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Run out of groceries? Need a very last-minute Christmas present? Do you want to know how you can escape your family during the break. Here’s a list of what is open over the break. Christmas Day (December 25), Boxing Day (December 26), New Year’s Eve (December 31) and New Year’s Day (January 1) are all public holidays in the ACT. This year Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, so Monday December 28 will be observed as an extra public holiday. All Coles stores in the ACT will be closed on December 25. All stores will be open on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, Monday December 28, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. All Woolworths stores in the ACT will be closed on December 25. All stores will be open on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, Monday December 28, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Ainslie IGA is open every day from 8am-8pm, except December 25. All Aldi stores across the ACT will be closed on December 25. All stores will be open on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, Monday December 28, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Eastlake Gunghalin is open every day including December 25 from 10am to 4am Closed from December 21-23. Open on December 24 from noon to late. All branches of ACT Libraries including ACT Heritage Library will be closed from December 25 to December 29. On December 30 to 31 all ACT Libraries except Dickson, Gunghalin, Woden and Tuggeranong branches will be closed. All branches will be closed on New Year’s Day. The National Library will be entirely closed on December 25. From December 26 to January 1, the main reading room and the special collections reading room will be closed, however the exhibition galleries and National Library bookshop will be open 9am-5pm and Bookplate Cafe will be open 9am-3pm. Dickson Aquatic Centre is open 6am-7pm weekdays and 8am-7pm weekends. The pool is closed on December 25. On public holidays the pool is open 10am-7pm. Big Splash is open every day except December 25, from 10am-6pm with the slide opening at 11am and operating until 5pm. National Gallery of Australia Open 10am-5pm every day, except December 25. National Portrait Gallery Open 10am-5pm every day, except December 25. National Museum of Australia Open 9am-5pm every day, except December 25. Parliament House Open 9am-5pm every day, except December 25. Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House Open 9am-5pm every day, except December 25. Australian National Botanic Gardens Open 8.30am-5pm every day, except December 25. Australian War Memorial Open 10am-5pm every day, except December 25. Questacon Open 9am-5pm every day, except December 25. National Film and Sound Archive Open 10am-4pm every day, except December 25. The Pharmacy on Northbourne will be remain open throughout the Christmas and New Year period, from 8am-11pm. The Pharmacy on Franklin is open all days except December 25 from 8am-8pm. The Pharmacy on Petrie (Canberra Centre) is open all days except December 25. All Capital Chemist branches, except for the O’Connor branch, will be closed on December 25. Capital Chemist O’Connor is open 8am-11pm. Walk-in centres are open seven days a week from 7.30am to 10pm, including all public holidays. Canberra’s walk-in centres are located in Dickson, Tuggeranong, Belconnen, Gunghalin and Weston Creek. Hospital emergency departments are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including all public holidays. Weston Creek walk in centre is open 7.30am-10pm every day and can conduct tests for COVID-19. The COVID-19 drive through testing clinic at EPIC is closed on Christmas Day, but will open all other days between 9.30am and 5pm. The following testing sites will be closed between December 25 and January 4. The Village Centre and Bonsai Collection is open 9am-4pm every day except December 25. The National Arboretum site is open 6am-8.30pm every day including December 25. Googong Foreshores, the Tidbinbilla Visitors Centre, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and Namadgi Visitor Centre are open every day except December 25. Some areas of Namadgi National Park remain closed. Kerbside waste, recycling and green waste collections scheduled for Christmas Day (Friday), will take place a day later on Saturday. DAS rangers will continue to operate as normal during the Christmas and New Year’s period. Public access to DAS shelter is by appointment only. Call 13 22 81 to arrange an appointment. Light rail services will normal during the Christmas/New Year period with the exception of New Year’s Eve and public holidays. Transport Canberra will run to a reduced bus timetable over the summer holiday period from December 21 to January 10. Christmas Day travel has a separate time table. Travel on busses and light rail will be free. On public holidays – December 25, 26, 28 – light rail will run on a Sunday timetable. On New Year’s Eve Light rail operating hours will be extended with the last service departing Alinga Place at 1am on January 1.
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Run out of groceries? Need a very last-minute Christmas present? Do you want to know how you can escape your family during the break.
Here’s a list of what is open over the break.
Public holidays during the 2020-21 Christmas/New Year Period.
Christmas Day (December 25), Boxing Day (December 26), New Year’s Eve (December 31) and New Year’s Day (January 1) are all public holidays in the ACT.
This year Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, so Monday December 28 will be observed as an extra public holiday.
- December 23 9am-9pm
- December 24 9am-5.30pm
- December 25 Closed
- December 26 8am-7pm
- December 27 10am-4pm
- December 23 8am-10pm
- December 24 8am-6pm
- December 25 Closed
- December 26 8am-6pm
- December 27 9am-6pm
- December 28 10am-4pm
- December 29 9am-5.30pm
- December 23 10am-6pm
- December 24 10am-4pm
- December 25 Closed
- December 26, 10am-6pm
- December 27 9am-7pm
- December 28 10am-4pm
- December 29 10am-6pm
- December 30 10am-6pm
- December 31 10am-4pm
- January 1 Closed
- December 23 8am-10pm
- December 24 8am-6pm
- December 25 Closed
- December 26 8am-6pm
- December 27 9am-6pm
- December 28 10am-4pm
- December 29 9am-5.30pm
Tuggeranong South.Point (formerly Hyperdome)
- December 23 9am-7pm
- December 24 9am-5pm
- December 25 Closed
- December 26 10am-4pm
- December 27 10am-4pm
- December 28 10am-4pm
- December 29 9am-5.30pm
- December 30 9am-5.30pm
- December 31 9am-5.30pm
- January 1 10am-4pm
Majura Park Shopping Centre
- December 23 9-am-7pm
- December 24 10am-4pm
- December 25 Closed
- December 26 10am-4pm
- December 27 10am-4pm
- December 28 9am-5.30pm
- December 29 9am-5.30pm
- December 30 9am-5.30pm
- December 31 10am-4pm
- January 1 Closed
- December 23 9am-5.30pm
- December 24 9am-7pm
- December 25 Closed
- December 26 10am-4pm
- December 27 10am-4pm
- December 28 10am-4pm
- December 29 9am-5.30pm
- December 30 9am-5.30pm
- December 31 9am-7pm
- January 1 10am-4pm
- December 23 8am-6pm
- December 24 8am-6pm
- December 25 Closed
- December 26 Closed
- December 27 Closed
- December 28 Closed
- December 29 Closed
- December 30 8am-6pm
- December 31 8am-6pm
- January 1 Closed
- December 23 5am-5.30pm
- December 24 5am-3pm
- December 25 Closed
- December 26 7am-5.30
- December 27 7am-5.30
- December 28 Closed
- December 29 Closed
- December 30 Closed
- December 31 6am-4pm
- January 1 Closed
All Coles stores in the ACT will be closed on December 25. All stores will be open on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, Monday December 28, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
All Woolworths stores in the ACT will be closed on December 25. All stores will be open on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, Monday December 28, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
- December 23 7.30am-8.30pm
- December 24 7.30am-8.30pm
- December 25 8am-2pm
- December 26 8am-8pm
- December 27 8am-8pm
- December 28 8am-8pm
- December 29 7.30am-8.30pm
- December 30 7.30am-8.30pm
- December 31 7.30am-8.30pm
- January 1 8am-8pm
- December 23 7.30am-8.30pm
- December 24 7.30am-8.30pm
- December 25 8am-2pm
- December 26-28 8am-8pm
- December 29 7am-8.30pm
- December 30 7.30am-8.30pm
- December 31 7.30am-8.30pm
- January 1 8am-8pm
- December 24 7am-10pm
- December 25 Closed
- December 26 8am-9pm
- December 28 7am-9pm
- January 1 8am-9pm
- December 24 7am-9pm
- December 25 Closed
- December 26 8am-9pm
- December 28 7am-9pm
- January 1 8am-9pm
- December 24, 7am-10pm
- December 25 Closed
- December 26 8am-9pm
- December 28 7am-9pm
- 1 Jan, 8am-9pm
- December 25, 9am-2pm
- December 26, 9am-7pm
- December 27, 9am-7pm
- December 28, 8am-8:30pm
- January 1, 9am-7pm
- December 24 7am-8:30pm
- December 25 8am-2pm
- December 26-28 8am-8pm
- January 1 8am-8pm
Ainslie IGA is open every day from 8am-8pm, except December 25.
All Aldi stores across the ACT will be closed on December 25. All stores will be open on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, Monday December 28, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Eastlake Gunghalin is open every day including December 25 from 10am to 4am
Closed from December 21-23. Open on December 24 from noon to late.
- December 24 9am-2am
- December 25 11am-5pm
- All other days trading 9am-4am.
- December 25 11am-4pm
- All other days – Sunday to Thursday 9am-2am, Friday to Saturday 9am-4am.
- December 25 11am-3pm, Snapper at Jamison closed.
- All other days, Sunday to Monday: 9am-midnight, Tuesday to Thursday 9am-1am, Friday to Saturday 9am-2am.
- December 25 11am-3pm, pre-bookings only.
- All other days 11.30am-10pm.
- December 25 11am-4pm. Snapper & Co will be closed for a pre-booked Christmas Function.
- All other days 11am-8pm.
All branches of ACT Libraries including ACT Heritage Library will be closed from December 25 to December 29. On December 30 to 31 all ACT Libraries except Dickson, Gunghalin, Woden and Tuggeranong branches will be closed. All branches will be closed on New Year’s Day.
The National Library will be entirely closed on December 25.
From December 26 to January 1, the main reading room and the special collections reading room will be closed, however the exhibition galleries and National Library bookshop will be open 9am-5pm and Bookplate Cafe will be open 9am-3pm.
- December 21-23 5.30-9pm
- December 24 5.30-6pm
- December 25 Closed
- December 26-January 1 8am-6pm
- January 2 7am-7pm
- January 3 8am-7pm
Dickson Aquatic Centre is open 6am-7pm weekdays and 8am-7pm weekends. The pool is closed on December 25. On public holidays the pool is open 10am-7pm.
- December 24 8am-4pm
- December 25 Closed
- December 26 10am-6pm
- December 27 8am-6pm
- December 28 10am-6pm
- December 29 8am-6pm
- December 30 8am-6pm
- December 31 8am-5pm
- January 1 10am-6pm
Big Splash is open every day except December 25, from 10am-6pm with the slide opening at 11am and operating until 5pm.
National Gallery of Australia
Open 10am-5pm every day, except December 25.
National Portrait Gallery
Open 10am-5pm every day, except December 25.
National Museum of Australia
Open 9am-5pm every day, except December 25.
Open 9am-5pm every day, except December 25.
Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
Open 9am-5pm every day, except December 25.
Australian National Botanic Gardens
Open 8.30am-5pm every day, except December 25.
Open 10am-5pm every day, except December 25.
Open 9am-5pm every day, except December 25.
National Film and Sound Archive
Open 10am-4pm every day, except December 25.
The Pharmacy on Northbourne will be remain open throughout the Christmas and New Year period, from 8am-11pm.
The Pharmacy on Franklin is open all days except December 25 from 8am-8pm.
The Pharmacy on Petrie (Canberra Centre) is open all days except December 25.
All Capital Chemist branches, except for the O’Connor branch, will be closed on December 25. Capital Chemist O’Connor is open 8am-11pm.
Hospitals and Walk-in Centres
Walk-in centres are open seven days a week from 7.30am to 10pm, including all public holidays. Canberra’s walk-in centres are located in Dickson, Tuggeranong, Belconnen, Gunghalin and Weston Creek.
Hospital emergency departments are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including all public holidays.
Weston Creek walk in centre is open 7.30am-10pm every day and can conduct tests for COVID-19. The COVID-19 drive through testing clinic at EPIC is closed on Christmas Day, but will open all other days between 9.30am and 5pm.
The following testing sites will be closed between December 25 and January 4.
- West Belconnen COVID-19 testing clinic at Kippax
- Kambah drive through testing clinic on Jenke Circuit
- Garran testing clinic on Garran Oval
The Village Centre and Bonsai Collection is open 9am-4pm every day except December 25. The National Arboretum site is open 6am-8.30pm every day including December 25.
Parks and Nature Reserves
Googong Foreshores, the Tidbinbilla Visitors Centre, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and Namadgi Visitor Centre are open every day except December 25.
Some areas of Namadgi National Park remain closed.
Kerbside waste, recycling and green waste collections scheduled for Christmas Day (Friday), will take place a day later on Saturday.
Department of Animal Services
DAS rangers will continue to operate as normal during the Christmas and New Year’s period.
Public access to DAS shelter is by appointment only. Call 13 22 81 to arrange an appointment.
Light rail services will normal during the Christmas/New Year period with the exception of New Year’s Eve and public holidays.
Transport Canberra will run to a reduced bus timetable over the summer holiday period from December 21 to January 10.
Christmas Day travel has a separate time table. Travel on busses and light rail will be free.
On public holidays – December 25, 26, 28 – light rail will run on a Sunday timetable.
On New Year’s Eve Light rail operating hours will be extended with the last service departing Alinga Place at 1am on January 1.
- We’ve done our best to check everybody’s opening hours, but make sure to check with each business. Have we missed anyone? Email [email protected] with your opening hours over the Christmas period.