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FORBES Attractions

Spend some time exploring and you’ll discover a unique fusion of heritage past and modern lifestyle offering plenty to see and do, distinctive local dining options, country hospitality, a great range of places to stay and
an exciting local events calendar offering plenty of great reasons to keep coming back.

SEE AND DO

Forbes offers you a great range of attractions so you can do as much or as little as you like:

• Get your motor running at McFeeters Motor Museum, located 1km south of Forbes off the Newell Highway, offering a vast collection of meticulously restored motor cars, plus a gift shop, cellar door
  and café
• Explore and discover Lake Forbes offering 4.8km of walking and cycle tracks, abundant birdlife, shaded picnic areas, BBQ facilities, playgrounds and toilets conveniently located throughout the parklands
• Birdwatchers will love the Gum Swamp & Bird Hide, located 4km south of Forbes on the Newell Highway, a native bird and wildlife refuge. Best viewing is at sunrise and sunset
• For quality art and craft visit the Forbes Handicraft Centre and Art Gallery in Lachlan Street and the Forbes Railway Arts and Visitor Information Centre in Union Street
• Experience a glimpse of life on the land at the Central West Livestock Exchange, one of Australia’s leading state of the art saleyards, located 10km north of Forbes off the Newell Highway
  

SHOP

Forbes has gained a reputation as a boutique shopping capital and with a distinctive range of quality locally owned stores it is easy to see why. Be tempted by a unique mix of locally owned boutiques plus familiar brands, department store shopping and all the major services. In Forbes often our customers are our friends
or they are friends of friends. You’ll notice the Forbes difference!

FOOD

Forbes features a great selection of local dining options. Enjoy a relaxed meal at a cozy café or restaurant, enjoy hearty fare and a yarn with a friendly local at one of the town’s pubs, pick up takeaway or make a picnic to enjoy leisurely as your own quiet spot.

STAY

Forbes offers country hospitality and a great range of places to stay. Enjoy the comfort of up to 4 star motel rooms or self-contained cabins, be a special guest at a B & B or relax with a beer at a local pub. A range of holiday parks offer great amenities for RVs and there is a rest area for safe R & R while touring the region.

RV FRIENDLY

Forbes has established a great reputation amongst the caravan, campervan and motorhome communities as a friendly and welcoming town, and has become a very popular half way stop on the Newell Highway. An RV Friendly Town Forbes offers a range of amenities, caravan parks and rest areas making it a perfect destination for the mobile traveler.

HERITAGE PLACES

Traditionally a home of the Wiradjuri people, white settlement began when the explorer John Oxley arrived in Forbes in 1817. However the area did not boom until gold was discovered in 1861 when it was officially named Forbes; after Sir Francis Forbes, the first Chief Justice of New South Wales. Here are some heritage experiences we think you may enjoy during your stay:

• Forbes & District Historical Museum offers varied exhibits including relics from the bushranging days of Ben Hall, a vintage kitchen, antique farm machinery, a display of Aboriginal artifacts and more. The Museum is located on Cross Street and is open from 2pm to 4pm daily
• Ben Hall – The bushranger wrote himself into Australian history with a crime spree consisting of hundreds of robberies committed across regional New South Wales in the 1860s. Pick up a copy of the Tracing Ben Hall Drive Tour brochure at the Forbes Visitor Information Centre and follow the tour throughout the Lachlan Valley region tracing the legendary sites of the bushranger’s life.
• Walking Tour – Pick up a copy of the Centenary of Federation Heritage Trail brochure at the Forbes Visitor Information Centre and follow the markers throughout town learning about the remarkable places and people that contributed to the development of the town

For more information about any of these interesting, fun, free activities and other great things to see and do in the Forbes Shire contact the friendly team at the Forbes Visitor Information Centre.