Things to do in Melbourne
on a Rainy Day
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National Sports Museum
The National Sports Museum is found at the home of Victorian sport, the MCG. With exhibitions on Cricket, Aussie Rules Football, Horse Racing, Athletics, and many other sporting bents, this is a museum with a difference.
Some displays are interactive, so try your hand at golf, kick a goal, and cycle your way to a gold medal. While you are here, why not add-on an MCG tour? These operate on non-event days, and can be added onto price of your museum admission or purchased individually.
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Melbourne Tours
Ride a Tram
While a few Australian city’s are again embracing the humble tram into their public transport network, Melbourne’s network has been in operation since 1884. As well as a tourist ‘must do’ they are actually a great way to get around the city.
Within the CDB you can ride a tram for free so what are you waiting for? A lot of Melbourne tours depart from St Paul’s Cathedral which is near the Federation Square tram stop, so you could conveniently combine a Melbourne tour and a tram ride on the same day.
At night specialty restaurant trams run and you can combine fine dining with a ride on a restored colonial tramcar
Please note as of October 2018 the Colonial Tramcar restaurant was currently not operational
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Melbourne Museum
The Melbourne Museum, located just north of the CBD, is the closest to the traditional museum archetype, with displays about natural environment, culture and history. Highlights of the permanent museum are the race-horse Phar Lap, a complete skeleton of a Blue Whale, Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre, and an iMax Theatre.
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Melbourne Tours
Melbourne Aquarium
If you don’t feel like creaking your way through an old building, what about heading to the Melbourne Aquarium? The 2.2 million litre oceanarium is situated on the Yarra River, opposite Crown Casino and is home to fish, mammals, reptiles, penguins, amphibians and other water-living species in one spectacular location.
With 12 different habitat zones, you can see Starfish in the Mangrove Swamp, Elephant Sharks in the Bay of Rays, check out ‘Nemo’ Clownfish in the Coral Caves, be awed by the Grey Nurse sharks in the Mermaid Garden, and see the world’s largest collection of Seahorses and Seadragons in the Seahorse Pier themed wonderland. Keep exploring and see what you can find. If you want some extra excitement, the Aquarium offers additional experiences for a little extra money.
You can purchase a Glass Bottom Boat Ride and glide over the aquarium for a different perspective, a behind the scenes Stingray Encounter at feeding time, sit down with a Penguin, or even go Shark Diving!
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National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria, or NGV as it is commonly known is the oldest public art museum in Australia. Housed in very different spaces, the collection is broken into International and Australian themes. The NGV International site on St Kilda Road is the original space, and features an extensive collection or art from Europe, Asia, America and Oceania.
The NGV Australia site at the Ian Potter Centre in Federation Square now houses the gallery’s collection of indigenous and non-indigenous Australian Art. Entry to both NGV sites’ permanent collections is free, however some of the large travelling exhibitions from may involve a charge.
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Scienceworks Museum
One for the kids: Why not head to the Scienceworks Museum. About a 10-minute walk from the Spotswood Train Station about 5 km west of Melbourne CBD is the museum that the kids will love. The purpose of this museum is to make learning about science and technology fun and interactive.
You and your kids will spend hours exploring the exhibitions and demonstrations where hands-on participation is encouraged. Discover how light can bend around corners, and how mirrors work, and how lightening is generated. With a series of permanent and temporary exhibitions, there is always something new to see.
Scienceworks general entry is free for children up to 16 years of age, and the adult price is very reasonable. You may pay a small amount extra for a couple of optional shows, but still very good value for a great day of learning and fun for all. I have great memories of this from my own childhood and I know that the exhibitions are updated regularly to keep up with technology changes and the ever expanding knowledge base of our younger generations.
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Want to find out more about Melbourne? Including our favourite tours, latest specials, travel information and plenty more. See our Melbourne Things to Do Travel Guide.
State Library of Victoria
Seriously! You don’t have to hole up in your hotel room to enjoy a good yarn. There are abundant cafes where you can relax all day with a good read for the cost of a few great Melbourne coffees. Didn’t bring a book with you? Many bookstores have quiet and cozy reading corners where you can snuggle down and try a few stories before you buy your favourite page-turner.
Speaking of reading corners; why not try eight of them? Head to the State Library of Victoria and admire the six-storey octagonal LaTrobe Reading Room. The Dome covered reading room really is magnificent and the balconies on the upper levels house act as art galleries housing permanent and changing displays.
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Nicholas Building
The corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Lane looks just like any number of other circa 1920’s buildings to the architecturally ignorant, including me. The building was originally home to a variety of businesses in the nearby garment trade, as well as architects, artists and even a large printing press.
Today, the ground floor retailers are the expected souvenir shops, Subway’s and 7-Elevens, but it is what is hidden inside the other floors that is the beating heart of the building. Now home to artists, designers, vintage stores, art & craft suppliers and retailers, you’ll find all sorts of interesting, and weird & wacky finds.
Ever lose one button on your favourite jacket, and can’t a replacement to match? Try the button shop in the Nicholas building. They pride themselves on being able to find almost any button. Need lace to accent a special outfit, try the haberdashery in this building. If you’re in need of a kimono, you’ll get one at Kimono House and if you are into vintage, check out RetroStar, a huge vintage clothing and accessories store. If you are looking for a unique piece of jewellery, clothing, or art, this is the place to come.
Ride the original lifts and wander the creaky floorboards and just explore while it rains outside. Not all residents will be open every day, but it’s still fun to explore, and you can always come back on one of the regular Open Studio days.
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Curtin House
Another building hiding a secret treasure is just further up Swanston Street at number 252. The Art Nouveau style Curtin House was originally known as the Tattersalls Building and housed a Gentleman’s Club. Later it became the headquarters for the Communist Party and was subject to police raids and fell into dereliction.
In recent years, the building has been brought back to life as a social hub, with a rooftop bar and cinema, restaurants, live music venue and a bookshop and rare records store. Inconspicuous from the outside, but buzzing within, why not take some time to explore what else you can find, have a meal or enjoy a drink.
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