Things to do in Melbourne

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Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria Australia. It's known as a city that can have four seasons in one day.

Melbourne is my home town. I find myself carrying too much to cater to all types of weather so that I am prepared and not be caught out.

In summer we can get a hot and strong north wind. Our winters are mild compared to the northern hemisphere. And, our autumn and spring are varying from warm to cold and vice versa as the seasons change. 

Melbourne Where to Visit

You'll find a selection of experiences, things to see, and do, activities, and tours to do in and around Melbourne and in country Victoria, Australia.

Content

• From Melbourne ThingsTo Do
• What Activities To Do In Melbourne?
• See and Visit Museums, Galleries, and Memorials
• Visit Attractions and Buildings
• Admire Gardens
• Things to Do on and near the Yarra River
• Things to Explore
• Explore LaneWays
• Go Shopping and Arcades
• Discover Melbourne Tours
• Visit Zoos and  Nature Parks
• See the Australian Animals and Wildlife
• Attend Stadiums and  Exhibition Centres
• Discover Sport Tours
• Experience in Melbourne
• What is the traditional Aboriginal name for Melbourne?
• Go to Events
• Find Transport, Amenities, and Tips
• Melbourne Food Experience
• Melbourne City Food Tours
• Participate in Day Trips
• Explore Sovereign Hill Ballarat
• Experiences at the Mornington Peninsula

From Melbourne Things To Do

Have you been to the Great Ocean Road and seen the 12 Apostles?

And, have you seen the Penguins at Phillip Island waddle up the beach at night to their burrows?

Have you gone for a ride on Puffing Billy through the Sherbrooke Forest, and the smoke from the steam engine flies into the windowless carriages?

Yes, I have! I've done them several times as a kid with family, and friends, with my own kids, and solo.

These are long-time local experiences in Melbourne.

Which experience would you like to do?

Visit in Melbourne

What Activities To Do In Melbourne?

Where to Explore in Melbourne

See & Visit Museums, Galleries, & Memorials

1. Melbourne Museum
2. Royal Exhibition Building
3. National Gallery of Victoria
4. Federation Square
5. Scienceworks
6. State Library of Victoria
7. Old Melbourne Gaol
8. Shrine of Remembrance
9. Queen Victoria Market
10. Immigration Museum
11. Artvo
12. The Lume Melbourne
13. Heide Museum of Modern Art
14. Shot Tower at Melbourne Central

1. Visit and learn about Melbourne and Australia and other cultures at Melbourne Museum
2. Book a tour of the Dome Promenade of the Royal Exhibition Building
3. See the art displays and art collections at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)
4. Drop in at Federation Square, a place opposite Flinders Street Station which is a hub of activity
5. Have an immersive experience at Scienceworks
6. See the Dome at the State Library of Victoria
7. Visit the bluestone Old Melbourne Gaol
8. Reflect at the Shrine of Remembrance
9. See the Queen Victoria Monument at Queen Victoria Gardens
10. Learn immigration experience and history at the Immigration Museum
11. Have an immersive art experience at Artvo
12. Visit The Lume Melbourne and see Monet & Friends
13. See modern art at the Heide Museum of Modern Art
14. Go shopping at Melbourne Central and see the Shot Tower

Visit Attractions and Buildings

1. The Gothic Bank
2. Parliament of Victoria
3. Como House and Garden
4. Rippon Lea Estate
5. Eureka SkyDeck
6. Luna Park
7. National Trust
8. Aboriginal Experiences

1 The Gothic Bank

• Visit The Gothic Bank which was built between 1883 and 1887,
• I went inside this building at an Open House event many years ago, so it is worth going inside, And, worked nearby for some years.
• Find it at the ANZ bank, 380 Collins Street.

2 Parliament of Victoria

• Book a free fifty-minute public tour (minimum six people) of Parliament House, however, it can be cancelled at short notice.
• Research and book a free ninety-minute architecture tour of Parliament House on Fridays.
• Book and go on a free ninety-minute garden tour of the gardens at the Parliament of Victoria.
• Have a High Tea experience in Strangers Corridor restaurant.
• Find the Parliament of Victoria at Spring Street, East Melbourne.

3 Como House and Garden

• Travel to Como House and Garden. and explore the 1847 house made of a mixture of Australian Regency and classic Italian architecture.
• Find in the Paul Bangay Garden 900 plus plants.
• I visited Como House many times in my youth with my family and explored the house and the gardens.
• Pay entry fees to get into Como House.
• Find Como House at Williams Rd & Lechlade Rd, South Yarra.

4 Rippon Lea Estate

• Visit Rippon Lea Estate which was finished in 1868.
• It's a mansion and gardens I have seen many times in my youth.
• Pay entry fees to visit Rippon Lea Estate.
• Participate in events like High Tea, garden and tree tours, mansion tours, a tour of its Victorian kitchen, and Trust Makers' Market.
• Find the estate at 192 Hotham St, Elsternwick.

5 Eureka SkyDeck

• Catch the lift to the 88th floor to the Eureka SkyDeck, Edge Experience, and see views of Melbourne.
• Participate in the Edge Experience, it's a transparent glass cube that moves out of the building and suspends you over the streets below.
• Well, I did it, and I thought it was scary.
• Find it at 7 Riverside Quay, Southbank

6 Luna Park

• Have fun at the theme park, Luna Park, and read the ride safety instructions.
• I remember going in my youth all the time, the long slides, ghost train, distorted mirrors, merry-go-round, and the white roller coaster that you can see goes around the sides of the park.
• Find the park at 18 Lower Esplanade, St Kilda

7 National Trust

• Find more historical houses and buildings to visit at the National Trust

8 Aboriginal Experiences

• Find experiences at Welcome to Country

Admire Gardens

1. Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
2. Fitzroy Gardens
3. Queen Victoria Gardens
4. Treasury Gardens

1 Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne

• Walk around the 38-plus hectares of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
• See 8,500+ species of plant-sourced all over the world. Report back, how many can you find?
• Book tickets for Lightscape in Winter

2 Fitzroy Gardens

• Visit Fitzroy Gardens and buy tickets to go inside Captain Cook Cottage at the visitor centre nearby.  I went inside a long time ago when I was still in school.
• See the flora at the Conservatory.

3 Queen Victoria Gardens

• See the Queen Victoria Monument and King Edward VII Statue at Queen Victoria Gardens
• Admire the flowers in the Floral Clock

4 Treasury Gardens

• See Sir Henry Bolte Statue at Treasury Gardens
• Reflect at the Victorian Emergency Services Memorial.

Things to Do on and near the Yarra River

1. Ride a bike or walk by the Yarra River Walk over Princes Bridge to Federation Square on the right.
2. And, Flinders Street Station is on the left where you can catch a train.
3. You can catch the free tram because you'll find a free tram zone around the Melbourne CBD.
4. See the spire of St Paul's Cathedral on the other side of the Yarra.
5. Catch a Melbourne River Cruise or Yarra River Cruise from Federation Wharf.
6. In this area, you'll find places to buy food and drink, places to dine in and take away,

Things to Explore in Melbourne

Explore LaneWays

• DeGraves Street I've walked many times in DeGraves Street to foreign language classes at CAE
• Hosier Lane
• AC/DC Lane
• Duckboard Place
• Union Lane
• Centre Place
• Tattersalls Lane
• Hardware Lane
• Guildford Lane
• Blender Lane

DeGraves Street

Go Shopping and Arcades

• Royal Arcade
  • Shopping Centre, 335 Bourke St
• Queen Victoria Market
  • Market, Queen St
• Melbourne Central
  • See the Shot Tower
  • Shopping Centre, Cnr LaTrobe & Swanston Sts
• The Block Arcade
  • 282 Collins Street
• Bourke St Mall
• Myer Melbourne
  • Department Store
  • 314/336 Bourke Street
• David Jones -  Bourke St Mall
  • Department Store
  • 310 Bourke Street
• The Rose Street Market
  • 60 Rose St Fitzroy, Sa & Su 10am - 4pm
  • Check for other market locations and dates

Discover Melbourne Tours

• Hidden Alleyways, Ghosts, and Instagram Spots Tour
• Laneways Tour
• City Walking Tour

Visit Zoos and Nature Parks

1. Melbourne Zoo
2. Werribee Open Range Zoo
3. Healesville Sanctuary
4. Sea Life Aquarium
5. Kyabram Fauna Park
6. Phillip Island Penguin Parade

• Melbourne Zoo
  • Go for a walk or ride around the zoo and see the Lion, Elephant, Seal, Gorilla, Kangaroo, Koala, Tasmanian Devil, Wombat, Kookaburra, Butterfly House, Tiger, Penguin, Panda, Meerkat, Tortoise, Birds, Zebra, Giraffe, Baboon, Tapir, Reptiles, Frog, Platypus, Tiger plus more
• Werribee Open Range Zoo
  • Go for a ride in the Safari on the Savannah. Watch the Giraffes, Camel, American Bison, Mongolian Wild Horses, Ostriches, Oryx, Blackbucks, Elands, Nyala, Waterbucks, Rhinoceros, Zebras
  • See the Kangaroos, Emus, Koalas, Parrots, Wallabies, Hippopotamus, Lions, Meerkats, Monkeys, Cheetahs, Gorillas, Wild Dogs, Servals, Tortoises
• Healesville Sanctuary
  • Go on the Wurundjeri Walk,
  • See the Platypus, Koala, Echidna, Kangaroo, Wombat, Wetlands, Dingo, Woodlands, Emu, Rock Wallaby, Kookaburra, Tasmanian Devil, Lace Monitor, Owl, Pelican, reptiles, plus more
• Sea Life Aquarium,
  • See the Penguins, Ocean Invaders, Crocodiles, Seahorse, plus more [Oceanarium with sharks and rays being renovated check for updates]
  • Participate in a Penguin Encounter or a Jelly Lab Encounter
• Kyabram Fauna Park
  • See the Kangaroos, Emus, Wallabies, Wombat, Cassowary, Echidna, Koala, Flying Fox, Dingo, Frogmouth, Falcon, Kookaburra, Finches, Tasmanian Devil, Goanna, Possum, Birds, Peacocks, Quolls, plus more
• Phillip Island Penguin Parade
  • Watch the Penguins walk home from the ocean up the beach at night to their burrows, from the viewing platforms and boardwalks

Activities

See the Australian Animals & Wildlife

• SEA LIFE Aquarium
• Werribee Open Range Zoo
• Phillip Island Penguins
• Melbourne Zoo

Attend Stadiums and Exhibition Centres

1. Melbourne Cricket Ground
2. Marvel Stadium
3. Rod Laver Arena
4. AAMI Park
5. Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre
6. Royal Exhibition Building

• Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
  • Go to a game of Cricket, or AFL, or watch a Concert,
  • Visit the Australia Sports Museum at the MCG
• Marvel Stadium
  • Watch a game of AFL, A-League, or a Concert.
• Rod Laver Arena
  • Attend a match of the Australian Open. Grand Slam Tennis Tournament, or watch a Concert.
• AAMI Park
  • See a game of A-League, NRL, or Rugby Union, or watch a Concert.
• Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre
  • Attend a convention or an event at South Wharf, near the Yarra River
• Royal Exhibition Building
  • Book tickets for an event or exhibition

Find

Experience in Melbourne

• Go on a Mystery Picnic and solve the clues to find the destination.
• Solve a Murder Mystery.

Read my article about the picnic experience

What is the traditional Aboriginal name for Melbourne?

Naarm is the traditional Aboriginal name for Melbourne. Melbourne is situated on the traditional land of the Kulin Nation. The Yarra River, Birrarung, flows through Melbourne into Port Phillip Bay.

You can learn about the history of Melbourne and Aboriginal Melbourne.

Go to Events in Melbourne

• Australian Open, January, Grand Slam Tennis Tournament
• Australian International Airshow 28 February - 5 March 2023, Avalon Airport, Geelong
• Melbourne Fashion Festival, 3 - 11 March 2023, Royal Exhibition Building
• Moomba, March Labour Day Weekend, Parade, Community Festival
• Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, 29 March - 2 April 2023 Royal Exhibition Building & Carlton Gardens
• Melbourne International Comedy Festival, 29 March - 23 April 2023
• F1 Grand Prix, 30 March - 2 April 2023, Formula One International Racing
• ANZAC Day Dawn Service 5.30 am 25 April 2024
• Melbourne Knowledge Week, April/May
• German Film Festival, May 2023,  German Movies, Palace Cinemas
• Lightscape Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, 16 June - 6 August 2023 Winter
• Melbourne International Film Festival, 3 - 20 August 2023
• Melbourne Royal Show, 21 September - 1 October 2023, Agricultural Show
• AFL Grand Final, 30 September 2023, Australian Football League
• Melbourne Fringe Festival, 5 - 22 October 2023
• Open House Melbourne, Building & walking tours, Melbourne, Ballarat, October - Bendigo
• Melbourne Mexican Festival, October, Mexican Food, Drink, Entertainment
• Melbourne Cup, 1st Tuesday, November, Horse Racing
• Melbourne New Year's Eve Fireworks, 31 December

Albert Park Lake

 Albert Park Lake in Melbourne has a street circuit for the Formula One Australian Grand Prix. The streets close for the race. Have you driven around the circuit when the streets are open? I have!

Melbourne Without A Car

Find Transport, Amenities, and Tips

• Public Transport Victoria
  • Plan your Journey
  • Find information about tickets, timetables, disruptions
• Flinders Street Station
  • Main Train Station
  • Food Outlets
• Southern Cross Station
  • City & Regional & Interstate Train Interchange
  • Bus Terminal to Airport, Regional, & Interstate
  • Food & Shopping Outlets
• V/Line
  • Regional Public Transport Victoria
  • Find information on fares, stations, timetables,
• 35 City Circle Tram
  • Free Tourist Heritage Tram
  • Look up the link to timetables and alternative trams can catch if no service
• Free Tram Zone
  • Map of Free Tram Zone with Places to Visit
• Public Toilets
• Melbourne Airport
  • Domestic & International Airport
• Avalon Airport
  • Domestic & International Airport

Discover

Melbourne Food Experience

Lune Croissants

Discover

Melbourne City Food Tours

Go on a food tour and sample the local cuisine.

Tour

Participate in Day Trips in Melbourne

• Pick a Great Ocean Road Tour, and see the 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road.
• Read my article and find places to visit and things to do on the Great Ocean Road
• Go on a Grampians National Park Tour to see MacKenzie Falls. It has been a long time since I walked down the steps to the bottom of the falls and up to the lookouts.