At the southern end of Mitchell St is the elegantly boxlike Parliament House, which opened in 1994. Reminiscent of Southeast Asian colonial architecture, it's designed to withstand Darwin's monsoonal climate. Attend one of the free tours exploring the cavernous interior on Saturday at 9am or 11am from February to November, with an additional tour at 10.30am on Wednesdays from May to September. Bookings not required. The building also houses the Northern Territory Library.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Darwin attractions

1. WWII Oil-Storage Tunnels

0.17 MILES

You can escape from the heat of the day and relive your Hitchcockian fantasies by walking through the WWII oil-storage tunnels. They were built in 1942 to…

2. Cenotaph

0.19 MILES

Commemorates Australian servicemen and women.

3. Lyons Cottage

0.26 MILES

Just across the road from Bicentennial Park, Lyons Cottage was built in 1925. It was Darwin's first stone residence, formerly housing executives from the…

4. Lameroo Beach

0.28 MILES

Darwin's only downtown beach, unless you count the sliver of sand at the waterfront precinct… It's sheltered from the city on the hill above by vegetation.

5. Chinese Museum & Chung Wah Temple

0.29 MILES

This excellent little museum explores Chinese settlement in the Top End. The adjacent temple has a hushed interior, punctuated by scarlet lanterns and…

6. Crocosaurus Cove

0.37 MILES

If the tourists won't go out to see the crocs, then bring the crocs to the tourists. Right in the middle of Mitchell St, Crocosaurus Cove is as close as…

8. Coral Reef by Night

0.5 MILES

Hosted by the Indo-Pacific Marine Exhibition, this evening includes a tour of the aquarium, seafood dinner (on biodegradable plates, no less!) and an…