The weekend will feature a range of talks, walks, screenings and more, aimed to encourage visitors to explore diversity and design of the city’s environment.

From innovative living spaces, to heritage icons, Open House Bendigo has something for everyone.

The event celebrates local contemporary design, the rich history of boom-style architecture, and the remarkable social history of Bendigo. 

Building Tours – Commercial

Bendigo Hospital:  Saturday, 10am – 4pm.

Bendigo Law Courts: Saturday, 10am – 4pm. 

Bendigo Library: Saturday, 10am – 4pm. 

Bendigo Tech School: Saturday, 10am – 4pm. Bookings required for this building, click here.

Girton Grammar: Saturday, 10.30am – 3.30pm.

Bendigo Town Hall – Council chambers: Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 4pm.

Bendigo Tramways Depot and Workshop:  Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 4.30pm.

Bendigo Art Gallery: Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 5pm.

Bendigo Tafe – Octagonal Reading Room: Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 3pm.

Bendigo Tafe – Health and Community Centre: Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 3pm.

Specimen Cottage: Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 4pm. 

St Kilian’s Church: Saturday 9am – 6pm and Sunday, 12pm – 4pm.

Bendigo Chapel: Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 4pm.

RACV Tiny Home: Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 4pm.

Bree Architect’s Studio: Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 4pm.

Beehive Building (Bendigo Mining Exchange): Sunday, 10am – 4pm. 

Ulumbarra Theatre: Sunday, 10am – 4pm.

Soldier’s Memorial Institute: Sunday, 11am – 3pm. Booking required for this building, click here.

Marist College Bendigo – Montagne and Champagnat buildings: Sunday, 10am – 3pm.

Miners Cottage: Saturday, 10am – 4pm.

Short Street: Sunday, 10am – 1pm. 

B House: Sunday, 2.30pm – 4.30pm. 

Bookings required for all residential sites. Click here to book.  

In between building tours, check out Saturday’s special events:

La Trobe Art Institute, 121 View Street, Bendigo, Saturday, 12.30pm – 1.30pm, FREE

Heritage buildings are loved by the public, but as our lives and world change, they sometimes need to be re-imagined.

Emma Telfer (Open House) will be joined by heritage and architectural experts in a panel session, looking at some of the principles behind good design and heritage.

La Trobe Art Institute, 121 View Street, Bendigo Saturday, 1.30pm – 2.30pm, FREE

Modern Melbourne is a series of interviews and archival material that documents the lives and careers of some of our most important architects and designers. 

As the designers move into later stages of their careers, public appreciation of their earlier work is growing.

Much of these mid-century works are now represented on the Victorian Heritage Register.

La Trobe Art Institute, 121 View Street, Bendigo, Saturday, 4pm – 5pm, FREE 

Join RACV experts and builder of small footprint home, Ralph Alphonso, for a discussion about living small in the city.

Designed by Peter Maddison from Maddison Architects, the RACV Tiny Home is a concept that has been designed and built with the purpose of helping Victorians understand and demonstrate the changing nature of how they live.

Complete with all modern features, the Tiny Home focuses on what makes a home perform well with affordability and comfort.

La Trobe Art Institute, 121 View Street, Bendigo, Saturday, 6pm – 7pm, FREE 

The Gents tell stories in words, pictures and in person and they’ve recently travelled over 40,000 kms in search of Australia’s classic signs.

These signs and advertisements were selected for their book “Signs of Australia: Vintage Signs From the City to the Outback”.

Join in and re-live their journeys, with photographic record of their travels as the backdrop.

Conservatory Gardens, Pall Mall, Bendigo, Saturday and Sunday, at 10am, 11.30am, 1pm, 2.30pm and 4pm each day

The Open Bendigo Walking Tour is a one hour glimpse into the story of settlement and architecture of “the Vienna of the bush”.

Join local guides for an understanding of the city’s architecture, settlement and social history.

251 – 259 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo, FREE

Bendigo Library will host a retrospective exhibition which will feature architectural plans, photos and more.

And more from Bendigo and surrounds: 

Bendigo Tramways Depot: Discover the history of Bendigo’s iconic trams and see what’s involved in restoring a tram to its former glory.

If you are lucky you might even meet Birney the cat, the Tramways Superintendent and chief mouse catcher.

Eaglehawk Playspace: Recently opened, the 165 metre long play space at Lake Neangar has been designed around the Banjo Paterson poem of Mulga Bill and his bicycle.

The playspace also features a butterfly-themed junior play area called Where Angels Play, which celebrates the life of Zayden Veal-Whitting and other Bendigo children who were taken too soon.

Located at: Lake Neangar, Eaglehawk.

Bendigo Pottery: Operating for over 150 years, visitors can enjoy creating a masterpiece with clay making. 

Located at: 146 Midland Highway, Epsom.

Sustainable House Day: Bendigo Sustainability Group’s Sustainable House Day allows for visitors to experience different types of housing, renovations and additions.

There is even a school with a sustainable focus.

Click here for more information. 

Hotel Shamrock: Join the likes of Dame Nellie Melba and stay at the iconic Hotel Shamrock.

Located: Corner of Pall Mall and Williamson Street, Bendigo.

Heritage Building Walking Tour: Pick up a map from the Visitor Information Centre and enjoy a self-guided walking tour. 

Maps are also available here.

Star Cinema: Discover this unique cinema inside the grand Eaglehawk Town Hall.

Just ten minutes from Bendigo CBD, Star Cinema specialises in independent and world cinema. 

It also features cosy sofas and a licensed bar.

Click here for more on the Star Cinema.

Bike Palooza Bendigo: Bike Bendigo is celebrating bike fun of all kinds throughout the month of October.

This weekend there will be a pop up learn to ride park, food, vaious activities and workshops, community rides and more. 

Hop on your bike and join in the fun. Click here for more information.

Lake Weeroona Park: Walk the Bendigo Creek Trail from Weeroona Avenue to Knight Street and pass by the Dja Dja Wurrung Frog Ponds.

Located at: 292 Napier Street, Bendigo.

Bendigo Botanic Gardens:  One of regional Victoria’s earliest botanic gardens, it now includes the ‘Garden for the Future’ which opened in April of 2018 which provides a contemporary garden experience for all to enjoy. 

Located at: 557-559 Napier Street, White Hills.

Castlemaine

Break up your train ride to Melbourne with a stop in Castlemaine.

Visit The Mill, take a walk around Old Castlemaine Gaol or grab a drink at the Theatre Royal.

The Mill, Castlemaine: Starting in 1875 as the Castlemaine Woollen Mill and finishing as Victoria Carpets in 2013, The Mill is now home to an array of small businesses from furniture to coffee.

Located at: 1/9 Walker Street, Castlemaine.

Theatre Royal Castlemaine: With food and drink, independent cinema and a diverse music program, the Theatre Royal continues an 1854 tradition as a social and cultural hub of Castlemaine.

Located at: 30 Hargraves Street, Castlemaine.

Heathcote

The Heathcote region is famous for its Shiraz and now even more varieties are gathering success.

Make a stop at one of the many cellar doors on your way home from Open House Bendigo. Click here for more information.

Click here for the full program and event registration details. 

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