What are the best things to do in Lismore, NSW?

The best things to do in Lismore, NSW, include the Lismore Memorial Baths, Heritage Park Railway and Lismore Rainforest Botanic Gardens.

Lismore, NSW, is one of the biggest towns in the Northern Rivers region. As it’s inland and off the Pacific Highway, it doesn’t get a fraction of the attention that the likes of Byron Bay and Ballina get.

But there are a few things to do in Lismore.

Things to do in Lismore, NSW: Museum and Gallery

As is practical for every medium-sized Australian hub town, Lismore has a regional art gallery and local history museum. The Lismore Museum, run by the Richmond River Historical Society, is marginally more interesting than the Lismore Regional Gallery. But neither is worth the detour off the Pacific Highway. Art-lovers are better off mooching around the several small galleries and studios – this is a surprisingly creative town. There’s also the Lismore Back Alley Gallery, a good spot for street art.

Lismore Regional Art Gallery in Lismore, NSW

More appealing is the Lismore Memorial Baths, which has an element of grandeur missing from your average leisure centre. The Lismore Memorial Baths were built in the 1920s as a memorial to those from the region who had fought in World War I. There’s a 50m lap pool, a recreation pool and a kids’ pool in the complex.

Things to do in Lismore, NSW: Heritage Park Railway

Other things to do in Lismore include Heritage Park, which offers a good children’s playground and water play area. Heritage Park is also home to the Heritage Park Railway, a miniature train which little children tend to love.

The other main attraction in Lismore, NSW, is the Lismore Rainforest Botanic Gardens. This largely volunteer-run botanic gardens has only been open since 2013, so it’s by no means the most impressive in the country. Anyone wanting the full Northern Rivers natural rainforest experience is better off going to the Nightcap National Park, 35km to the north.

The Ballina to Lismore drive takes around half an hour.

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