The Mildura Arts Centre is a truly exceptional arts hub, and a pretty stunning historic building too! Set in the Queen Anne-style Rio Vista historic house, it combines a modern art gallery, a 444-seat theatre showcasing some of the latest cutting edge performances, and a sculpture park. The Rio Vista historic house also features historic displays of life in colonial times alongside period furnishings. Open daily from 10am to 5pm.
Part vineyard, part museum, Chateau Mildura is a paradise for wine lovers and history buffs alike. Established back in 1888 by the Canadian Chaffey brothers, Chateau Mildura is still producing top notch wines, and offers daily wine tastings. The latest owners have preserved many of the vineyard’s historic features in a museum, and once suitably lubricated after a good wine tasting you can take guided tours of the Chateau and its historic displays. Open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
A really fascinating addition to Mildura’s cultural scene, the Barkindji Wiimpatya Murra Art Gallery is an Aboriginal art gallery showcasing some of the unique and remarkable arts, crafts and artefacts made by the people indigenous to the region. This is a fascinating place to explore an often underappreciated element of Australian culture and history, and local artists are often working on site, and happy to ask questions and discuss their work. Open Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 2:30pm, and Saturday 9am to 1pm.
One of the very few community-run botanic gardens in Australia, the Australian Inland Botanic Gardens is a special place with a wonderful atmosphere. The gardens themselves are a beautiful, peaceful showcase of Australian natives from both arid and rainy areas, as well as sections of more exotic plants from around the world. Home to a wide range of bird life, this is a glorious place to enjoy the beauty of nature, and a testament to what community spirit can achieve. Open Monday to Friday from 7:30am to 4pm, and weekends 10am to 4:30pm.
Fossey’s Ginporium is a palace to ‘Mother’s Ruin’, located in the heart of town in one of Mildura’s most iconic buildings steeped in a fascinating history. A boutique gin distillery, you can take a wonderful, educational and somewhat boozy tour through the fantastic journey of gin, as well as take part in a live gin distillation led by Fossey’s Master Ginventor and Gin Soaked Distiller. Open Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 2pm to 8pm.
The Murray River is a huge part of life for locals and tourists in Mildura, and one of the best ways to appreciate it in all its glory is to take a ride on a traditional paddle steamer. Drift leisurely and luxuriously downriver in the glamourous surrounding of a historic vessel, and enjoy and on-board dining experience, a river cruise, or a tour of the many sights along the banks of the Murray and Darling rivers. Two hour cruises run twice daily, at 10:50am and 1:50pm, with special cruises at other times.