Gold Coast Open House is back — and this year’s program is bigger, bolder, and more inspiring than ever. Across the weekend, the city throws open the doors to its most intriguing buildings, spaces, and stories. From cutting-edge design studios to heritage landmarks, repurposed motels to state-of-the-art infrastructure, the weekend invites you to explore the Gold Coast in a whole new way. Here are all of the buildings you can drop into, throughout the weekend – no booking needed!
Saturday 27 September
9:00am – 1:00pm Gold Coast Lighthorse Education – 8 Worongary Rd, Mudgeeraba
The Gold Coast Light Horse Education Museum, housed in the heritage-listed Schmidt Farmhouse (c.1880s–1910), preserves memorabilia of the Australian Light Horse. Run by ex-servicemen and volunteers, it honours the ANZAC spirit while showcasing rare examples of the region’s early farming history and buildings.
10:00am – 2:00pm Abedian School of Architecture – 14 University Dr, Robina
The award-winning Abedian School of Architecture at Bond University, designed by Sir Peter Cook and Gavin Robotham, is Australia’s only studio-based architecture school. Open House tours with Professor Paul Loh also explore Bond’s campus, featuring Australia’s only Arata Isozaki building. There will be a performance by a quartet at 11:00am by the Gold Coast Chamber Orchestra.
10:00am – 3:00pm Captain Cook Memorial & Lighthouse – Tweed Terrace & Boundary Street, Coolangatta
The historic Captain Cook Memorial and Lighthouse at Point Danger reopened in July 2024 after a $6.5m revitalisation. A joint Gold Coast–Tweed project, it blends heritage and modern use with a Marine Rescue base, café, gallery, and accessible viewing deck, while honouring Bundjalung and Yugambeh cultural significance. See the guided walk (p28-29) for the Coollongatta walk that includes the Captain Cook Memorial Lighthouse.
9:00am – 2:00pm Cheshire Cat Motel – 1005 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach
The Cheshire Cat Motel, a retro landmark in Palm Beach, has been lovingly restored to celebrate the Gold Coast’s mid-century beach culture. Once a classic roadside stop, it now blends nostalgic charm with contemporary design, offering visitors a playful nod to 1960s holiday style.
9:00am – 4:00pm, The Oxley, 17 Lavarack Rd, Mermaid Beach
Discover how great design can shape community life. The Oxley Nobby Beach Village is a welcoming new focal point for locals, This vibrant two-storey village brings together a mix of supermarket, retail, food and drink offerings, offices, and casual dining — all designed to reflect the relaxed lifestyle of the Gold Coast.
10:00am – 3:00pm Ceramic House and Preece House, 48-52 Nerang St, Nerang
The historic Ceramic House, an early Queenslander, was relocated from the M1 site to Bischof Pioneer Park and restored by the Nerang Community Association. Now a museum and visitor centre, it preserves local heritage and remains a treasured community landmark.
10:00am – 2:00pm, Southport Military Museum, 14 Mick Vievers Way, Owen Park
The Southport Military Museum is a testament to the rich, military history of the Gold Coast. Housed in a historic building, originally constructed in the early 1900s, the museum traces its origins back to Lawson Street in Southport, where the structure served multiple military and community roles over the decades.
10:00am – 2:00pm, Southport Former Town Hall, Cnr Nerang and Davenport Streets, Southport
The former Southport Town Hall is a superb example of inter-war Civic Architecture. Constructed in 1935, it was sympathetically enlarged in the 1950s and again in the 1960s. Recent restoration and conservation works have allowed the former Town hall to function as a Council customer service centre and Councillor office.
10:00am – 3:30pm, Sata Nita, 65 Nind Street, Southport
Sata Nita was a family home until the 1980s when it became an antiques store. Sata Nita became fWhite Lady Funerals in January 2018. Much of the original fit-out and decor remain the same. Guided tours will run throughout the day with no booking needed.
Sunday 28 September
9:00am – 1:00pm Helensvale Place of Wonder – 8 Lindfield Rd, Helensvale
This library refurbishment, co-designed with architects, staff and Year 3 students, reimagines the traditional library. The playful fitout offers flexible spaces for classes, collaboration, or quiet retreat, creating a vibrant place of wonder that challenges expectations of learning environments.
9:00am – 12:00pm Gold Coast Health & Knnowledge Precint – 9 Nexus Way, Southport
Discover the Health & Knowledge Precinct on a guided tour showcasing innovative urban design and community focus. Enjoy Urban Sketchers at work, capturing the precinct’s architecture and vibrancy live on the page.
9:00am – 1:00pm Gold Coast Lighthorse Education – 8 Worongary Rd, Mudgeeraba
The Gold Coast Light Horse Education Museum, housed in the heritage-listed Schmidt Farmhouse (c.1880s–1910), preserves memorabilia of the Australian Light Horse. Run by ex-servicemen and volunteers, it honours the ANZAC spirit while showcasing rare examples of the region’s early farming history and buildings.
9:00am – 3:00pm Griffith University – 1 Parklands Drive, Southport
Join a full-day program of speakers exploring sustainable living on the Gold Coast. Discussions include renewable energy retrofits, circular design, waste innovation, and multi-generational housing, celebrating design, sustainability, and creative thinking in shaping the city’s future.
10:00am – 3:00pm Gold Coast Historical Museum – 8 Elliott Street, Surfers Paradise
The Gold Coast Historical Museum, established in 1972, showcases the city’s past through pioneer buildings, industry tools, fashions, and photographs. Set on heritage-listed grounds with remnant rainforest, it also preserves Aboriginal heritage, Cable Station equipment, and the historic Vincent Sheldon artist studio.
10:00am – 3:30pm, Rotary Broadwater Chapel by the Sea, Broadwater Parklands, 95 Marine Parade, Southport
The Rotary Broadwater Chapel By The Sea was formerly the Prayer Chapel of the original Gold Coast Hospital in Nerang Street, Southport. With the completion of the new Gold Coast University Hospital adjacent to Griffith University in 2013 and demolition of the original hospital imminent, the Rotary Club of Broadwater Southport Inc. were invited by Gold Coast Councillor Dawn Crichlow (OAM) to save the chapel and give it a new life.
1:00pm – 4:00pm The Pink Hotel, 171 Griffith Street, Cooloongatta
The Pink Hotel Coolangatta is s a living piece of Gold Coast history, lovingly reimagined for a new era. Originally built in the 1950s as the Ocean View Motel, this cherished landmark is a standout example of mid-century modern architecture.
