When it’s raining in Melbourne (which seems to happen more than you’d expect), there are several great museums to visit and escape from the weather! My three favorites are the Melbourne Museum, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, and Old Melbourne Gaol.
The Melbourne Museum is located near the Royal Exhibition Building in the Carlton Gardens, just a few blocks east of University of Melbourne’s campus. It has several different permanent and rotating exhibits. One permanent exhibit that I like is about the state of Victoria’s aboriginal people; it has artwork and other cultural artifacts, and it has a lot of history about these first Bunjilaka peoples. The best part about the Melbourne Museum is that it’s free for students – so you can go as many times as you want without paying!
The Australian Centre for the Moving Image, or ACMI, is in Federation Square in the CBD, easily accessible by trams or walking. This museum is free for the permanent exhibits, while the rotating features require a ticket. I really liked the permanent exhibit, as it contains all kinds of digital culture pieces mostly pertaining to Australia. There are pieces on video games from the 70’s to now, Australian movies and Australian actors, and other innovative technology. It’s an interactive museum, so you can play games, watch films and touch items.
Last but not least, Old Melbourne Gaol is Melbourne’s old prison that functioned up until 1929. It’s at the northeast corner of the CBD, and also easily walkable. The Gaol costs $23 for student entry, but it’s definitely worth it. Most of the jail cells are open to walk in, and each one has signboards with interesting and shocking information about the prisoners who lived there. You can learn about Ned Kelly, too, who is known as the Australian Robin Hood!