National Capital Exhibition

The Story of Canberra

The National Capital Exhibition tells the Story of Canberra as the capital city of Australia.
It is an essential stop on any tour of Canberra. Explore displays featuring the people, events, history and design of this unique, modern, planned city. Discover the people behind the design – Walter Burley Griffin and his wife Marion.
Canberra is unique and innovative in the history of town planning. The built and natural landscapes have equal importance and the shape of suburbs is determined by the surrounding natural features.

Don’t miss:

• The scale model of the national area of Canberra, including a projected presentation
• The augmented reality overlay on a replica of an original plaster of Paris landscape model
• The Story of Canberra – a brief film in the Foundations Theatre
• Interactive displays on alternative designs and changes to the Griffin plan over time.

Meet the Capital

Free guided tour every day at 11 am.
Group tour bookings for the National Capital Exhibition can be made online at Book Canberra Excursions.
Alternatively, to talk to our bookings team, please email nce@nca.gov.au or phone (02) 6272 2902.

Book an Education Program.

Become a Volunteer.

The Queen and Me

During her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II has been to Canberra 14 times.

From children greeting The Queen with a posy of flowers, to decorated soldiers in perfect formation, people have travelled to the capital from all over the country to see The Queen in person. Were you one of those people?

In March 2022, the National Capital Authority put the call out to the general public to submit their memories of having met The Queen in Canberra. Since then, the stories have flooded in.

Reflecting a spectrum of experiences from the formal to the informal, a picture has emerged of the enduring relationship between Her Majesty and the people of the National Capital. From 2 June, and in time for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, The National Capital Authority is presenting, The Queen and Me, a free exhibition at the National Capital Exhibition.

Comprising of a mixture of footage generously made available by the National Film and Sound Archive, photographs, memorabilia and stories submitted by members of the public, and official photography sourced from the collections of the National Library, ACT Heritage Library, The Canberra Times, and the National Archives of Australia, this exhibition pulls together all 14 visits to the Capital into one picture.

Want to get the behind-the-scenes story? Book your FREE guided tour today!

Little Griffins

Our regular monthly pre-schooler program, focussed on Canberra’s iconic Griffin design, is back to the National Capital Exhibition.
Little Griffins is FREE and held on the last Friday of each month at 10am.
Join us for singing, creative activities and DUPLO™ fun for the under 5s. 
Click here to watch our previous online programs, and download the activity instructions and songs.

Marion, A Woman of Genius

The exhibition reveals Marion’s varied interests and accomplishments. Besides being a noted architect, Marion was a gifted painter, community organiser and sometime believer in fairies and elves.

Image

Marion A Woman of Genius Exhibition, National Capital Exhibition, Parkes

Photographed by Dom Northcott.

COVID-19 Guidelines

The National Capital Exhibition (NCE) welcomes you to the exhibition. We are committed to ensuring safe physical distancing between staff and visitors. There is visible signage throughout the exhibition to remind visitors of social distancing guidelines. Staff will be available to assist visitors as required and monitor the flow of people through the exhibition.

We have made hand sanitiser available for students, adults and staff to ensure they are able to maintain good personal hygiene. All students and adults should use hand sanitiser upon entering the exhibition.

The NCE maintain a thorough cleaning regime in the exhibition, Foundations Theatre and public spaces during opening hours. This is focused on areas with high touch points such as interactive screens, IPads, handrails and surfaces with high contact, such as the surrounds of the model of Canberra.

Staff have been told to stay home if they are unwell. Visitors are required to postpone their visit if feeling unwell. If a student or teacher is unwell upon arrival at the National Capital Exhibition we request they do not enter the building or participate in an education program. 

Visitors are not required to wear a mask when entering the building, however is it strongly recommended.