Museums and art galleries

A couple in a gallery looking up at a sign that says count down.

The best free museums and art galleries in Melbourne

Explore world-class museums, edgy artist-run spaces and blockbuster exhibitions for free.

Child looking over right shoulder with delighted smile, dark dinosaur model behind.

Melbourne Museum

Explore history, culture, science and nature at this popular Melbourne attraction.

Large, rectangular building of Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square.

Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

The world’s first major gallery dedicated exclusively to Australian art.

Two children resting their hands on the glass water wall at NGV International.

NGV International

NGV International houses a whole world of international art.

The geometric exterior of ACMI at Federation Square in Melbourne.

ACMI

Museum dedicated to the moving image through events, film screenings and exhibitions.

Three-storey historic building of the Immigration Museum on busy Flinders Street.

Immigration Museum

An exploration of the stories of people from all over the world who have migrated to Australia.

Baby looking in a mirror.

Children's Gallery Melbourne Museum

This is a wondrous place for young children to explore, play and learn.

People browsing a museum with paper lanterns and artwork.

Museum of Chinese Australian History

Museum preserving and displaying the history of Chinese immigration.

Museum displays featuring a kangaroo and emu wearing sports socks.

Australian Sports Museum

The Australian Sports Museum proudly features the largest sporting collection in the country.

A museum visitor in an exhibition space using a screen, surrounded by display objects.

Australian Music Vault

A celebration of Australian contemporary music – past, present and future.

Innovative architecture of contemporary ACCA art gallery.

Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA)

An art gallery presenting challenging and innovative contemporary work.

People walking past City Gallery, located within the Melbourne Town Hall building in Swanston Street.

City Gallery

City Gallery presents free exhibitions from City of Melbourne’s art and heritage collection.

The two-storey Georgian building facade of The Johnston Collection house museum, with small trees in the front garden.

The Johnston Collection

View beautiful objects arranged in a house-museum setting unfettered by ropes or barriers.

Wooden cottage with white walls and blue shutters.

La Trobe's Cottage

Original home of Victoria's first governor Charles Joseph La Trobe from 1839 to 1854.

Exterior of Hellenic Museum at twilight, with city buildings visible in the background.

Hellenic Museum

Discover Greek art, history and culture, both ancient and contemporary.

Displays inside Melbourne Museum's Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre.

Bunjilaka

Celebrating the history, culture, achievements, and survival of Victoria's Aboriginal people.

Two people standing in a gallery space with displays of Indian sculptures.

Mystik River Gallery

Specialising in the ancient art of Indian sculpting.

Old sepia photo of horse-drawn fire vehicles.

Fire Services Museum of Victoria

Australia's largest collection of fire-fighting memorabilia.

External view of Fox Collection redbrick building with arches, against a glass-walled skyscraper.

Fox Classic Car Collection

See some of the most iconic cars in the world.

People entering the museum arched entrance under leafy trees.

Grainger Museum

An autobiographical museum of acclaimed musician and composer Percy Grainger.

Old-fashioned wooden chemist's counter with cabinets containing jars behind.

Medical History Museum

A free museum focusing on medicine's contribution to scientific discovery and community wellbeing.

Neo-classical pediment and columns of College of Surgeons' Museum building.

College of Surgeons Museum

An exhibition of surgical objects and memorabilia.

Exterior of an old building with columns and a modern geometric extension.

RMIT Gallery

Engaging contemporary art exhibitions featuring both emerging and established artists.

Interior of Fad Gallery Bar with small tables and chairs, bar area, artwork on the walls and table lamps.

Fad Gallery Bar

A bar, an art gallery, live music venue, filled with all the damn fine things since 1995.

Inside the Peruvian streetwear store Awen.

Awen Company Store Gallery

A Peruvian streetwear store gallery.

Two chronometer-style Yacht Master watches with digit-heavy dials.

The Watch Gallery

Specialist dealer in pre-owned, modern and collectable Swiss watches.

Exterior of an old building with columns and a modern geometric extension.

First Site Gallery

Showcasing RMIT student talent with rotating exhibitions and events.

Contemporary sculptural artworks on display on the floor and wall of a gallery.

Anna Schwartz Gallery

The gallery represents over 30 established and emerging artists on individual projects.

Interior of Arc One Gallery displaying bright artworks hanging on a white wall.

ARC ONE Gallery

A commercial gallery in Flinders Lane showing contemporary Australian art.

Exhibition space with polished black floors, white walls and two banner style artworks hanging from the ceiling.

Fiona and Sidney Myer Gallery

Contemporary art space presenting new works by Australian and international artists.

The exterior of an art gallery with stained glass arch above the door and art on the walls inside

Flinders Lane Gallery

Exhibiting collectable artworks and featuring solo exhibitions every three weeks.

Framed drawing for sale on the white wall of Outre Gallery.

Outre Gallery

Alternative art gallery specialising in lowbrow, pop surrealism and underground art.

St Collins Lane entry with a glimpse of Leica's round red neon sign inside.

Leica Store and Gallery Melbourne

Showcasing the full range of Leica cameras, lenses and sport optics.

The exterior of a cafe with a Victorian verandah.

One Star Lounge & Gallery

Friendly cafe, bar and contemporary art gallery.

Person walking past artworks on a gallery wall.

Stephen McLaughlan Gallery

Curated contemporary art space in the iconic Nicholas Building.

A tall brick building with people outside and a large detailed entrance.

Science Gallery Melbourne

A free gallery where arts and science collide.

Three women joining hands and fooling around against a fantasy backdrop.

ArtVo

An interactive 3D art gallery with optical illusions that visitors can touch and explore.

The exterior of the Koorie Heritage Trust at Fed Square with a yellow KHT sign out the front.

Koorie Heritage Trust

An Australian First Peoples arts and cultural centre.

A Ferris wheel in the city at sunset with colourful reflections on the river.

Melbourne’s most Instagrammable experiences

You won't need filters at the city's most photogenic spots.

Two people enjoying a drink on a bar balcony in the city.

Accessible hidden gems in Melbourne

From cafes in unexpected places to unique galleries and museums, these spaces are all accessible.

Discover more

People walking by Flinders Street Station.

Monthly highlights

Make the most of your visit to Melbourne with our monthly guides to what's on in the city.

People sitting in a dark movie theatre and facing the screen.

Film

Melbourne has a thriving film scene, with film festivals and screenings at cinemas year-round.

Chinese dragons at the front of a festival parade.

Chinatown

Let the hanging lanterns guide you along Little Bourke Street into Australia’s oldest Chinatown.

A performer on stage wearing an extravagant, feathery costume.

Theatre and shows

Discover Melbourne's hit musicals, cutting-edge theatre and late-night cabaret shows.