21 - 24 May 2026
With Ballarat’s stunning Victorian architecture as the backdrop the annual festival highlights the city’s golden past and evolving future. Stay tuned for event updates on the Ballarat Heritage Festival.
2026 theme, Hidden Histories, will shine a light on the lesser-known stories, characters, and moments that have shaped Ballarat — the untold, the overlooked, and the rediscovered threads of our city’s past.
Ballarat Heritage Festival Events at the BMI
Associated events occuring at the BMI will be listed here as information becomes available. To stay informed why not register for our Newsletter
Sturt Street
Ballarat Central, VIC 3350 Australia
Tuesdays at 2pm | A colourful history of the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute and it’s people. By appointment only, (to organise a volunteer guide we require 24hrs notice). Group Tours: Group tours can also be accommodated on other days. We also offer specialty tours, information on these can be found on our Building Tours webpage.
Sturt Street
Ballarat Central, Victoria 3350 Australia
May 19 @ 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm $55 The Basement* Plus bkg. fee Lantern Vaults - Special Preview A new immersive installation in the basement of the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute as part of the Ballarat Heritage Festival The work is shaped by historical research and guided by the voice of Florence Batten, the twelve- […]
117-119 Sturt Street
Ballarat Central, VIC 3350 Australia
May 21 @ 10:00 am - May 24 @ 4:00 pm Free The Basement* Plus bkg. fee Lantern Vaults A new immersive installation in the basement of the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute as part of the Ballarat Heritage Festival The work is shaped by historical research and guided by the voice of Florence Batten, the twelve- […]
117-119 Sturt Street
Ballarat Central, Australia
Thursday 21 May to Saturday 23 May , 3 tours: 11:30am - 12:30am - 1:30pm (aporoximately 45 minute duration). Sunday 24 May , 4 tours: 10.30am - 11:30am - 12:30am - 1:30pm (aporoximately 45 minute duration). May 21 @ 11:30 am - May 24 @ 12:15 pm $11 Plus bkg. fee Get Tickets Day Tours […]
117-119 Sturt Street
Ballarat Central, VIC 3350 Australia
May 22 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm $3 – $5 Hunffray Room Get Tickets Presented by Tales from Rat City Panic from the Skies is the fourth chapter in our multi award winning Call of Cthulhu liveplay series, delivering a fresh descent into mystery, suspense, and eldritch terror. Faced with unsettling events and unimaginable […]
