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Tourist Attractions in Melbourne

The most interesting and beautiful tourist sites in Melbourne

Photos, reviews, descriptions, and links to maps

About Melbourne

In the first half of the 19th century, a huge lump of gold was found in the Australian state of Victoria – the largest piece of gold in the world at the time. This event triggered the start of the gold rush, numerous waves of emigration from Europe and Melbourne’s prosperity. For two centuries the city grew rich and eventually became the most prosperous and comfortable metropolis in Australia.

Melbourne is compared to the well-fed and prosperous cities of Switzerland, in some parameters it even surpasses its European competitors. First of all, it is the industrial, economic and financial centre of the country. But the city has something to attract tourists: the historical centre, consisting of 19th century buildings, smoothly passes into modern quarters, museums and galleries organise interesting exhibitions, and high-class restaurants will please gourmets with world cuisine.

Top-20 Tourist Attractions in Melbourne

Fed Square

4.5/5
2631 reviews
Melbourne’s central square, which hosts hundreds of events each year. It features interesting modern architecture, cinemas, galleries, restaurants, a museum and public gathering spaces. The square occupies an entire city block and is bounded on one side by the Yarra River. The space has been actively redeveloped since the late 1980s.
Open time
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours

Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria - Melbourne Gardens

4.8/5
15228 reviews
The gardens are located in central Melbourne on the south bank of the Yarra River. They are home to species collected from across the Australian continent, as well as from other parts of the world. The main focus of the botanic gardens is the conservation and breeding of plants introduced to Australia from elsewhere, as well as scientific research into the discovery and identification of unknown species.
Open time
Monday: 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM
Tuesday: 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM
Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM
Thursday: 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM
Friday: 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM
Saturday: 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM
Sunday: 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM

Shrine of Remembrance

4.8/5
6787 reviews
A monument erected in honour of fellow Australians who died in the First World War. The monument is tacitly considered to be dedicated to all Australians who lost their lives in armed conflicts. The structure was erected in the 30s of the XX century according to the project of veterans D. Wardrop and F. Hudson. The classical architecture of the Parthenon in Athens was taken as a model. The monument is located on a hill on the territory of the Royal Gardens.
Open time
Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

National Gallery of Victoria

4.7/5
19308 reviews
The oldest public gallery on the Australian continent. It was founded in the second half of the 19th century. The museum was opened a decade after Victoria was proclaimed an independent colony. At that time, Melbourne was actively developing and turning into a large and rich city. Wealthy citizens used their money to purchase and donate works of art to the gallery. Among the exhibits are ancient artefacts, paintings by European artists, and works by Australian masters.
Open time
Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Royal Exhibition Building

4.6/5
5221 reviews
The exhibition is housed in a majestic late 19th century Victorian building, which has been awarded the status of a UNESCO monument. In the middle of the 20th century the building was to be demolished, but in the end it was decided to establish an exhibition centre on its territory. The centre received the prefix “Royal” in 1884 thanks to the English Queen Elizabeth. The premises of the complex are used for various expositions.

Melbourne Museum

4.6/5
14350 reviews
A large museum divided into several thematic exhibitions. The building also houses a research centre, an IMAX cinema and an amphitheatre. The museum features both historical collections, telling the history of Melbourne, and natural science collections, where you can look at the skeletons of extinct dinosaurs. In separate halls there are cultural centres of indigenous peoples of Australia.
Open time
Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

The Princess Theatre

4.6/5
4477 reviews
A Victorian opera house built in the mid-19th century. The building has been rebuilt and reconstructed several times, with the last restoration in 1989. The theatre even has its own “ghost of the opera”, for whom they always leave an empty seat in the auditorium. According to legend, the ghost was made from the singer F. Baker, who died on stage while performing his role in the opera Faust in 1888.

State Library Victoria

4.8/5
2911 reviews
The library is considered one of the most impressive book collections in Australia. The classical-style building was erected in the mid-19th century to a design by D. Reid. At first it housed the Melbourne Museum and the National Gallery of Victoria, but later they moved elsewhere. The library contains about 1.5 million books. The building is surrounded by a sculpture park, where works by masters of the XIX-XXI centuries are installed.
Open time
Monday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium

4.3/5
14676 reviews
A modern oceanarium located on the banks of the Yarra in the centre of Melbourne. In the aquarium you can see representatives of the fauna of the southern seas and Antarctica. For the inhabitants of the Arctic waters created real harsh conditions with snow and low temperatures. Here live sharks, penguins, turtles, tarantulas, scorpions and various species of fish. The Oceanarium was opened in 2000 and is considered one of the best in the world.
Open time
Monday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM

St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne

4.6/5
2730 reviews
The cathedral of the Anglican Church, built in the Gothic style. The building is located in the historic centre of Melbourne and along with other buildings of the past centuries forms the cultural heritage of the city. The cathedral was erected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, at first it was the tallest structure in the city, but modern high-rise buildings gradually overshadowed it from the view of passers-by. An organ by master T. Lewis was delivered from England especially for the cathedral.
Open time
Monday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Sunday: 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM

St Patrick's Cathedral

4.7/5
3011 reviews
A Négotic-style Catholic cathedral built to serve the needs of Irish immigrants. The cathedral was given the status of a “minor basilica”, meaning that the Pope could stay here if he came to Melbourne. The mosaics for the interior decoration were made in Venice, instead of standard stained glass windows amber glass was installed. Construction of the cathedral lasted 40 years and was completed in 1939.
Open time
Monday: 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Thursday: 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Friday: 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Melbourne Skydeck

4.5/5
14151 reviews
The second largest skyscraper on the Australian continent, it reaches a height of 297 metres. The building was constructed in 2006 according to the project of a local architectural agency. The name “Eureka Tower” was given in honour of the 1854 gold prospectors’ uprising in Victoria. The skyscraper consists of 92 floors. One underground floor and 9 ground floors are occupied by car parking, the remaining floors are residential.
Open time
Monday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM
Tuesday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM
Wednesday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM
Thursday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM
Friday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM
Saturday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM

Flinders Street

0/5
Melbourne’s main railway station, located in the central part of the city. In 1854 there was a wooden station on this site, the first in Australia. In 1882 it was decided to build a full-fledged railway station, and 37 years later the first steam locomotive left Flinders Street. After only a few years, the station became the busiest in the world. The building was restored in the 1970s at the request of the public (initially the authorities wanted to demolish the outdated structure).

Queen Victoria Market

4.5/5
47642 reviews
A large market in the city centre selling produce and delicacies from all over the world, including Turkish sweets, Italian prosciutto and Russian buckwheat. There are also rows of shoes and clothes, local aboriginal products and animal skins. The market offers a wide variety of fruits, cheeses, seafood, sauces and smoked meats. Prices here are slightly lower than in the supermarket, but there are always a lot of people and quite noisy.
Open time
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 6:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 6:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Friday: 6:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Saturday: 6:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Cooks' Cottage

4.3/5
1794 reviews
A small stone mansion located in the eastern part of Melbourne. It is the home of James Cook’s parents and was originally located in the English village of Great Ayton. In 1933, the house was bought by the Australian government and moved to Melbourne. This event was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the city. The money was provided by local businessman R. Grimwade.
Open time
Monday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Old Melbourne Gaol

4.5/5
2884 reviews
A museum complex located on the territory of a former prison. The building was built in 1841 and was used to hold prisoners and military personnel. In 1924 the institution was closed, and in 1972 a museum was opened in it, where prison paraphernalia is exhibited: personal belongings of criminals, postmortem masks and other creepy things. Thousands of tourists seek to visit this place because of rumours of ghosts that haunt the gloomy corridors.
Open time
Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Albert Park

0/5
International Formula 1 race track where the Australian Grand Prix has been held since 1996. In the 1950s, the Melbourne Grand Prix races were held at this track, but at the time it was an unpopular event due to the high costs for the drivers and the continent’s distance from Europe. Albert Park is an urban circuit surrounded by green spaces, it is laid out around an artificial lake.

Melbourne Cricket Ground

4.7/5
25530 reviews
The ground was originally intended for cricket, but has gradually developed into a large multi-purpose complex, hosting football matches, rugby championships, concerts and various cultural events. The stadium was built in the mid-19th century and modernised several times during the 20th century. The modern arena has a capacity of about 100 thousand spectators, with some events attracting up to 130 thousand people.
Open time
Monday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Melbourne Zoo

4.4/5
5050 reviews
Australia’s oldest zoo, founded in 1862. At first, the zoo served as a temporary home for pets imported from other continents. On the territory of the zoo the animals went through an adaptation period and later went home. Over time, exotic species were introduced and the zoo acquired its modern look. It is home to tigers, lions, monkeys, giraffes, elephants, Madagascar lemurs, rare birds and inhabitants of the Australian savannah.
Open time
Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Crown Melbourne

4.4/5
47294 reviews
One of the best gambling houses on the continent, a large entertainment complex located in the heart of Melbourne. Hundreds of thousands of tourists and locals visit this casino every year. There are more than 2.5 thousand machines and 350 tables for gambling. There is also a restaurant, bowling club and nightclubs. The Korona complex houses the Palladium, the city’s largest concert venue.
Open time
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours