Choose from 98 Fun Things to Do in Victoria
Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm
The farm is one of Victoria’s premium berry producers and visitors can pick strawberries on the farm for a small fee. Known as ‘U-Pick’, the strawberry-picking season starts in late spring (November) and runs until early fall (April).
In addition to picking strawberries at the farm, you can enjoy one of several decadent strawberry desserts at the Dessert Café.
Depending on the season, fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and cherries are available from the Sunny Ridge Farmgate onsite. You can also purchase Sunny Ridge jams, ice creams, sorbets and freeze-dried fruits.
Combine your trip to Sunny Ridge with a visit to one of the Mornington Peninsula’s award-winning wineries.
Royal Arcade
- Wear comfortable shoes if you’re taking a walking tour—the cobbled streets of Melbourne’s laneways require sturdy footwear.
- Most shops in the arcade are open daily from 9am to 5:30pm, with reduced hours on Sunday.
- The Royal Arcade is fully wheelchair accessible.
Yarra River
- Wear comfortable shoes to walk along the Yarra’s long esplanade.
- The area’s weather can change at any moment, so bring layers and an umbrella to be prepared.
- The river offers some of the most picturesque views in the city, so come prepared with your camera.
Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery
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Wilsons Promontory
Lovingly referred to as “The Prom” by locals, this coastal outcropping is the furthest south one can go on Mainland Australia and features 50,000 hectares of untouched granite peaks backed by white sand beaches . Miles of walking tracks meander all through the pristine coastline, and hikers get to see the Australian wilderness as nature intended it. Teams of kangaroos, koalas, emus and wallabies scurry about the brush and grasslands, while penguins come to roost along the beaches at nightfall.
Though Wilsons Promontory is a widely beloved spot, it is famous for its short-yet-seemingly long distance from civilization. The Australian’s designed it this way in order to keep it a habitation for only those critters who originally found the coastal wilderness. A short trip here feels miles away from the bustle of nearby towns, and the silence lets visitors hear the ocean, the breeze, and even the unique “squeak” that comes from walking barefoot on the Prom’s own Squeaky Beach. A unique experience to be sure.
Werribee Open Range Zoo
- Queues can be long especially in peak season (December and January), so it’s best to book your tickets in advance.
- On-site facilities include free parking, picnic areas, and a range of restaurants, cafés, and kiosks.
- If visiting with young children, there is an indoor play area and a miniature safari tour that’s specifically designed for toddlers.
- Safari tours are wheelchair accessible and suitable for all ages.
Royal Exhibition Building
- Allow time to wander UNESCO-listed Carlton Gardens with its splendid fountains.
- The bohemian suburb of nearby Fitzroy has a range of indie bars and restaurants and is a good stop for lunch.
- Both gardens and building are wheelchair accessible. Ask at Melbourne Museum cloakroom if you want to use a provided wheelchair to tour the Royal Exhibition Building.
Rod Laver Arena
Named after the tennis player Rod Laver, a three-time winner of the Australian Open, the Arena is the centerpiece of the Melbourne Park complex and features a retractable roof to help players cope with the city’s unpredictable weather and, at times, extreme summer heat.
Also hosting music concerts, sporting events and other performances, the Rod Laver Arena, sees over 1.5 million visitors through its doors each year. Attracting some of the biggest names in the music business, past performers include Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, Linkin Park, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams, Black Sabbath and P!NK.
Tours of the Arena are held daily except when concerts or events are scheduled. Offering visitors the chance to walk in the shoes of some the world’s top tennis players, the tour takes you through Rod Laver Area and the Superbox as well as the Walk of Champions, the Davis Cup Room, and the player’s changing rooms. Keen tennis players can also arrange to have a game on court!
Rochford Wines
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Sherbrooke Forest
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Luna Park
This ultimate city fair has brightened St Kilda’s Lower Esplanade for more than a century, featuring a classic Ferris Wheel, the Jewel in the Crown Carousel, the Silly Serpent Rollercoaster and a haunted Ghost Train, as well as many other family-fun and thrilling rides.
The most famous Luna Park ride is the Scenic Railway Roller Coaster, which has delighted passengers with paramount views of Port Phillip Bay since the Park opened in 1912.
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The Park sells all sorts of wonderful carnival food, like fairy floss and hot chips, to keep patrons well fed between rides.
Getting there is a breeze, with regular trams and buses between central Melbourne and St Kilda.
Royal Botanic Gardens
The lovely landscaped grounds of Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens spread for almost 100 acres south of the city center, providing Melbourne with the much-appreciated foliage of more than 50,000 plants.
The gardens were established in 1846, and over the years they've become recognised as one of the finest examples of Victorian-era landscaping in the world. The mix of native and introduced species provides inspiration for would-be gardeners, and the manicured lawns are a popular spot for picnics and parties.
You'll find tranquil ornamental lakes dotted with waterbirds, a herbarium and an observatory, plus conservatories and glasshouses filled with exotic blooms. Follow winding pathways past fern gullies and eucalyptus, or join Melbourne's joggers running rings around The Tan, the gardens' running track
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Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens are on the southern bank of the Yarra River, edging the upmarket suburb of South Yarra. They're a pleasant 15-minute walk from the city center – just cross the river to St Kilda Road then follow your nose into the trees. Trams run up and down St Kilda Road throughout the day, or you can take a South Yarra-bound tram to Domain Road to enter the gardens through the main gate.
Lygon Street
Still referred to by some as ‘little Italy’, Lygon Street was once the epicenter of Melbourne’s café culture and more than part way responsible for the city’s enduring caffeine obsession. Victorian terraces still line the street and several Italian restaurants continue to beckon passers-by to eat and drink at their street-side tables.
As you walk along Lygon Street you get a sense of its diversity: Italian-influenced restaurants, cafes, cake shops and gelati bars still dominate the scene but you will also discover a whole swathe of mainstream and boutique clothing stores, one of Melbourne’s best independent bookstores (Readings Books & Music); La Mama Theatre and Cinema Nova, Melbourne’s largest and most treasured arthouse cinema.
Faraday Street intersects Lygon Street at its northern end and it’s here that you’ll find Brunetti’s, a long-standing Carlton institution that serves the best cakes and gelato in town.
You Yangs Regional Park
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Shrine of Remembrance
The Shrine was originally built to remember those who fought in World War One and is now open to the public for commemoration and education about all Australian victims of war. Permanent exhibitions show medals awarded to soldiers and records of service men and women. Temporary exhibitions and free daily tours at 11am and 2pm also allow visitors a chance to expand their understanding of Australia’s involvement in international conflicts.
The unique shrine is easily recognised by the two identical porticoes supported by eight Doric columns and topped with a pyramidal roof inspired by an ancient Mausoleum. The result of combining the Athenian and Turkish architectural designs in a bold white structure is nothing short of stunning.
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Opening hours are 10am and 5pm daily, with the exception of Good Friday and Christmas Day when it is closed. On ANZAC Day, the Shrine hosts a dawn service at 6am, an ANZAC march at 9am and a commemorative service at 1pm.
Shrine entry is free, but donations are encouraged. A gold coin donation will also allow visitors to lay a poppy in respect. Etiquette requires visitors to remove hats inside, turn off mobile phones and keep food and drinks outside.
The onsite Visitor’s Centre offers maps and advice, and the Shrine of Remembrance shops sell memorabilia.
The Nobbies Centre
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Williamstown
Melbourne’s original sea port is characterised with heritage landmarks that have endured more than 150 years on the salty edge of Hobsons Bay and Port Phillip Bay. The Old Morgue is made of bluestone and was built by convicts in 1859. The Timeball Tower at Point Gellibrand was built in 1855 as a lighthouse and timeball, and continues to keep time today. The Mechanics Institute built in 1860 now houses the Williamstown Historic Society and is open to the public every Sunday between noon and 4pm.
Williamstown is also a scenic spot for a walk along the promenade, some fish and chips by the pier and a view of the Melbourne city skyline. Finer dining and boutique browsing amongst Williamstown’s beautiful old buildings is another appealing way to spend an afternoon.
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You can also take a train on the Williamstown line from Flinders Street Station or Southern Cross Station. Note that there are stations at North Williamstown, Williamstown Beach and Williamstown; Williamstown Station is the closest to Gem Pier and Point Gellibrand.
Parliament House of Victoria
- The neoclassical frontage makes a stop at Parliament House a must for architecture buffs.
- If Parliament is not sitting, you can visit for a traditional high tea, served since 1924: Booking in advance is advised.
- There is wheelchair access to much of Parliament House.
St Kilda
Once a desirable suburb for Melbourne’s elite in Victorian and Edwardian times, St Kilda has a fascinating history and still features many of its original mansions and iconic attractions today.
Fitzroy Street runs from the southern side of Albert Park all the way down to St Kilda Beach. Packed with notable restaurants, cafes, pubs and shops, as well as budget and top end accommodation, it's a lively street that is great for people watching and hanging out in pavement cafés.
Acland Street runs parallel to the beach and offers more of the same attractions with the addition of the popular Sunday art-and-craft market (on the Esplanade) and some fabulously drool-worthy cake shops.
It is possible to walk along St Kilda beach for several kilometers in either direction. Head north towards the city and the suburbs of Albert Park and Port Melbourne or south to Elwood and the gentrified suburb of Brighton and beyond.
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State Library of Victoria
Dominating an entire city block on the corner of Swanston and La Trobe Streets, the library is worth exploring for its heritage architecture alone, which includes tiled floors, grand marble staircases, stained glass and bluestone walls. Free-guided tours are available that take you to the library’s spectacular domed-ceilinged and Redmond Barry Reading Rooms as well as the permanent and temporary exhibitions that are held in one of the library’s three galleries.
Many people visit the library for traditional activities such as work or study, or to read the free newspapers and magazines, however, you can also play traditional and online games, listen to music, watch movies or simply take advantage of the free wireless internet. Regular events also take place at the library including children’s activities, screenings, performances, classes and workshops. There is also an excellent bookshop and a popular café.