Melbourne Museum Precinct

History, heritage and cutting-edge

On the edge of Melbourne's city centre is the Carlton Gardens, one of the city's finest parks. Superintendent Charles La Trobe first planned the 26-hectare site in 1839.

Within the gardens, the World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building was the first non-Aboriginal cultural site in Australia to win World Heritage listing, announced by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee on 1 July 2004. Constructed in 1879-1880 to house the International Exhibition of 1880, it is the only major surviving 19th century exhibition building in Australia.

The Melbourne Museum is located in the gardens immediately to the north of the Royal Exhibition Building. With its soaring roofline and grand proportions, it is a treasure trove of exploration, education and fun, offering a wide range of activities and exhibits, including a living forest, the Children's Museum, the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre and the legendary racehorse Phar Lap. Its Science and Life Gallery is about to receive a $7 million makeover to be completed by May 2010 - the largest development ever planned by Museum Victoria.

Also located within the Melbourne Museum, the Imax Theatre houses Melbourne's biggest screen and is open every day (except Christmas Day) with films on the hour, every hour from 10am to 10pm.

Just over Nicholson Street, Gertrude Street is worth exploring for its cafés and assortment of odd shops. The Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces is a contemporary art complex of three gallery spaces and studio facilities, and the Australian Print Workshop exhibits works of emerging and established artists and has Australia's most comprehensive professional printmaking facilities.