Tourism in Brisbane is an important industry for the Queensland economy, being the third-most popular destination for international tourists after Sydney and Melbourne.
Brisbane is a popular tourist destination, serving as a gateway to the state of Queensland, particularly to the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, which are home to numerous popular surf beaches, located immediately south and north of Brisbane respectively. Major landmarks and attractions include South Bank Parklands, the Queensland Cultural Centre (including the Queensland Museum, Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, Queensland Performing Arts Centre and State Library of Queensland), City Hall, the Story Bridge, the City Botanic Gardens and Parliament of Queensland, the Howard Smith Wharves, ANZAC Square, Fortitude Valley (including James Street and Chinatown), West End, the Teneriffe woolstores precinct, Roma Street Parkland, New Farm Park (including the Brisbane Powerhouse), St John's Cathedral, the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, the Mount Coot-tha Lookout and Botanic Gardens, the D'Aguilar Range and National Park, the Brisbane River and its Riverwalk network, as well as waterside locations around Moreton Bay(such as Tangalooma on Moreton Island, Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island, Bribie Island, and coastal suburbs such as Shorncliffe, Wynnum and those on the Redcliffe Peninsula).
City landmarks
Story Bridge The Story Bridge is a Brisbane icon, designed by Dr. John Bradfield, designer of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It spans Petrie Bight from Kangaroo Point to Fortitude Valley and totals meters in length.
Tourist groups run the Story Bridge Adventure Climb as well as the Abseil Climb, which provides daylight, twilight, and night tours.
Brisbane City Hall Brisbane's most famous landmark is Australia's largest and grandest city hall. It is home to the Museum of Brisbane and features the circular Concert Hall and a world-famous grand piano organ. Free tours are available of the city hall and its clock tower.
The Brisbane City Hall contains the re-established historic Tudor-style Shingle Inn restaurant, with its original 1936 Tudor furnishing and fittings restored.
Kangaroo Point Cliffs The Kangaroo Point Cliffs extend south from just north of the former Naval Bridge Depot to the former South Brisbane Dry Dock, west of the Captain Cook Bridge. The rock comprising the cliffs was formed about 230 million years ago, but the cliffs were created by convicts quarrying the stone for the early colony. The cliffs are popular with rock climbers, and the park and gardens below are available for BBQs and picnics.
Fortitude Valley The Valley experienced an urban renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s, when young people flocked to new nightclubs, some in place of the brothels and illegal gambling joints of an earlier era. As more people lived in the suburb, social and religious developmental trends explain the present diverse nature of The Valley, characterised by commercial buildings, hotels and churches side by side with residential buildings. James Street is a popular shopping street that straddles Fortitude Valley and the adjoining suburb of New Farm.
Treasury Building The Conrad Treasury Casino, formerly the State Government of Queensland Treasury Building, is situated at 1–27 Queen St, right up at the top of the city near the Victoria Bridge. It was built on a site that had been earmarked for Government use since around 1825. Three stages of construction went into the completed building, starting with the William Street frontage. Completed, occupied and opened officially in 1928 at a final cost of £137,817, it provided expansive space for its Treasury Building tenants. As State Government Departments moved into the nearby Executive Building in the 1980s, the Treasury Building and adjacent Land Administration Building were sold, and consequently redeveloped as the Conrad Treasury Casino and Hotel precinct. With the opening of the Queens Wharf & Casino the Treasury building will be transferred to Griffith University as a new CBD campus in 2027.
The Gabba One of Australia's most famous sports stadiums, the Gabba was established in 1895 and hosts a number of sports including AFL, cricket, rugby league, rugby union, and baseball, as well as athletics and concerts. Its current seating capacity is 42,000.
Lang Park Lang Park, also known as Suncorp Stadium, is a major sports stadium and is considered the best rectangular stadium in Australia. It was established in 1914 on the site of a former cemetery. The stadium hosts mainly rugby league and football, and is a venue of the State of Origin. Its current seating capacity is 52,500.
St John's Cathedral St John's Cathedral is a Medieval gothic revival cathedral, and an international centre of pilgrimage attracting over 20,000 visitors annually from around the world. The cathedral is the centre for big diocesan events, and is a major centre for the arts and music with its own orchestra. St John's also has the largest cathedral organ in Australia, which hosts many concerts throughout the year.
Customs House The Customs House is a Brisbane landmark known for its distinctive copper dome. Originally constructed for the government, there is now a restaurant and function centre within the building, and regular concerts and art exhibitions are also held here.
Cultural attractions
Queensland Gallery of Modern Art The Queensland Gallery of Modern Art has a total floor area of . The Gallery holds mostly Queensland arts as well as a variety of artworks from around the world.
Queensland Museum The Queensland Museum has various human and natural historical artefacts. It is located within the Queensland Cultural Centre at South Bank and has various cafes and restaurants within and surrounding its location across the Brisbane River from the Brisbane CBD.
Queensland Performing Arts Centre Also located within the Entertainment District of South Bank, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre has a number of theatres and auditoriums showcasing various famous shows and operas annually. Some of the most recognized shows featured at the centre include Mamma Mia!, The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Jersey Boys, and International Gala.
State Library of Queensland The State Library of Queensland is Queensland's largest library, and contains extensive historical and archive materials.
Museum of Brisbane The Museum of Brisbane is the City of Brisbane's official museum and is located in Brisbane City Hall. It features a changing exhibition program that celebrates Brisbane through social history, visual arts, craft and design.
Queensland Maritime Museum The Queensland Maritime Museum is located adjacent to South Bank Parklands.
Parks and outdoor attractions
Brisbane's major parklands include the riverside City Botanic Gardens at Gardens Point, Roma Street Parkland, the 27-hectare Victoria Park at Spring Hill and Herston, South Bank Parklands along the river at South Bank, the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mount Coot-tha and the riverside New Farm Park at New Farm.
There are many national parks surrounding the Brisbane metropolitan area. The D'Aguilar National Park is a major national park along the northwest of the metropolitan area in the D'Aguilar Range. The Glass House Mountains National Park is located to the north of the metropolitan area in the Glass House Mountains and provides green space between the Brisbane metropolitan area and the Sunshine Coast. The Tamborine National Park at Tamborine Mountain is located in the Gold Coast hinterland to the south of the metropolitan area.
The eastern metropolitan area is built along the Moreton Bay Marine Park, encompassing Moreton Bay. Significant areas of Moreton, North Stradbroke and Bribie islands also covered by the Moreton Island National Park, Naree Budjong Djara National Park and the Bribie Island National Park respectively. The Boondall Wetlands in the suburb of Boondall include 1100 hectares of wetlands which are home to mangroves and shorebirds as well as walking tracks.
Mountains and national parks There are many national parks surrounding the Brisbane metropolitan area which are popular recreational attractions for hiking and bushwalking. The D'Aguilar National Park runs along the northwest of the metropolitan area in the D'Aguilar Range, and contains popular bushwalking and hiking peaks at Mount Nebo, Camp Mountain, Mount Pleasant, Mount Glorious, Mount Samson and Mount Mee. The Glass House Mountains National Park is located to the north of the metropolitan area in the Glass House Mountains between it and that of the Sunshine Coast. The Tamborine National Park at Tamborine Mountain is located in the Gold Coast hinterland to the south of the metropolitan area. Moreton, North Stradbroke and Bribie islands are substantially covered by the Moreton Island National Park, Naree Budjong Djara National Park and the Bribie Island National Park respectively. The Boondall Wetlands in the suburb of Boondall are protected mangrove wetlands with floating walking trails.
Mount Coot-tha The suburb Mount Coot-tha Reserve contains the Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens which house the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium and the "Tsuki-yama-chisen" Japanese Garden (formerly of the Japanese Government Pavilion of Brisbane's World Expo '88). Atop the mountain is the Mount Coot-tha Lookout, providing views of the metropolitan area and Moreton Bay.
South Bank Parklands South Bank Parklands attractions include the Wheel of Brisbane (a large ferris wheel), a swimming lagoon with sandy beaches, the South Bank Arbour,Things to Do - South Bank Corporation official website Master Plan Development - South Bank Corporation official website South Bank Arbour (fact sheet) — South Bank Corporation official website rainforest walks, picnic areas and a picturesque riverfront promenade. Entertainment venues at South Bank Parklands include the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University and South Bank Piazza. South Bank Parklands are also home to the Lifestyle Markets on Fridays (5pm-10pm), Saturdays (11am-5pm) and Sundays (9am-5pm).
City Botanic Gardens The City Botanic Gardens include Brisbane's most mature gardens, with many rare and unusual botanic species. In particular the Gardens feature a special collection of cycads, palms, figs and bamboo. The Gardens are located at Gardens Point, to the south-east of the CBD, within walking distance of the city centre.
New Farm Park New Farm Park is a large heritage-listed riverfront public park covering . It is located at the southeastern end of the New Farm peninsula within a bend in the Brisbane River. The Powerhouse arts centre is at the eastern end of the park. The park also includes the New Farm Park ferry wharf and links to the Brisbane Riverwalk from Newstead to Toowong. It is one of Brisbane's most popular parklands and tourist attractions.
Roma Street Parkland Roma Street Parkland is the world's largest subtropical garden in a city centre. The parkland features a variety of themed gardens and recreational areas, with a web of pathways and boardwalks traversing cascading waterways and rocky outcrops, and in situ artworks by 16 local artists. Roma Street Parkland also has an open air amphitheatre (which was previously called the Albert Park Amphitheatre).
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay and its marine park is also a major attraction, and its three primary islands Moreton Island, North Stradbroke Island and Bribie Island, accessible by ferry, contain popular surf beaches and resorts. Tangalooma resort on Moreton Island is popular for its nightly wild dolphin feeding attraction, and for operating Australia's longest running whale watching cruises. Beachside suburbs such as those on the Redcliffe Peninsula, as well as Shorncliffe, Sandgate, Wynnum, Manly and Wellington Point are also popular attractions for their bayside beaches, piers, and infrastructure for boating, sailing, fishing and kitesurfing.