Correction (2 October 2026): an earlier version of this page listed places and details we could not stand behind. It has been rewritten, and every place below was checked against its own current information.
Free first, always. The honest list for Kew right now is short: Boroondara Council marks two Kew Court House library events “Free”, and a handful of parks and galleries need a closer look because their pages do not state a price either way. Kew’s main library is closed for upgrades and expected to reopen in early 2027, so the library program has moved to Kew Court House on High Street. Each item below says where its “free” comes from, and where a page does not say free, we say so instead of guessing.
The quick picks
| Plan | Cost | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toddler Time | Free (council listing) | Mondays 10:30 am, 5 October to 7 December 2026 | Kew Court House, 188 High Street, Kew |
| Book group – Kew Wednesdays | Free (council listing) | Wednesday 28 October 2026, 11:00 am and 1:30 pm, until 25 November | Kew Court House |
| Kew Seniors Week | Kew Junction calls its events “mainly free”; no price per event on the page | Sunday 4 to Saturday 10 October 2026 | Kew Junction |
| Alexandra Gardens | Public park; the council page names no entry price | Hours not listed | 70 Cotham Road, Kew |
| Fairview Park | Public park; the council page names no entry price | Hours not listed | 4C Fairview Street, Hawthorn |
Kew Library (temporary site at Kew Court House) — 188 High Street, Kew VIC 3101
Free first: the council’s listing for each of these reads “Price: Free”. Toddler Time runs on Mondays at 10:30 am from 5 October 2026 until 7 December, and the council describes it as “a nurturing environment for early childhood development”. The Kew Wednesdays book group asks you to “discuss a different book each month at Kew Court House”; the listed sessions are Wednesday 28 October at 11:00 am and 1:30 pm, until Wednesday 25 November. The temporary library is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm, lets you “browse a limited collection” and “borrow items”, and has a 24-hour return chute on the east side of the entrance; the phone number is (03) 9278 4666.
Time needed: the council lists start times, not lengths. Get there: it is at 188 High Street, Kew, so check the PTV journey planner for your tram or bus; we have not pulled a PTV route. Rain backup: this one is indoors.
Kew Junction shopping precinct — High Street and Cotham Road, Kew VIC 3101
The Kew Junction Business Association says: “Enjoy the many fun, and mainly free, events we have on during the year in Kew Junction.” Its events page lists Kew Seniors Week for Sunday 4 to Saturday 10 October 2026, presented with Bendigo Bank Inner East, with “talks, workshops and community events across Kew Junction”. The page gives no price for each event, so check the event page before you go; “mainly free” is not the same as free. Its school holiday program ran from 21 September to 2 October 2026 and has finished.
Time needed: depends on the event.
Alexandra Gardens — 70 Cotham Road, Kew VIC 3101
The council describes “Beautiful gardens in Kew featuring large trees, lawns, a pond and rotunda”, and says the gardens opened in 1908 and are “400 m from Kew Junction shopping centre”. The council’s list of public facilities includes a barbecue and seating and tables. It also lists toilets inside Kew Library, which is currently closed, so we have not promised toilets. The pond rules read “No diving” and “No swimming”, and children “must be actively supervised around water at all times”. The council page names no entry price; function spaces are listed separately as bookable.
Time needed: a wander. Rain backup: the library at Kew Court House.
Fairview Park — 4C Fairview Street, Hawthorn VIC 3122
Fairview Park is over the border in Hawthorn, beside the Yarra. The council says it “covers 5.6 hectares alongside the Yarra River”, has “tall gum trees and open spaces, as well as a fully fenced playground”, and includes an “Off-lead dog area” with park rules on the council’s off-lead dog parks page. Toilets are “located in the Wallen Reserve car park”, and there is parking at nearby Wallen Reserve and limited parking on Fairview Street. The council page names no entry price; bookable spaces are listed separately.
Time needed: the council gives none. Rain backup: none listed on the page.
Hawthorn Arts Centre and Town Hall Gallery — 360 Burwood Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122
The council says the Town Hall Gallery “features a range of contemporary and innovative exhibitions displayed over 3 unique spaces”. Its hours are Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm and Saturday 12 pm (noon) to 4 pm, closed on public holidays, with extra opening on Sundays 4, 11 and 18 October, 12 pm to 4 pm. Admission is not stated on the pages we read, so we have not called the gallery free; check before you go. The Hawthorn Makers Market is also held here on the first Sunday of the month, March to December, but the council’s market listing names an entry donation, so it is not on this page as a free item.
Rain backup: indoors.
Gallery Elysium — 440-444 Burwood Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122
Gallery Elysium’s contact page lists Wednesday to Friday 11:30 am - 5:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm, with Monday and Tuesday “Open by Appointment Only”. Its site also lists art courses. Admission is not stated on the pages we read, so it is not on this page as free; ring ahead.
Rain backup: indoors.
QArt Gallery & Gift Shop — 188 High Street, Kew VIC 3101
The council describes QArt as “An art studio and gallery that provides opportunities to people with a disability through art”, in the same building as the temporary library at Kew Court House. We did not capture its opening hours or an admission price, so we have not called it free; check before you go.
Rain backup: indoors.
Plan it:
- Sunday 4 October: Kew Seniors Week begins at Kew Junction, and the Town Hall Gallery has extra 12 pm to 4 pm hours at Hawthorn Arts Centre.
- Monday 5 October: Toddler Time at Kew Court House, 10:30 am, listed as free.
- Wednesday 28 October: the Kew Wednesdays book group at Kew Court House, 11:00 am or 1:30 pm, listed as free.
Quick answers
What free things can you do in Kew?
Boroondara Council lists two events at Kew Court House as “Price: Free”: Toddler Time, Mondays at 10:30 am from 5 October to 7 December 2026, and the Kew Wednesdays book group, Wednesday 28 October 2026 at 11:00 am and 1:30 pm, until 25 November. Kew Junction describes its events as “mainly free”, and Alexandra Gardens’ council page names no entry price.
Is Kew Library open?
The main Kew Library is closed for upgrades and expected to reopen in early 2027. A temporary library at Kew Court House, 188 High Street, is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm.
Are there free things for toddlers in Kew?
Toddler Time at Kew Court House is listed by the council as free, on Mondays at 10:30 am from 5 October to 7 December 2026. Fairview Park in Hawthorn lists a fully fenced playground.
What is on at Kew Junction for seniors?
Kew Seniors Week runs from Sunday 4 to Saturday 10 October 2026, with talks, workshops and community events across Kew Junction. The events page gives no price per event, so check each event before you go.
Is there a park near Kew Junction?
Alexandra Gardens, at 70 Cotham Road, is 400 m from Kew Junction shopping centre, with lawns, a pond and rotunda, a barbecue, and seating and tables. The pond rules say no swimming and no diving.
How we checked
On 2 October 2026 we read Boroondara Council’s own pages for the library, Kew Court House, the parks and Hawthorn Arts Centre, and the Kew Junction Business Association’s events page. We call something free only where a page says so (“Price: Free”). Where a page names no price, we say that rather than assuming. Distances and facilities are the council’s figures. We confirmed addresses at a second source: OpenStreetMap or the Kew Junction directory. We did not pull PTV timetables, so there are no tram or bus stops here beyond the addresses. The cover is a MELBZ title card.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Kew Library (temporary site): Boroondara Council library page and Kew Court House page; address also at the Kew Junction directory
- Kew Junction: kewjunction.com.au, its events page and the council’s Kew Junction page
- Alexandra Gardens: council park page and OpenStreetMap
- Fairview Park: council park page and OpenStreetMap
- Hawthorn Arts Centre and Town Hall Gallery: arts centre page, Town Hall Gallery page and OpenStreetMap
- Gallery Elysium: contact page and OpenStreetMap
- QArt Gallery & Gift Shop: Kew Junction directory and the Kew Court House page
