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Australia

Melbourne’s 10 Most Visited Museums and Galleries (location map 2025)

  • Heritage & Art
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Melbourne is a great place to explore museums. The sheer variety of exhibitions, displays and galleries means there is something for everyone. From world class art to innovative child focused play you will not be bored in Melbourne. Use our handy location finder to explore what to do nearby Melbourne’s nine most popular attractions.

 

NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA (NGV)

Poppies, placed by visitors to National Gallery Victoria, exhibition space inspired by Yayoi Kumsama, Melbourne in 2018, Australia Poppies, placed by visitors to National Gallery Victoria, exhibition space inspired by Yayoi Kumsama, Melbourne in 2018

A place to rest weary feet intent on exploring the best of Melbourne. Look for NGV’s outdoor fountain seating as a welcome sight as you enjoy the city sights.

Reviews & Tours on TripAdvisor

 

Learn Art Appreciation and see the top paintings at NGV – RESERVE NOW, PAY LATER (free cancellation)

 

WHAT TO DO NEARBY NVG, MELBOURNE?

Nearby NVG Melbourne are plenty of attractions from Southbank with its cafes, the Yarra River beckons with cruises and Herring Island sculpture trail. A short walk is the Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria.

 

 

OLD MELBOURNE GAOL

Old Melbourne Gaol, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia @National Trust of Australia – Victoria Old Melbourne Gaol @National Trust of Australia – Victoria

Shudder at the harsh sentences and executions. Australia, a master storyteller portraying 19th century penal conditions in a country partially founded on convict banishment and imprisonment.  Twilight tours, the clank of the heavy iron key. For incarnation fans don’t miss a visit to the City Watch House or the Historic Magistrates Court with its elaborate Victorian flourishes.

Reviews & Tours on TripAdvisor

 

WHAT TO DO NEARBY OLD MELBOURNE GAOL?

Nearby the Old Melbourne Gaol is located in the golden grid of Melbourne city attractions from Flinders Street shopping, Museum of Chinese Immigration nestled in Chinatown and the grid inner lanes with their street art displays.

 

 

ACMI

Federation square arts centre, ACMI, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Federation square arts centre, ACMI, Melbourne

Australian Centre for the Moving Image, ACMI offers a contemporary look at moving images in all forms from film, wall art and social media. A very popular venue in the heart of Federation Square needs no introduction to generations of video game buffs. Free entry with ticket events for specific exhibitions.

Reviews & Tours on TripAdvisor

 

WHAT TO DO NEARBY ACMI, MELBOURNE?

ACMI is unmissable for visitors with its distinctive contemporary architecture and the nearby busy city Flinders Street railway station. Stroll along Flinders Street and Collins Street enjoying the buzz of Melbourne.

 

 

IMMIGRATION MUSEUM, MELBOURNE

Joy Generator installation at the Immigration Museum, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia @immigrationmuseum_melb Joy Generator installation at the Immigration Museum, Melbourne @immigrationmuseum_melb

Immigration Museum is located in the Old Customs Building, on the bank of Birrarung (Yarra River). Melbourne, engages visitors with the history and experiences of immigration and cultural diversity.

Reviews & Tours on TripAdvisor

 

Immigration Museum Entry Ticket – BOOK NOW, PAY LATER (free cancellation)

 

WHAT TO DO NEARBY IMMIGRATION MUSEUM, MELBOURNE?

Nearby the Immigration Museum, Melbourne is SeaLife Aquarium, a family favourite destination. For lovers of street art wander Flinders Lane, Market and Williams Street looking up and around. 

 

 

AUSTRALIAN SPORTS MUSEUM

Sporting Nation Gallery, Australian Sports Museum, Melbourne. Victoria, Australia @australiansportsmuseum.org.au Sporting Nation Gallery, Australian Sports Museum, Melbourne @australiansportsmuseum.org.au

A must-do is a stadium tour with the promise of climbing the heights for panoramic views. Australia is known for its sporting culture. Explore the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and immerse yourself in the local passion of sport.

The Sports Museum is located at MCG Gate 3, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Yarra Park, East Melbourne.

Reviews & Admission Tickets

 

WHAT TO DO NEARBY AUSTRALIAN SPORTS MUSEUM?

Nearby the Australian Sports Museum holiday makers take the opportunity to visit Fitzroy Gardens with Cooks Cottage, Fairy Tree and playground popular spots for visitors to relax. Fitzroy Gardens is conveniently located on the City Tram route.

 

 

MUSEUM OF CHINESE AUSTRALIAN HISTORY

Chinese Museum, Melbourne, Victoria, Austraia @Museum of Chinese Australian History Chinese Museum, Melbourne @Museum of Chinese Australian History

A museum located in the heart of Chinatown provides visitors with a detailed insight into the daily lives of Chinese immigration to Australia. The five floors detail the heritage and culture brought to Victoria, Melbourne and the changes the new society wrought on the Chinese newcomers.

Reviews & More on TripAdvisor

 

WHAT IS THERE TO DO NEARBY MUSEUM OF CHINESE AUSTRALIANS, MELBOURNE?

Nearby the Museum of Chinese Australians is a plethora of eating establishments, gift shops and the buzz of Chinatown.

 

 

SCIENCEWORKS, SPOTSWOOD

The Glow Show at Scienceworks, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia @scienceworks_melb The Glow Show at Scienceworks, Melbourne @scienceworks_melb

An awesome place for kids and all of us who are curious about how things work. ScienceWorks inspires wonder. Relish the change of hands on experience as you are invited to tinker with gigantic machines or press lots of buttons. Fun without a textbook or preachy attitude makes this a year round Melbourne treat to visit. There is even a Planetarium for fans of deep space.

Reviews & More on TripAdvisor

 

Melbourne: Scienceworks Entry Ticket – RESERVE NOW, PAY LATER (free cancellation)

 

WHAT IS THERE TO DO NEARBY SCIENCEWORKS, SPOTSWOOD, MELBOURNE?

Nearby ScienceWorks Museum, Spotwood Melbourne is Westgate Landing Ferry and Punt terminal leading to a pleasant walk along Fishermans Wharf following the Yarra River. Are you fascinated by sewage? Visit the Pumping Station and find out more about the historic sewage station built between 1893 and 1897.

 

 

IAN POTTER CENTRE, FEDERATION SQUARE (PART OF NGV)

The Ian Potter Centre, NGV Australia, Melbourne, Victoria @visitmelbourne.com The Ian Potter Centre, NGV Australia, Melbourne @visitmelbourne.com

The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia is the world’s first major gallery dedicated exclusively to Australian art. It is a spectacular showcase comprising over 20 galleries housed within a landmark architectural complex.  The glass matrix is a city landmark feature. Explore the history and many styles and stories of Australian art through paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, photography, prints, drawings, fashion, Indigenous art and the Joseph Brown Collection.

Reviews & More on TripAdvisor

 

WHAT IS THERE TO DO NEARBY IAN POTTER CENTRE, NGV, MELBOURNE?

Visitors are spoiled for choice with things to do nearby the Ian Potter Centre. Get your bearing and hop aboard the City Tram, delve into laneways and snap shots of Melbourne’s street art or go shopping. 

 

MELBOURNE MUSEUM (CARLTON)

Melbourne Museum. Carlton, Victoria, Australia Melbourne Museum. Carlton

Classic museum collections, history, culture, science nestled in the magnificent Carlton Gardens.

Reviews & More on TripAdvisor

 

WHAT IS THERE TO DO NEARBY THE MELBOURNE MUSEUM?

The Melbourne Museum is situated in the heart of the Carlton Gardens giving visitors the opportunity to explore the Victorian era Carlton Gardens, take in the splendour of the Royal Exhibition Hall. Plan a picnic on the lush lawns with massive deciduous trees providing plenty of shady places to throw down a rug. Don’t forget to view the imposing classic foundation.

 

 

MUSEUM OF PLAY AND ART

MOPA (Museum of Art and Play), Geelong, Victoria, Australia @Art Play Productions Pty Ltd MOPA (Museum of Play and Art), Geelong @Art Play Productions Pty Ltd

A museum dedicated to children and the child in all of us. Entertainment with play and art at its centre has created a world class attraction. Success breeds success with the original location in Geelong now morphed into two compelling locations, Bay Road, Sandringham and Geelong. There is a popular cafe in both locations.

Reviews & More on TripAdvisor

 

WHAT TO THERE TO DO NEARBY MUSEUM OF PLAY & ART, GEELONG?

Visitors with kids in tow will find plenty of things to do nearby the Museum of Play & Art, Geelong, get the camera ready for plenty of selfie shots of awesome bollards, take a dip in a salt water lagoon and enjoy the waterfront cafes.

 

 

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