Melbourne brings together a range of themes for a city break: historic sites, art, film and games, street art, gardens and a large market. If you’re looking for a hotel in Melbourne, your travel interests can be a helpful starting point for getting a feel for the destination. The places below show how varied the possible focuses are—from a tour of a historic prison to plant diversity and a market visit.
Library, architecture and city history
The State Library Victoria was established as the Melbourne Public Library in 1854 and is Australia’s oldest public library. In the La Trobe Reading Room, the striking octagonal dome draws the eye to one of the library’s distinctive spaces. Across its various galleries, the State Library presents both permanent and temporary exhibitions. Free guided tours are also available. If a tour is part of your plans, check the latest visitor information beforehand.
Another way to explore the city’s history is at Old Melbourne Gaol. Dating back to 1845, it is Melbourne’s oldest and most feared prison. A Gaol Day Pass lets visitors explore the three levels of the original prison; the Gaol also offers guided tours and immersive experiences. The prison thus combines a specific historical date with visitor experiences available today. If you’re planning to visit with a pass or join a tour, it’s a good idea to check the latest information beforehand.
Art and experiences at Fed Square
NGV International showcases the National Gallery of Victoria’s collections of European, Asian, Oceanic and American art. If you’d like to include film and gaming culture as well as art collections, Fed Square is home to the free interactive exhibition The Story of the Moving Image. It features playable video games, film sets, and iconic costumes and props. Their distinct focuses make these offerings different ways to experience Melbourne’s culture.
Fed Square is a modern piazza and public square in the city centre, directly opposite Flinders Street Station. It is home to cultural attractions as well as numerous restaurants, bars and specialty shops. Its location provides a clear point of reference for finding your way around the city centre. When planning, you can also consider whether you’d rather focus on art, film and gaming culture, or time in restaurants and shops on a given day.
Markets and street art
Queen Vic Market is home to hundreds of small businesses and is the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s easy to combine food and shopping here: you can buy specialty cheeses in the Dairy Hall, eat at cafés, or grab a coffee and a croissant to go. Alongside its size, the market offers different options for a meal break or a spot of shopping.
Melbourne’s laneways are filled with colourful murals, stencil art, paste-ups and mixed-media art. The Melbourne Street Art Walk passes through Hosier Lane, AC/DC Lane, Blender Lane, Flinders Way and the Upper West Side Arts Precinct. For a further guide to how long to allow, the Iconic laneways and arcades walk is approximately 2.4 kilometres long and takes about two hours.
Green spaces and guided nature experiences
Melbourne Gardens spans 38 hectares and is home to more than 8,500 plant species from around the world. This offers a botanical focus alongside the city’s art and history themes. The Aboriginal Heritage Walk at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne is a multisensory journey with a First Peoples guide, during which significant native plants are identified. The guided Secret Life of Birds experience focuses on waterbirds that nest around the Ornamental Lake.
Melbourne Gardens is open every day of the year. As opening information can change, check before your visit. The two guided experiences have different focuses: the Aboriginal Heritage Walk explores native plants, while Secret Life of Birds focuses on the waterbirds nesting around the lake. Together with the garden’s size and the number of its plant species, these experiences offer a distinctive nature focus for your trip to Melbourne.
Discover more destinations: Kensington, Williamstown, Wantirna South, South Yarra, Essendon, Kalorama, Frankston, Brighton, Eumemmerring, Caulfield North, Oakleigh, Emerald, Brunswick, Yering, Dandenong, Wheelers Hill, Glen Waverley, Clayton, Olinda, Noble Park, Sassafras, Yarra Glen, Fawkner, Healesville, Wonga Park, Point Cook, Doncaster East, Aspendale, Eltham, Heatherton, St Albans, Hawthorn, Parkdale, Narre Warren, Warburton, Seville, Monbulk, Yarra Junction, Attwood, Gisborne, Mitcham, Mt Dandenong, Lilydale, Moorabbin, Kew, Forest Hill, Footscray, Flemington, Box Hill, Fairfield, Highett, Braybrook, Beaumaris, Carnegie, Mont Albert, Caroline Springs, Doveton, Mt Waverley, Belgrave, Keilor, Preston, Cranbourne, Heidelberg, Ferntree Gully, Taylors Lakes, Coldstream, Eden Park.
For the broader travel overview: Victoria.
