Australian Sports Museum and MCC Museum
Loccated at the Melbourne Cricket Ground the Australian Sports Museum celebrates all sports from Horse Racing and the Olympics through to AFL and Cricket. There’s some great exhibitions and plenty of interactive displays which put you right in the game. This centre has something for the whole family. Also located at the MCG is the MCC Museum which traces the history of the Melborne Cricket club and the MCG. Tours of the MCG can also be found at this location. The Australian Sports Museum and MCC Museum is situated at Gate 3 of Melbourne Cricket Ground, it is easily accessible by a short walk fromt Joilmont Station.
Immigration Museum
The Immigration Museum is a celebration of Victoria’s multicultural history. Much of Melbourne’s history is centered around the tens of thousands who migrated to the city over the last 150 years. This museum showcases the culture, the joy and hardships in settling in a new land that in a lot of cases was so different from their homeland. The museum is on Flinders Street, not far from the Melbourne Aquarium. It is serviced by tram and train, and is only a short walk from most city locations, Southbank and the Crown Entertainment Complex
The Melbourne Museum
Opened in 1999 the Melbourne Museum, which also houses Melbourne’s Imax theatre, is a showcase of many of Australia’s historical and cultural treasure’s. Housed in a state of the art glass and concrete structure which encompasses the modern Melbourne architectural design, it is a stark contrast to the world heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building that is situated next door. The Royal Exhibition Building was home to the 1889 Great Exhibition and Australia’s first parliament in 1901. The museums most acclaimed artefact is the Australian horse racing legend Phar lap.
Old Melbourne Gaol
The Old Melbourne Gaol is an eerie experience into Melbourne’s penal past. This historic bluestone Gaol has a rich and sometimes brutal history to show, once being home to some of Australia’s most notorious criminals, the most famous being, bushranger Ned Kelly who was gaoled and later hung at the prison. For the more brave, there are some night tours where you can tour the Gaol by candlelight. The Old Melbourne Gaol is located in the North Western corner of the City, off Russell Street, close to the Royal Exhibition Buildings and close to China Town and the Greek Precinct. There are several tram stops near by.
Melbourne Observation Deck at the Rialto
The Rialto Building is the tallest office tower in the Southern Hemisphere, standing at 253 metres. The Rialto has been Melbourne’s tallest building for about 20 years, and has recently lost its crown to the Eureka Tower on Southbank which will be complete in 2006. The Rialto is a member of the Great Towers of the World, which include the Empire State Building in New York, The Berlin fernsehturm and the Toronto CNN tower. The Rialto Observation deck offers 360 degree views behind glass and an open air experience where you can experience the elements high above the city. On a clear day it views of over 60km can be had towards Geelong the Heads or Dandenong Ranges. The centre has a theatre and exhibitions.
The Shrine of Remembrance
The Shrine of Remembrance is one of Melbourne’s more special places, built in the 1920s as a memorial to those who lost their lives in World War I and all battles after. The Shrine is the focus of our Anzac Day Commemorations and many of the other special days throughout the year. The Shrine has recumbently gone under a substantial restoration and modernisation. The Shrine is off St Kilda Road in the Royal Botanical Gardens. Its stately sandstone walls can be seen from all city points of Swanston Street. The Shrine is easily accessible by tram and is a wonderful walk from the city along the famous tram track along St Kilda Road.
