Free Museums in Docklands

"Melbourne Museum is perfect if you want to show the kids the many different aspects of life in Victoria: from tall trees to old dinosaur bones, to Aboriginal artefacts to Melbourne’s most favourite racehorse Phar Lap. If you are visiting with a toddler, the Children’s Gallery will be perfect for you (opens 4 Dec 2016), a hands-on exploration facility for the under-5’s for an immersive educational experience. https://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum"

"The children’s gallery at Melbourne Museum has so many experiences, both inside and out. In other parts of the museum, you can crawl along the dinosaur walk, see the various rocks and stones, explore the rainforest gallery or just stare at the tiny (and not so tiny) insects. Be sure to check their website to see what's on for Melbourne kids this week."

"From the natural environment to culture and history, Melbourne Museum explores life in Victoria. The museum includes a special gallery just for children...."

"Another one of the educational things to do for families in Melbourne is a visit to the Immigration Museum. The Immigration Museum is in the Old Customs House, which was the former administrative centre for Melbourne’s immigration and customs. Over two floors, the museum documents the history of immigration in Australia, the various policies in place over time and the multiple reasons certain people have immigrated to Australia."

"Through emotive exhibitions, Melbourne’s Immigration Museum investigates Victoria’s multicultural identity. Located within Victoria’s Old Customs House, the museum explores the eventful and at time harrowing immigrant stories through exhibits such as Leaving Home, Journeys of a Lifetime and Getting In. The museum also features a Discovery Centre where you can trace your genealogical history and a Tribute Garden."

"Immigration Museum A fascinating exploration into how Australia has been shaped by migrants, this museums tells the story of people who have travelled across the world and ended up in the cosmopolitan city of Melbourne. It’s an engaging and refreshing set of exhibitions that give you insights about Australia’s multicultural backgrounds."

"Endeavoring to preserve and promote ‘the artistic and cultural heritage of ancient and modern Greece’, the Hellenic Museum holds a vast collection of artifacts. See Cypriot pottery, cast ancient Greek statues, and check out Bill Henson’s photographic installation ONEIROI.Starting in 2014, for 10 years the Hellenic Museum will also house a priceless collection of antiquities from the Benaki Museum, Athens, showcasing 8,000 years of Greek civilisation to Melbourne."

"Going back even further in time, several millennia in fact, there’s the Hellenic Museum, which is house in the original Royal Mint building. Many of the pieces in the permanent exhibition are from ancient times – marble statues and byzantine paintings, for examples. A partnership with Greece’s Benaki Museum means there are a number of impressive antiquities here."

"Australia’s rich maritime history unravels through the Polly Woodside ship that has preserved antiquity in its bowels. The ship was launched in Belfast in 1885, and had sailed 1.5 million kilometres around the globe. Today, it is located in Melbourne's South Wharf precinct and is one of the major attractions of the city."

"Polly Woodside is a three-masted iron-hulled barque, built in Belfast in 1885. She carried coal, nitrate, and wheat between Britain and South America, then cargo in the New Zealand trade. She became a coal hulk in 1923, and was used as a service lighter in WWII in New Guinea."

"A museum ship is a perfect hands-on experience that will delight kids of all ages. In Melbourne, have a look at the Polly Woodside which can be found at 21 South Wharf Promenade. The ship is 130 years old and has circumnavigated the world 17 times!"

"Known as either the Museum of Chinese Australian History, or just simply the Chinese Museum, the institution has the goal or preserving and presenting the impact of Chinese immigration on the country and the city. There are exhibitions dedicated to particularly influential times, such as the Gold Rush when thousands of Chinese people came to Victoria. But there’s also the world’s biggest processional Dai Loong Dragon and lots of other interesting memorabilia such as clothes and photographs."

"The Melbourne Chinese museum has just been through a major redevelopment. It covers the stories of the Chinese community that has been part of Melbourne for over 150 years. A new interactive exhibition called Bridge of Memories tells the personal stories of Chinese migrants, who began arriving in Melbourne from the 1850s."

"The geometric, zinc-clad home of Melbourne art collectors Charles and Leah Justin doubles as the Justin Art House Museum. Book ahead for a private tour of the couple's dynamic collection of contemporary art, consisting of more than 250 pieces amassed over four decades. There's a strong emphasis on video and digital art, with the works rotated regularly. Guided tours take around two hours. The house was designed by the couple's daughter, Elisa."

"With over 21 years of experience with wedding cakes and special occasion pastries, Melina Regnier has established a name for creating beautiful wedding cakes that are specially designed to satisfy any style request imaginable. From towering tiered cakes to those that are beautifully suspended in the air, each one is lovingly made to the highest standards. Location: Cheltenham, VIC"

"The calm waters of Elwood Beach make it great for swimming, and sometimes there’s enough surf for some boogie boarding. There’s the Bayside Trail bike and running track if you fancy a walk or cycle, plus cafes a’plenty. Getting there: Elwood Beach is 9km from the city centre."

"A little bit further south, Elwood Beach comes with plenty of parking and is less crowded than its famous neighbour St Kilda. Elwood has a great beachside vibe with quaint little shops and cute cafes. The promenade is great for prams and scooters."

"Werribee Open Range Zoo offers families an African adventure close to home. Kids will love to check out the rhinos whose survival is under serious threat, you can come face-to-face with a pride of lions in a dramatic savannah landscape at Lions on the Edge, and you can even take a Family Off Road Safari- ride around in a protected car as you get super close to giraffes, hippos, zebras, and ostriches. For more information, visit their website."

"Visit SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium, Melbourne Zoo or Werribee Open Range Zoo Once back down at ground level, head to SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium to discover the amazing range of creatures from a variety of seascapes including the depths of Antarctica, Rivers, Reefs and the weird and wonderful that live further down below the ocean's surface."

"Go on an African adventure with the kids and take them on a safari tour they will never forget. Gorillas, giraffes, zebras, lions, and hippos are all part of the animal family. But you must’ miss the kangaroos either!"

"Looking for a one-stop shop for multiple fun things for kids to do in Melbourne?. Then head down to the District Docklands as there are numerous Melbourne family attractions here (keep reading below for more details about these family attractions Melbourne offers). The District Docklands is an outdoor shopping centre that is also a great dining and entertainment precinct."

"Enter at Degraves Street, which is lined with cafés and coffee shops, then cross Collins Street to visit the exquisite, 1892-built Block Arcade. The arcade is full of old-world charm, from antique jewellery stores to traditional tailors and the treasured Hopetoun Tea Rooms. In the afternoon take a stroll around the Royal Botanic Gardens or join a tour to see the inner sanctum of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). If you're visiting between March and September make sure you see a game of AFL (Australian rules football)."

"Standing in stark contrast to the city's laneways, are its glamourous arcades. They replace street art and cobblestones with boutique shops and tiled floors. The city features several glamourous arcades, including The Royal Arcade, the oldest arcade in Australia."