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 vary 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.

From Melbourne Things To Do

I've been to the Great Ocean Road and seen the 12 Apostles.

And, I've seen the Penguins at Phillip Island waddle up the beach at night to their burrows.

I've gone for a ride on Puffing Billy through the Sherbrooke Forest. And the smoke from the steam engine flies into the windowless carriages. My brother was young, he wore a white coat and it turned smoke colored.

Yes, 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 experiences have you done and would like to do too?

Activities To Do In Melbourne

Visit Museums, Galleries, and 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

Museums, Galleries, and Memorials

Visit and learn about Melbourne, Australia, and other cultures at the Melbourne Museum. Get your ticket click here.

Experience events like the Fantastic Beasts ™ The Wonder of Nature at Melbourne Museum. Read my review and experience of the exhibit.

Go on a tour of the Dome Promenade at the Royal Exhibition Building.

See the art displays and collections at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).

Drop in at Federation Square, opposite Flinders Street Station.

Have an immersive experience at Scienceworks with the sports challenges and the Melbourne Planetarium, Get your ticket by clicking here.

See the Dome at the State Library of Victoria.

Go back in time on a self-guided experience at the bluestone Old Melbourne Gaol which housed some of Melbourne's most notorious criminals like Ned Kelly and Squizzy Taylor.

Reflect at the Shrine of Remembrance.

See the Queen Victoria Monument at Queen Victoria Gardens.

Learn the immigration experiences and history at the Immigration Museum. And, find out about the impact on the indigenous community. Click here to get your ticket. And, you'll step inside the Old Customs House for this experience.

Have an immersive art experience at Artvo. Click here to be the artwork and get your ticket. And, journey into nine themed zones and 80 plus 3D artworks.

Visit The Lume Melbourne and see the latest exhibition.

See modern art at the Heide Museum of Modern Art.

Go shopping at Melbourne Central and see the Shot Tower.

Find Aboriginal Cultural Immersions at Welcome to Country.

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

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, I 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.
• Get your ticket click here to view Melbourne from the 88th floor.

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
• Get your ticket click here to step through the iconic giant mouth at Luna Park.

7 National Trust

• Find more historical houses and buildings to visit at the National Trust of Australia (Victoria).

Admire Gardens

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
• 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 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

DeGraves Street

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

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
  • 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

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

1 Melbourne Zoo

• Go for a walk 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

Get 1 Day Melbourne Zoo Entry Ticket

2 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

Get Werribee Open Range Zoo Admission Ticket

3 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

4 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 (extra)

 Get SeaLife Aquarium Entrance Ticket

5 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

6 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
• See wildlife like koalas, kangaroos, and wombats

 Book a Phillip Island Penguin Day Trip

Attend Stadiums and Exhibition Centres

Find sports games, events, exhibitions, and concerts.

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

Melbourne Food Experience

Lune Croissants

Melbourne City Food Tours

Go on a food tour and sample the local cuisine.

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 about Great Ocean Road to find places to visit and things to do.
• 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.

Places to Stay in Melbourne

Looking for hotels and places to stay, find accommodation details and reviews in Melbourne.

And, get details, read reviews, and book online. for hotels in Melbourne.

Victoria Travel

More Things To Do

Looking for more things to do, read my post about things do to in Werribee.

Find ghost tours to experience in Melbourne that you can find in my post.

Read my post about museums in Melbourne so you can find more museums to visit.

Have you been or planning on coming to visit?

What things would you like to do? Leave a Comment!