Beyond its rugged mountains and sweeping plains, the Grampians is a region alive with culture, creativity, and stories that stretch back thousands of years. Here, you’ll find everything from world-class art galleries and cutting-edge cultural centres to historic sites that hold the echoes of gold rush booms and ghostly tales of the past.
Whether you’re a history buff, an art lover, or simply curious about the character of this region, the Grampians offers countless ways to immerse yourself in its culture and heritage.
The Grampians is home to some of regional Victoria’s most vibrant galleries and cultural spaces.
WAMA – Wildlife Art Museum of Australia has recently opened its doors in Halls Gap, offering a unique space dedicated to art inspired by nature. Surrounded by native gardens and bushland, WAMA blends the creative with the environmental, making it a must-visit for anyone who loves both wildlife and the arts.
In Ararat, the Ararat Gallery TAMA (Textile Art Museum Australia) has earned a national reputation for its textile and fibre art collections. Housed within the Ararat Town Hall, the gallery hosts an ever-changing program of contemporary exhibitions, workshops, and events that showcase innovation in textile arts.
For a dose of community-driven creativity, pop into the Horsham Regional Art Gallery, celebrated for its photography collection and exhibitions that bring together national talent and local voices.
And in Hamilton, the Hamilton Gallery houses an impressive collection of Australian and European works, including pieces from some of the country’s most acclaimed artists. The gallery is undergoing a major redevelopment, promising an even more dynamic arts hub for the region in years to come.
The heritage of the Grampians is just as compelling, with sites that reveal the stories of settlement, hardship, and resilience.
In Ararat, a visit to J Ward Museum takes you inside the former institution for the criminally insane, where guided tours share chilling tales of its history. Not far away, Aradale Asylum stands as one of the largest abandoned psychiatric hospitals in Australia. Its atmospheric tours are an unforgettable way to explore a significant, if unsettling, chapter in Victoria’s past.
In Great Western, the Seppelt Great Western Underground Cellar Tour is a must visit. Stretching for more than three kilometres, the historic drives once housed millions of bottles of sparkling wine, offering a rare insight into Australia’s winemaking past. Gold rush heritage spills into the region too, with Stawell’s Gold Mining Heritage Trail offering a self-guided journey through sites that chart the town’s mining past.
For sporting enthusiasts, the Stawell Gift Hall of Fame and Museum is a fascinating stop, celebrating Australia’s most famous footrace and the town’s long sporting history.
If you time your visit with the Grampians Grape Escape, you’ll find yourself at the heart of one of Australia’s longest-running food and wine festivals. Each May, Halls Gap comes alive with tastings from more than 100 regional producers, cooking demonstrations, live music, and masterclasses that put Grampians wine on centre stage. For Seppelt, it’s a highlight of the year – a chance to share our sparkling heritage alongside the best of the region.
The celebrations don’t end there. October brings the Grampians Fine Wine Festival, a month-long gathering of wine lovers across the region. Cellar doors open their doors for exclusive tastings, elevated dining experiences, and live entertainment that capture the Grampians’ rich winemaking story.
Events pop up year round so check the Visit Grampians events calendar to see what’s on when you are here.
If you’re ready to venture beyond the Grampians, the Silo Art Trail in the Wimmera Mallee is worth the drive. Stretching more than 200 kilometres, this outdoor gallery transforms towering wheat silos into canvases for world-class street art.
Each mural captures something real – a local face, a shared memory, a moment in time. From proud elders and young sports stars to farmers, families and first responders, the trail brings the everyday heroes of small-town Victoria into focus, set against the wide, open sky.
It’s a road trip that reveals a different side of regional Victoria where art and agriculture sit side by side – bold, creative, and deeply connected to community.
The Grampians is more than a destination of mountains and trails. It’s a place where art and history meet, where stories are kept alive in galleries, museums, and festivals, and where the landscape itself tells tales that go back millennia.
Whether you’re tracing heritage through historic sites, standing before ancient rock art, or losing yourself in a contemporary exhibition, a journey through the Grampians’ culture and heritage is one that will stay with you.
Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged.
Great Western Enterprises work on the magnificent Gariwerd landscape of the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk people, the traditional custodians. We respect their land and their cultures and we pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and all Aboriginal Elders of other communities who may be here today.
Liquor Licence Number 32800105.
LIQUOR ACT 1982 It is an offence to sell or supply to or to obtain liquor on behalf of a person under age of 18 years. Seppelt Wines encourages a responsible attitude to the consumption of alcohol.
© Great Western Enterprises Pty Ltd 2023
Let’s book your next amazing experience at Seppelt Great Western.
That’s a whole lot of red, white, and bubbles.
Enter now and you could take home the haul.
Plus — refer a few wine-loving mates and you’ll score up to five bonus entries.
Click the link below to enter!
