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  • The ornate, light-coloured facade of Melbourne Athenaeum Library, featuring classical architectural details, multiple windows on two main floors, decorative columns, and a central statue niche at the top under a cloudy blue sky.
  • Interior of Melbourne Athenaeum Library featuring a dark wooden service desk with a computer monitor on top, flanked by tall bookshelves filled with books.
24 – 26 Jul

Melbourne Athenaeum Library: A Hidden Gem

  • Free
  • Activity

The Melbourne Athenaeum Library is a secret people love finding out about. The beautiful heritage library dates back to the early days of Melbourne's history as a city in the 1830s.

During Open House Melbourne visitors can take a self-guided tour of the library's historic features, including artwork and other items. Volunteers will also be on hand to answer questions and provide information about the library's history and continuing place in Melbourne's cultural and literary landscape.

Lift available but offers restricted wheelchair access as the lift is historic and small. Library is on level 1, which is up two flights of stairs.

Hours

Date Times
Fri 24 Jul
  • 10am - 4pm 10:00am - 4:00pm
Sat 25 Jul
  • 10am - 4pm 10:00am - 4:00pm
Sun 26 Jul
  • 10am - 4pm 10:00am - 4:00pm

Location

Melbourne Athenaeum Library
188 Collins St
Melbourne 3000

Open in maps location for Melbourne Athenaeum Library

Price and bookings

This is a free event

Booking not required

Contact details

  • Visit website for Melbourne Athenaeum Library: A Hidden Gem
Facebook page for Melbourne Athenaeum Library: A Hidden Gem Instagram page for Melbourne Athenaeum Library: A Hidden Gem

Also part of Open House Melbourne Weekend

Five stylized figures with plants and flowers instead of heads, walking against a background featuring a yellow building with large dome shapes under a blue sky.
22 Jul

Melbourne Conversations: Designing with Country

How can design reveal and strengthen our connections to Country?

  • Free
  • Talk
A stately room at Government House Victoria, with a blue velvet throne style chair on a low rise stage, blue velvet bench seating on either side and architectural wall trims of arches and columns.
25 Jul

Government House: Open House

Visit Government House as part of Open House Melbourne weekend.

  • Free
  • Learning
A curved reception desk at Koorie Heritage Trust features vertical wood slat panelling, with a timber wall behind and soft lighting.
24 – 26 Jul

Koorie Heritage Trust: Open House

Learn about First Peoples cultures and songlines in art, design and architecture.

  • Free
  • Tour
A woman looking at an old archival book with yellow and green binding in front of packed shelves of the same kind of book.
25 Jul

Behind the Scenes Tour

Take a guided tour of your State Archives for Open House Melbourne.

  • Free
  • Tour

Only In The City

Winter Only in the City - Checkout the cold list

Discover more

Three people are playing a game of quadball on a grassy field, one of them is holding the yellow ball.
Until 16 Aug

Quadball Come and Try Sessions

Join a fun and inclusive come and try quadball session, perfect for beginners.

  • Free
  • Fitness
Hands arranging mahjong tiles on a table during a game.
Until 26 Jul

Mahjong Moments with Tea & Treats

Visit for a relaxing afternoon to celebrate this cultural classic of Mahjong, with tea.

  • Activity
  • Learning
People milling around a bar that's illuminated with red lights.
Until 24 Nov

Thursday Linguas Melbourne Language Exchange and Social

Meet new people and practise speaking another language.

  • Talk
  • Activity
A very happy group of people in a bar posing for a photo with sport on the TVs in the background.
Until 24 Nov

Official Linguas Melbourne Language Exchange and Social

Meet new people and practise speaking another language, weekly nights at Father's Office QV.

  • Talk
  • Activity
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Australian Aboriginal Flag Torres Strait Islander Flag

The City of Melbourne respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land we govern, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin and pays respect to their Elders past and present. We acknowledge and honour the unbroken spiritual, cultural and political connection they have maintained to this unique place for more than 2000 generations.

We accept the invitation in the Uluru Statement from the Heart and are committed to walking together to build a better future. For more information, visit Aboriginal Melbourne.

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