Old Museum Brisbane

The Old Museum is a heritage-listed performance venue in Bowen Hills, Brisbane, occupying a former exhibition building and museum that has played a role in the city’s cultural life for more than 125 years. Built in 1891 from 1.3 million red bricks, the building sits beside Gregory Terrace and the Exhibition Grounds, giving the venue a distinctive historic setting rather than the feel of a purpose-built contemporary theatre. It is now home to the Queensland Youth Orchestras and continues the building’s long association with concerts and public events.

Its programme extends well beyond one style of performance. The website lists appearances by orchestras and wind ensembles, big band concerts, contemporary music, live theatre, comedy and author events. The venue has also hosted talks and book launches, including a Brisbane launch for Holly Ringland’s The World Beneath Her Feet, while events such as The Jury Experience place the audience directly inside an interactive courtroom drama. That range makes it worth checking the calendar rather than assuming it is only for classical music.

The main Concert Hall is a theatre-style room designed for performances, but it can also accommodate dance, seminars, public lectures, conferences, dinners and other productions. Three separate Heritage Studios are available for rehearsals, intimate performances, meetings, workshops and private functions. The building’s past is unusually layered: it was first constructed for the Queensland National Agricultural and Industrial Association, later became the Queensland Museum and then the Queensland Art Gallery, before Queensland Youth Orchestras moved its operations there in 1989. The William Anderson organ, installed during refurbishment, was built around 1890 and previously stood in St Stephen’s Cathedral.

This is a strong choice for an evening of live music, an orchestral concert, a theatrical experience or a cultural event in Brisbane. Families can find suitable options, although individual event age requirements vary; The Jury Experience, for example, is listed for ages 12 and over, with under-16s accompanied by an adult. Solo visitors and small groups should find the varied programme easy to browse, while the hire spaces give larger groups and event organisers practical options. There is no on-site parking for general attendees, though street parking on Gregory Terrace and nearby options at the RNA Showgrounds and King Street may be available. Restaurants and bars around King Street and Bowen Hills provide pre-show dining nearby.