Shingle Inn), Museum of Brisbane and BVN — The Annex on Eagle Street. Or, make a date with Parliament House, Old Government House, Roma Street Fire Station and St John's Cathedral. From the Fish Lane Town Square, Merthyr Village, Port Office at the Port of Brisbane and Patrick Brisbane Autostrad terminal through to QPAC, Wolston Farmhouse and the Svitzer Brisbane Tug Base, the list of places to mosey through goes on.
Guided tours are also on the program, giving you expert guidance while you poke around. Talks on subjects such as the past, present and future of New Farm, designing for the future and how to celebrate Earth Day all year feature as well. And on the workshop roster, you can choose between sundown meditations on the Thomas Dixon Centre's rooftop terrace, learning more about the in-the-works Kangaroo Point Green Bridge and building a map of New Farm based on the community's favourite spaces.
Brisbane Open House 2024 runs across Saturday, July 13–Sunday, July 14 at a variety of places around Brisbane. For the full program, head to the event's website.
Images: courtesy of the venues and Brisbane Open House.