Top 20 Activities for Kids in Central Melbourne
Central Melbourne is a great place for kids and families, whether you are a first time visitor to our marvellous city or a long term resident.
There is free transport on trams within the central area and all these attractions are within a short walk of a stop on the free tram.
ArtVo
An immersive art gallery or 'trick art' gallery where visitors interact with the artworks, photographing themselves and becoming part of the art.
Address: 26 Star Crescent, Docklands
Phone: (03) 9600 1118
Cost: $30 Adult, $20 Child (5 to 15 years), Free Child (0 to 4 years), $88 Family (2 Adult & 2 Children)
Melbourne Museum
The Melbourne Museum explores life from the natural environment to culture and history. Galleries include the Science and Life Gallery, Forest Gallery, Melbourne Gallery, Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Te Pasifika Gallery and the Children's Gallery which is packed with things for little kids to see and do.
Address: 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton
Phone: 1300 130 152
Cost: $15 Adult, Free Child (to 16 years)
O'Brien Group Arena Ice Skating
The premier ice skating rink in Melbourne with facilities for all levels of skaters and a range of activities for the whole family. If you are an absolute beginner, free 15-minute skating lessons are offered every weekend.
Address: 105 Pearl River Road, Docklands
Phone: 1300 756 699
Cost: $29.90 Adult, $15.90 Child under 8 years, $84 Family (2 adults + 2 children), $3 Non-skate spectator entry, $7 1 hr skate hire
Polly Woodside
Polly Woodside is a historic museum ship moored at South Wharf. Built in Belfast in 1885, the three masted cargo vessel carried coal and wheat between England and South America. You can join the crew, come aboard for a tour of the ship and discover what life was like on a tall ship sailing the seven seas.
Polly Woodside offers a range of activities for visitors including a gallery with the story and history of the ship, children's crew calls, Pirate Days and a wharf with picnic facilities.
Address: 2A Clarendon Street, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9699 9760
Cost: $16 Adults, $9.50 Child (3-15 years), $43 Family (2 Adults and 2 Children)
Melbourne Aquarium
Get up close to penguins, huge sharks, sawfish, stingrays, seahorses, thousands of tropical fish and lots more. Zones include Ice Age 4D cinema experience, Penguin playground with King and Gentoo penguins, Coral Caves, Bay of Rays, Discovery Rockpools, Crocodile Lair, Mermaid Garden (a 2.2 million litre Oceanarium), Coral Atoll, Interactive Wonder Wall, Shipwreck Explorer with Let's Talk Ocean Predators talks at set times, Seahorse Pier and Rainforest Adventure.
Address: Cnr Kings Way and Flinders Street, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9923 5999
Cost: $42.30 adult (16+), $28.80 Child (3-15), Free Child (0-2), $128 Family (2 adults + 2 children) (discounts available by booking online)
IMAX Melbourne
3D documentaries and blockbuster movies are screened on the world's third-largest screen, a fully immersive experience.
Address: 107 Rathdowne Street, Carlton
Phone: (03) 9663 5454
Cost: $18-33 Adult, $14-22 child. Prices vary depending on the film and screening times.
Old Melbourne Gaol
The Old Melbourne Gaol was built in the mid-1800s and held dangerous criminals alongside petty offenders, the homeless and the mentally ill. Between 1842 and its closure in 1929 the gaol was the scene of 133 hangings including Australia's most infamous citizen, the bushranger Ned Kelly. Find out what life was like for the men and women who lived and died here all those years ago.
Address: 357 Russell Street, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 8663 7228
Cost: $33 Adult, $20 Child (5-15 years), $77 Family (2 adults + 2 children)
National Sports Museum
The museum examines the contribution that sport has made to the development of our uniquely Australian culture. The achievements of Australian sportsmen and sportswomen at all levels are showcased within interactive exhibitions, which represent all sports played within Australia. In the Game On! zone you can test your goal-kicking skills against AFL players, cycle against friends and test your reaction times. Other zones include Olympics, Australian Football, Sport Australia Hall of Fame, Cricket, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Horse Racing and short sporting films on rotation.
Address: MCG, Brunton Avenue, Richmond
Phone: (03) 9657 8879
Cost: $30 Adult, $15 Child (5-15), Free Child (Under 5), $75 Family (2 adults + 2 children). A tour of the MCG is the same price and a tour and visit to the museum can be combined for a discounted price.
Australian Centre for the Moving Image
Discover the world of the moving image in Australia's only national museum of film, videogames, digital culture and art.
Address: Federation Square, Cnr St Kilda Road and Flinders Street, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 8663 2583
Cost: Free
Fitzroy Gardens
Fitzroy Gardens is located a short walk east of the city fringe and attractions include Cooks' Cottage, a Tudor Village, the Fairy Tree, dragon playground, fountains, sculptures and a Conservatory.
Built in 1755, Cooks' Cottage is the oldest building in Australia. Originally located in Yorkshire, England, the cottage was brought to the Fitzroy Gardens in 1934.
Address: Cnr Clarendon Street and Grey Street, East Melbourne
Cost: Free except for Cooks' Cottage: $7.20 Adults, $3.90 Children (5-15 years), $19.70 Family (2 adults, 2 children)
Street Art
Melbourne's lanes are a kaleidoscope of street art. Some of Australia's best street artists have created epic artwork.
Address: Across Melbourne's lanes
Cost: Free
Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia
The centre houses the Australian part of the art collection of the National Gallery of Victoria. The extensive galleries contain many iconic Australian paintings and artwork.
Address: Federation Square, Cnr St Kilda Road and Flinders Street, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 8662 1555
Cost: Free (except for special exhibitions)
National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)
The art gallery is Australia's oldest and pre-eminent public art museum which hosts major exhibitions and has a fine collection of art from around the world. There are plenty of kid friendly areas including a sculpture garden at the rear and the iconic waterwall at the front.
Address: 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 8662 1555
Cost: Free (except for special exhibitions)
Glow Golf
An indoor glow-in-the-dark mini golf course which features 18 fun, quirky holes with an Australiana theme.
Address: 35 Star Crescent, Docklands
Phone: (03) 9642 5442
Cost: $12 Adult, $12 Child, Free child under 5 years
Eureka Skydeck and The Edge
Eureka Skydeck has 360 degree, floor-to-ceiling views over Melbourne's CBD, sports precinct, Docklands and other precincts. The Edge extends from Eureka Tower's 88th floor and suspends you nearly 300 meters over Melbourne in a glass cube - glass walls, ceiling and floor which you can see through!
Address: Riverside Quay, Southbank
Phone: (03) 9693 8888
Cost: Entry to Skydeck is $28 Adult, $18.50 Child (4 - 16 Years). Additional cost for The Edge is: $15 Adult, $10.50 Child (4 - 16 Years).
Escape Rooms
There are a number of escape rooms in central Melbourne. You form a team which is locked in a room and find hidden objects, solve riddles and crack clues to try and beat the clock to escape the room. Try and escape from these places:
Escape Hunt Melbourne at 190 Queen Street, Melbourne. Phone: (03) 9600 1086. Cost: About $49 per person.
Strike Melbourne Central at 211 LaTrobe Street, Melbourne. Phone: 1300 787 453. Cost: About $39 per person.
Strike Bowling QV at 245 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Phone: 1300 787 453. About $39 per person.
Trapt Escape Room at 377 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Phone: (03) 9077 7941. About $49 per person.
Queen Victoria Market
Victoria's premier open-air market pulsates with life which draws in lots of visitors. The market is best known for its huge variety of fresh produce while the remainder of the market is used for variety and speciality goods. On Sundays the hustle and bustle of the weekday market gives way to a more relaxed and leisurely family day. Queen Street is closed and converted into an outdoor cafe area with children's rides and other activities.
Address: 513 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9320 5822
Cost: Free
Viri Virtual Reality Experience
Offers an immersive single player VR experience including The Plank, Archery, Racing, Horror and Flight Simulation or multi-player games.
Address: 555 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9080 5745
Cost: $45 per person (single player), $55 per person (multi-player experience)
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
An inner-city oasis comprising 38 hectares of garden beds, lakes and sweeping lawns. A popular attraction is The Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden which helps children discover the natural world: plant tunnels that they can crawl through, rocks that they can climb, bamboo forest in which they can hide and a water play area during the warmer months.
Take a guided boat cruise around the bays and islands of Ornamental Lake, a free guided walking tour or hop on the Garden Explorer train and listen to the commentary about the Gardens.
Address: Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9252 2300
Cost: Free admission to the gardens. Guided punt cruise is $25 Adult, $15 Child (5-15 years) and $75 Family (2 Adults & 3 Children). The Garden Explorer train is $15 Adult and $10 Child (5-17 years).
Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq
A one-stop entertainment destination hosting 67 arcade games, bowling lanes, an interactive XD motion theatre and dodgems. Note: After 8pm the venue is not suitable for those under 18.
Address: 440 Docklands Drive, Docklands
Phone: 1300 888 386
Cost: Entry is free and pay for what you participate in. Bowling is $18-22 per game ($10-22 for under 18), Laser tag is $14 per game and load $30-$100 for the arcade games.
Many of these attractions are quite expensive and that's where Small Ideas comes in. They provide big discounts to many of these locations.
Note: Prices have been updated at March 2023.
