22+ of the Best Things to do in Goulburn NSW for families [2025]

Goulburn is a charming city in regional New South Wales. We were fortunate to find a three-month house sit there for the autumn season.

Goulburn’s claim to fame is as Australia’s First Inland City. It is rich in history and has several heritage buildings. We stayed in a historic building from the 1840s!

Goulburn is only one hour’s drive from Canberra and two hours from Sydney (three on the train). It’s also close to several National Parks and cute villages.

Read on to discover our top picks for things to do with kids in Goulburn and nearby!

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Best Goulburn attractions for families

Goulburn offers several family-friendly attractions and activities worth exploring. Here are a few of our faves!

Take a self-guided tour of Goulburn’s Historic buildings

Goulburn boasts some beautiful old churches and heritage buildings. You can visit Riversdale, a historic home with a lovely garden that is open to the public. Stroll through town and check out the Gothic-style architecture at Our Lady of Fatima Church and St. Saviour’s Cathedral. Plus, marvel at the stained glass windows at St. Peter and Paul’s Old Cathedral before appreciating the architecture at the Goulburn Performing Arts Centre and the Goulburn Courthouse.

The big Merino

Aside from being Australia’s First Inland City, Goulburn’s claim to fame is the Big Merino statue! This 15-meter-high concrete merino ram attracts tourists by the bus load, but there’s more to it than a quick photo opportunity.

The statue is connected to the Big Merino shop, possibly the best place in Australia to purchase gorgeous merino products.

Not only that, but you can climb up inside the statue to the lookout points (the ram’s eyes!). The route up is like a mini museum with plenty to read about the 200-year history of merino in Australia. It’s definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for things to do in Goulburn with kids.

The Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre

The Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre is a must-visit historical attraction for families. It exceeded our expectations so much!

The centre offers an immersive experience where you can climb aboard several train carriages and other locomotives and machines from various eras.

It’s clear the rail centre is an active restoration site. As long as you don’t mind a few tripping hazards and a bit of dust, the kids will love the interactive exhibits.

The entry fee is 15 AUD for adults and 5 AUD for kids. A guide might be available to show you around for no extra cost, or the kids can explore and let their imaginations run wild.

Walk or cycle the river trails

Goulburn’s Mulwaree and Wollondilly rivers feature lovely smooth trails that are perfect for walking and biking. You can cycle for several miles in areas that feel a world away from road traffic, yet they’re pretty much in the town.

We’d highly recommend checking out the river trails for nature immersion and active adventures in Goulburn!

Indoor playgrounds

Tabatinga Dine and Play is inside the Goulburn Soldiers Club, offering an excellent rainy day option for kids in Goulburn. Although it’s not a big indoor playground by world standards, it’s the biggest in the area. The kids will love playing while the parents grab a cuppa at the cafe.

Another option is the Goulburn Workers Club. It has a small indoor playground and some nice lunch options.

Play and swim at Victoria Park, the skate park, and the Aquatic Centre

Victoria Park is the ideal spot for kids to play in Goulburn. It features a large slide, flying fox, climbing frames, and an excellent section for younger children.

It’s also home to the Goulburn Skate Park, perfect if your kids have wheels. Additionally, next door is the Goulburn Aquatic Centre, featuring two indoor pools and an outdoor pool.

You can easily spend most of the day there! If you’re looking for things to do in Goulburn with kids, make sure you check it out.

Goulburn Historic Waterworks

The Goulburn Historic Waterworks is a little gem on the Wollondilly River. It is home to the only remaining steam engine of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, and features extensive information about the Waterworks’ historical role in the city. Entry is free, although donations are appreciated to help with the upkeep.

The Waterworks boasts a picturesque setting with gorgeous gardens and a small playground. It’s a fantastic spot for a picnic and to enjoy the waterfront paths.

Although the path in front of the waterworks is short, you can walk or drive to Marsden Weir Park to connect with the long tracks. (Bring skateboards, scooters, blades, or bikes if you have them!)

Play at Belmore Park

Belmore Park is a lovely place to take the kids in Goulburn. It has gorgeous flowers, many birds, and a well-maintained playground. It also features a couple of smooth paths for scooters and rollerblades.

The playground is relatively small, but has monkey bars and a hamster wheel thingy that our kids loved!

The Goulburn Wetlands

I never get tired of seeing kangaroos bound around this beautiful country! If you want to see some in Goulburn, the Wetlands is the place.

Just follow the path around, and I’m sure you’ll see some! I saw a few kangaroo families, as well as several types of birds.

The park features several viewing hides, each complete with pictures of 36 bird species commonly found there.

The Goulburn Wetlands is a nice place to take the kids if they don’t mind taking a stroll. I love how close it is to the town, yet how immersed in nature. Bring binoculars for up-close wildlife viewing!

Back to the Arcade

Goulburn doesn’t have many indoor attractions for families. However, the kids will love Back to the Arcade. Choose from laser tag, mini bowling, or more than 50 arcade machines. They even have a private karaoke room and a pinball man cave for rent.

Goulburn regional Art gallery

For a cultural fix in Goulburn, check out the exhibitions at the Goulburn Regional Art Gallery. It’s probably the smallest art gallery we’ve visited, but it’s worth a look if you have budding artists in your family. The gallery is located next to the library, making it convenient to combine both into a single outing.

Visit the Rocky Hill War Memorial

The Rocky Hill War Memorial is well worth a visit if you’re in the Goulburn area. You can walk up and over the hill or drive there within a few minutes of the city centre.

There’s a small military museum open every day except Tuesdays and Thursdays. And on any given day, you can head up to enjoy the sweeping views across Goulburn.

Riverside Park Inclusive Playground

The Riverside Park Inclusive Playground is another top pick for kids in Goulburn. It has a good mix of play equipment and boasts a peaceful setting.

The park also features a pump track and smooth riding paths, making it perfect for kids with wheels.

Indoor wall climbing at PCYC Goulburn

Goulburn’s PCYC has an indoor climbing wall open for casual evening visits on weekdays. If you need help with belaying, drop by on a Friday night, and an instructor will be available to assist.

We went on an unassisted night, thinking they had an automatic belay system in place. But the staff kindly helped us get set up and showed us the basics. We’ve done some climbing in various locations around the globe, but most of it has been on clip-and-climb style walls.

You could also go and practice a bit of bouldering. Check out the PCYC climbing wall if you’re looking for indoor activities to do with kids in Goulburn!

Watch a movie at the Lilac City Cinema

Goulburn’s local movie theatre is an excellent option for rainy days with kids. You should find a few family-friendly movies, and all tickets are only 12 AUD.

Half or Full-day trips from Goulburn

From stunning National Parks to idyllic villages and the spectacular New South Wales coastline, there are many options for half or full day trips from Goulburn. Here’s what we discovered!

Bungonia National Park

Bungonia National Park is a must-see destination for visitors to Goulburn. It’s only 36 km from Goulburn (about a 35-minute drive), 126 km from Canberra, and 195 km from Sydney.

The park has five main hiking trails of varying difficulty and a whopping 200 wild caves for intrepid explorers. There are no guided caving tours, but experienced cavers can visit independently.

Even if you don’t want to hike or go caving, Bungonia has three spectacular lookouts accessible to many. Park your car and take a short walk to enjoy breathtaking views of the lush hills and valleys.

This post shares all the details about the hikes and caves we visited in Bungonia.

Visit cute nearby villages

Several roads from Goulburn lead to charming villages. The following are a couple worth checking out.

Taralga

Taralga is a lovely little village about 35 minutes drive from Goulburn. While you’re there, be sure to visit Goodhew Park, which features an excellent playground and mini skate park. For something different, you could also take the kids to play lawn bowls or to the Taralga Wildlife Park.

Crookwell

Crookwell is another cute town worth visiting near Goulburn. The drive takes approximately 35 minutes, and as you approach, there are a couple of points of interest.

First, the Pejar Dam has a nice rest area beside the gorgeous blue water. And second, you can stop at the very windy Crookwell Wind Farm viewing area.

Crookwell itself has a nice playground at Coleman Park, with a free public swimming pool located behind it.

The pool is open during summer (until the end of March), and although the water was ice cold even on a 30-degree day, it was a fab spot to hang out and cool off. Check it out if you’re looking for things to do near Goulburn!

Fitzroy Falls

Located about a one-hour drive east of Goulburn on the edge of Morton National Park, Fitzroy Falls is a stunning spot to visit with the family. The walkways are perfect for little legs with well-trodden paths and gentle gradients.

The first waterfall viewing platform is located just 150 meters from the visitor center, at the start of the West Rim Trail. We continued following the track and enjoyed several other spectacular viewpoints. The many platforms along the way make it easy to break up the walk into manageable sections for the little ones and turn around whenever you want.

The scenery is breathtaking, making it well worth a half-day trip from Goulburn. We highly recommend a visit! (Note that if you’re coming from Sydney, it’s about 1 hour and 40 minutes away.)

Enjoy Canberra’s many attractions

There are so many things to do with kids in Canberra, and we only scratched the surface! During our stay in Goulburn, we took four sightseeing day trips to Canberra since it’s only a one-hour drive away. We covered two attractions on each visit, with the exception of spending the whole day at Questacon! Make sure you take your time to visit the National Arboretum, the National Botanic Garden, and the city’s lovely parks.

Take a day trip to the coast

If you’re looking for fun day trips from Goulburn, head to the NSW coastline! You can reach Wollongong or Kiama in a little under two hours to enjoy a fun day at the beach.

We decided to visit Kiama, a gorgeous town about 30 minutes south of Wollongong. It has a few beautiful sandy beaches and a stunning rocky coastline.

We played and swam at Kiama Surf Beach, the town’s central beach, which also features a playground. The waves were a decent size but still felt family-friendly.

Although the water was freezing compared to what we are used to, it was crystal clear, and the girls loved playing in the waves (they’ve been to comparatively fewer surf beaches than calm seas!).

Don’t miss visiting the Kiama Blowhole nearby. You can park at the lighthouse and walk around the rocks, or walk from the Kiama surf beach in about 20 minutes.

Even if the blowhole isn’t active, it’s a spectacular landscape to explore. We definitely recommend visiting Kiama as a day trip from Goulburn!

Enjoy a day trip to Sydney

Visiting Sydney offers an unbeatable day trip or weekend away from Goulburn. You can jump on the 7:34 a.m. Opal train (no booking required!) and be in central Sydney by 10:30 a.m.

From there, the possibilities for exploration are endless. Don’t miss walking along the waterfront, including the area around Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, for superb views of the Sydney Opera House.

Another must is taking a boat to your choice of local destinations. Sydney boasts a picturesque coastline and numerous fabulous beaches to explore.

The public transport system is well-connected and very affordable. For the kids, the cost was around 5 AUD for the whole day’s transportation. This included the return train trip from Goulburn (a 6-hour journey!), a boat ride, and the opportunity to ride on the local trains, light rail, or metro. Adult fares are capped at $9 per day on weekends.

Other things to do in and near Goulburn

We saw most of what we wanted to in the Goulburn area. With a higher budget, we would have enjoyed some of the many shows at the Goulburn Performing Arts Centre. They have several family-friendly shows throughout the year.

One attraction near Goulburn that we would love to see next time is the Wombeyan Caves, located near Taralga. Most of the caves require a guided tour, although the Fig Tree Cave is a family-friendly self-guided experience (fees apply).

The Berrima Reserve is a gorgeous natural area located approximately 70 km from Goulburn, which we would also have loved to visit. It’s ideal for kayaking, swimming, and enjoying the great outdoors.

And since I got to complete all the hikes in the Bungonia National Park, I’d move on to those in Morton National Park next time, I think!

I hope this list is helpful for your upcoming trip to Goulburn with kids!

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