The National Gallery of Australia is to open a permanent and free play space as it continues a trend of the institutions moving to cater more to families and encouraging more repeat visitors.
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The art play gallery will be created in the main foyer area now occupied by the institution's shop, which will move upstairs.
The play space will be opened by November, initially with a Palace of Versailles theme to coincide with the opening of the blockbuster Versailles: Treasures from the Palace exhibition in December.
But it will change its look and theme throughout the year, giving families a reason to revisit the institution.
Benefactor Tim Fairfax has made a donation to the gallery for children and family activities with deputy director Kirsten Paisley saying $100,000 of it will go towards the art play space, which she described as a significant shift for the institution - from hands-off, to hands-on.
"This is a big move for the gallery. It really is a statement about where we're going," Mrs Paisley said.
It follows the Museum of Australian Democracy which opened its successful Play Up space for children at Old Parliament House in 2014, seeing a 78 per cent increase in vistation by families since then, but also moves by galleries around the world to embrace younger generations to remain relevant.
Mrs Paisley described the new space as "a permanent gallery for art play for the young and young at heart", with adults also encouraged to play.
"There are restrictions around what you can do in the collection galleries around touching and running and those kinds of things. This is a space where those normal rules will be relaxed," she said.
"You'll be able to really settle in for a good time with your kids."
Mrs Paisley said outside the times of major exhibitions, Canberrans were the main market for the gallery - but few were bringing their kids along.
But at the same time specific school holiday programs were usually always booked out.
"There's a market there and people want to engage and they want to engage their kids with art early," she said.
The first version of the space would be a "visually amazing" and themed to the Versailles exhibition, which opens on December 9 and continues until April 17, showcasing treasures from the French landmark, from paintings to Marie Antoinette's harp.
"It's themed around the idea of the palace as a playground and it'll have a number of different activities in it looking at aspects of life at court and the garden as well," she said.
The space will be revamped throughout the year, using different artists, designers and activities. They'll be no need to book.
"We're thinking one to two installations a year so there will be reason to revisit the one space but reason to come back and visit a new one."
The space will have furniture and facilities encouraging people to linger. The gallery was looking at allowing parents to bring snacks and water into the space for their children.
"We really want to improve the amenity wherever possible and humanise the space and recognise people interact with galleries in a whole range of ways," Mrs Paisley said.
