Overview
Indulge your artistic side and immerse yourself in history at local galleries, artist studios and museums in Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges.
From studio to gallery
Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges is home to a rich and diverse community of artists exhibiting at galleries and studios throughout the year. Find inspiration in unlikely places and discover art in spaces big and small, conventional and unique.
In Daylesford, browse the galleries exhibiting local and international work beneath the soaring ceilings of the Convent Gallery. Discover the varied work of the creative team at Bromley & Co. and survey contemporary works in the town's many commercial galleries: Stony Creek, Red Pepper and Clayfire. Or, combine two of life's great pleasures and take in the art with a meal at luxurious Lake House or at more casual cafes, tearooms and guesthouses.
In surrounding historic towns, make time for the local galleries: Stockroom in Kyneton, The Gallery in Mount Macedon, Woodbine Gallery in Malmsbury, and Lancefield's Mad Gallery.
Keep an eye out for open studio weekends when artists open their doors and welcome visitors into their creative spaces to watch the magic unfold. Foster your own creativity by signing up for workshops, one-on-one tutorials or group classes with local artists and artisans. It won't be long before you're learning new skills and feeling part of a thriving artistic community.
Museums
The tiny towns in the Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges region are like living museums; perfectly preserved. Cobblestone footpaths, bluestone houses, and granite and sandstone buildings evoke the heady gold years of the 1850s, while stone farm buildings and restaurants tell the story of the Swiss-Italian migrants who settled in the area after World War II.
For a curated look at the past, explore the local museums. Discover household items, artworks, vehicles and machinery from gold rush days at National Trust–registered Kyneton Museum. Learn more about white settlement of the Sunbury area through photographic displays at the George Evans Museum, as well as ephemera from the heady Sunbury Pop Festival days of 1972–75. Look back at early settler life at The Willows Historical Park in Melton, and discover local Aboriginal history from the Djadja Wurrung artefacts at the Daylesford Historical Museum.
Transport enthusiasts can take a ride on a tram from 1906 and view the collection of heritage and vintage trams at the Tramways Museum at Bylands, near Kilmore.
If you have kids in tow, head to the 1800s National Trust homestead of Dromkeen at Riddells Creek, near Gisborne: a museum of Australian children's literature and picture book art, complete with magnificent gardens for little legs to run off steam.
