Melbourne Tourist Attractions

The capital city of Victoria, Melbourne has no dearth of tourist attractions. There are parks, gardens, national reserves, historic sites, and places of entertainment. Tourists can plan a memorable vacation to Melbourne with various places to visit and many activities to indulge in. The city never disappoints the adventure lovers. The bay beaches and islands host many activities.

Melbourne tourist attractions are located in and around the city and cater to both adults and kids. There are many tours conducted from Melbourne to the city of Victoria. Several parks, botanical and zoological gardens, and historic sites are free family attractions in Melbourne. The museums and art galleries are also famous for preserving collections from Victorian era and hosting educational workshops and guided excursions. For nightlife lovers, Melbourne’s downtown region and the Central Business District would be the perfect place. The region is lined up with several pubs, clubs, discos, and casinos. The inter-city tours to scenic attractions would take a day. Sightseeing to lakes, mansions, and museums would take around 5-6 hours. If Melbourne is your weekend getaway, then there are a number of things to do.

Below given are some top destinations in Melbourne city that are largely visited by tourists every year.

The Melbourne Museum, located in Carlton Gardens, is one of the cultural institutions in the city. The museum is the largest of its kind in Southern Hemisphere region. It is also the center for Museum Victoria and Bunjilaka - the aboriginal cultural center housed within the museum.

Melbourne Museum houses seven galleries, a Children’s Gallery, and several permanent exhibits on the three floors of the museum building. The architectural design is a work of noted architect Baulderstone Hornibrook.

The Touring Hall displays the temporary exhibits. They include the Egyptian mummies and dinosaur fossils from China. Big Box is Children’s exhibits of various artistic models.

Other interesting features of the museum include the Sidney Myer Amphitheatre and the Age Theater. The ground floor of the museum features the Discovery Centre. It is a free public research centre. The museum also has a souvenir shop and restaurant for refreshments. The IMAX Theatre screens movies and documentaries in 3D format.

The following are the popular permanent exhibits at the Melbourne Museum:

• Science and Life Gallery
• Tarbosaurus
• Mamenchisaurus
• Tsintaosaurus
• Hadrosaurid
• Pteranodon
• Gallimimus
• Hypsilophodon

• Melbourne museum
• Nicholson Street
• Carlton Gardens, Victoria, Australia

The Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens is known as the Melbourne Zoo. The zoo is home to more than 320 animal species from Australia and other destinations. It is situated in north of the city and is easily accessible from any parts of Melbourne. A four-kilometer drive to the place would indeed be an action-packed experience for all the visitors.

Melbourne Zoo is the city’s oldest children attraction. Designed like the London Zoo, the national park was opened in 1862 on the Royal Park site of the city. It is spread over 55-acres. Presently, the Zoological Board of Victoria maintains and supervises the zoo activities. Besides, large number of animals, there are also section for education and excursion for school students.

This is located in central Melbourne and is one of the noted South Ocean and Antarctic aquariums. It is also close to the Yarra River in Australia. The exhibits at this marine park are divided into three levels in the museum. The following are the important categories:

You can have self guided tours at this place. The exhibits include the following:

The ground floor of the aquarium features:

Many other entertaining and recreational facilities are available in the B1 level of the building.

Level B2 displays are the Sharks Alive, BHP Billiton Shark Conservation Project, and the Animal Nursery. There is also the Oceanarium and the Ocean Theatre.

The current permanent exhibits in this large aquarium feature various kinds of marine creatures, animals, and plants. There are fish, spider crabs, scorpions, and tarantula spiders too.

The Royal Botanic Gardens rank among the popular attractions in Melbourne city. It is located adjacent to the Kings Domain and the river lies north of it. The garden is spread across 40 hectares and is home to more than 12,000 species of plants and cactus. The scenic beauty of the place and the botanical conservation efforts have made this place one of the most visited ones in the city. Several species of birds and bats also live on the trees. Other attractions of Royal Botanic Gardens are the Temple of the Winds and other rotundas in the gardens. These two structures represent the Victorian-era architecture and decors. The temple is doomed shape and has a large hall.

This site for the garden was decided upon in 1845 and the construction work began in mid 1952. The lawn trees of the garden are centuries old. Until the 1900s, the Yarra River flowed through the garden, but today the shores of the river lies within minutes of the Yarra.

Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is located in Yarra Park. It is one of Australia’s premier stadiums. It is also home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is also part of Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct. Many national and international cricket matches have taken place in this stadium. The stadium holds the record of having the tallest light towers of any sports venue in the world. Melbourne Cricket Ground is situated within walking distance of the city center. The Richmond Railway Station and Joilomont Railway Station also connect the stadium.

It is one of the famous places to visit for sports enthusiasts. The place has several events, tournaments, and other outdoor camps taking place throughout the year. Australian Rules football matches have large number of audiences. The most noted event hosted by this stadium in Australia is Commonwealth Games of 2006. It was a moment of pride for all Australians. During the year, thousands of visitors and sports personality visited the place to watch the live matches. If you are visiting Melbourne during the summer months, there will be several live matches to enjoy.

The Melbourne cruises are also an important activity that tourists and honeymooners can indulge in. There are day, evening, and nighttime cruises. You can book a Melbourne cruise package as well to make it affordable.