Melbourne Attractions

Melbourne is alive with attractions for everyone to enjoy, explore historic arcades and laneways lined with cafes and boutiques and see sporting spectaculars, art exhibitions and performing arts productions.

Shopping
Visit stylish shopping department stores and precincts like QV and GPO with the latest in fashion from locally-designed originals to the best of international brands. Are you after a bargain? Look no further than the many markets held in and around Melbourne. From the famous Queen Victoria markets in the CBD to the more suburban Camberwell Market, there is nothing you won't be able to find.

Spectator Sports
Attend some of Australia’s most exciting sporting events with thousands of fans screaming for, or against players and teams in a multitude of sports, including cricket, tennis, rugby league, rugby union, Aussie Rules, soccer, basketball, soccer, horse racing and motor racing. Melbourne is mad about sport, so make sure you get in and experience what attracts millions of locals every year.

Nightlife
Melbourne comes alive after the sun goes down with trendy bars, clubs, live music venues, jazz clubs and theatres and cinemas.

Melbourne city has some of the best bars, which are tucked away in narrow lanes, behind obscure doors or at the top or bottom of staircases. Looking for the best local and international DJs? Hit some of the city’s nightclubs to get your feet moving. During the summer time, turn up the heat with outdoor festivals.
Most nights you can find an array of live music and venues like Melbourne Park, Festival Hall or the Melbourne Concert Hall or a local pub. Catch the latest blockbuster movie at the beautifully-restored Regent and Princess theatres or a live show at the Arts Centre.

Architecture and History
Melbourne blends the past with the future offering visitors striking architectural styles. From world heritage listed venues such as the Royal Exhibition Building to the award wining modern Federation Square. Some of the outstanding, historically and architecturally significant are Como house (a colonial mansion set in five acres of garden at Toorak) and Rippon Lea (the last of Australia's great privately owned nineteenth century suburban estates).

Wildlife
Melbourne, with its lavish parks, gardens and waterways providing pockets of calm and tranquillity in the middle of the bustling city, is home to a host of bird, animal and sea life. Explore the Royal Botanic Gardens – an ornamental labyrinth of lawns, weaving paths and venerable old trees or the internationally acclaimed Melbourne Zoo with Australian native and international wildlife.

If you are visiting Melbourne don't leave without witnessing the Penguin Parade. The Penguin Parade is unique among animal displays in Australia and anywhere in the world. Every night of the year at sunset you will see these charming little fairy penguins gamely waddle up the broad beach to their nests.