5 Best Sights in Fremantle, Western Australia

The eclectic, artsy, and always bustling Fremantle Markets have been housed in this huge Victorian building since 1897 and sell everything from WA landscape photographs to incense, freshly roasted coffee, toys, clothing, and fruit and vegetables. You can also get a delicious array of street food, such as Turkish gözleme, German sausages, doughnuts, chocolate cake, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Around 150 stalls attract a colorful mix of locals and tourists. 

One of the most popular tourist attractions in the state, prison day tours illustrate convict life—including (successful) escapes and the art cell, where a superb collection of drawings by prisoner James Walsh decorates his former quarters. The jail was built by convicts in the 1850s and is an important part of the region's history. Choose from a variety of tours, including a goosebump-inducing one by flashlight or a thrilling underground tour for which visitors are provided with hard hats, boots, and headlamps before descending 65 feet into the labyrinthine tunnels. Climbing (and a sense of adventure) is a must!

Little Creatures has got a lot going for it—including its harborside location and fun-loving, artsy vibe. Regarded as the founders of craft beer in WA, a tour of this iconic brewery is a must. The tour includes a beer-making 101 session, a jaunt around the brewery, and a sample of the current brews and ciders on tap with one of their informative Hop Heads. If you like what you see and taste, stay on in the Brewhouse, where you'll find contemporary pub grub on the menu or book a table in the lively Great Hall for dinner overlooking the harbor. 

On the harbor side of Esplanade Park sits the gigantic Tourist Wheel, a 24-enclosed-car Ferris wheel offering spectacular views of the port city, Indian Ocean, and Rottnest Island on a clear day. Each gondola holds six people and spins for about 10 minutes per ticket. Be sure to have your camera ready when you stop at the top, 40 meters above the grounds. 

Resembling an upside-down boat, the Western Australian Maritime Museum sits at the edge of Fremantle Harbour. It houses Australia II, winner of the 1983 America's Cup, and has hands-on, rotating exhibits that are great fun for children. You can also take guided tours of the Ovens, a former Royal Australian Navy World War II submarine. Another attraction is the Welcome Walls, a record of all those who immigrated to WA via ship during the major postwar migration. A five-minute walk away on Cliff Street in a separate, heritage building, is the Shipwreck Galleries, home to more fascinating maritime history.