National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

One of the coolest FREE art galleries I have ever been to. Huge fan of the giant red room of paintings. It was glorious. Really loved this place. The information desk gentleman was also so patient and competent. He suggested starting at the top floor with contemporary art and moving downstairs as things get more ancient. I was a huge fan of the queer artists feature they had at the top floor. There was an amazing dance video with shiny curtains and the whole choreography was played backwards symbolizing how regressive our society is. Although I do identify as queer, anyone can appreciate how empowering it is to bring to light the struggles and voices of queer artists. Anyways, my favorite floor was the European painting floor. THE SHEEP SURROUNDED BY CROWS. Brilliant. I love art.

If you love art, this is a must visit. You can spend hours and hours, probably a whole day learning about different artists and appreciating their works. I've always enjoyed my experience. There's a nice garden area, a cafeteria and a design store. Keep an eye out for special events like Triennial Extra which have live performances too - highly recommended!