Fun Things to Do in Melbourne with Kids
Majestic Melbourne is the perfect place for your next family holiday. With loads of great day trips, fun attractions and green open spaces for the kids to run around, everyone is assured a FUN time.
Melbourne is a great destination for families as the city and its surrounds are packed with fun and exciting attractions and activities for kids and grown-ups alike. From zoos and wildlife parks to safe swimming beaches and easy cycling trails, there are so many fun things to do in Melbourne with kids.
Here are some of the best kid-friendly activities you can try out on your next family holiday to Melbourne.
Melbourne City Attractions
Melbourne city centre caters for families and kids like no other Australian city. With so many things to do and see, we’ve hand-picked the star attractions so you get the best experience in this vibrant city.
Melbourne Star Observation Wheel
Young and old alike will love taking a ride on the Melbourne Star located in the city’s waterfront precinct of Docklands. Get a bird’s eye view of Melbourne as you ride high above the cityscape.
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
Address: 101 Waterfront Way, Docklands
Eureka Skydeck 88
As the Southern Hemisphere’s highest viewing platform, the Eureka Skydeck is an experience every family member will love. Kids will really enjoy the ‘Edge Experience’ where they can walk onto a platform outside the building.
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
Address: 7 Riverside Quay, Southbank
Polly Woodside
Polly Woodside is one of Melbourne’s most iconic attractions: a tall ship first launched in 1885 and sailed 1.5 million kilometres around the globe. Sign up as a crew member for a complete tour of the ship where you have to do all the work – scrub the deck and haul the sail.
Opening hours: 8:30am to 5pm, daily
Address: 2A Clarendon Street, South Wharf
Collingwood Children’s Farm
Held every Sunday morning in Abbotsford, the Collingwood Children’s Farm is a great way for kids to get hands-on with farm animals in a safe and friendly environment. From patting sheep to holding bunny rabbits, every kid will love this family day out.
Opening hours: 9:15am to 4:30pm, daily
Address: 18 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford
Wildlife Zoos, Parks & Aquariums
Meet some of Melbourne’s most exciting creatures at one of the city’s amazing wildlife zoos, parks and aquariums. They’re so cute you’ll want to take one home with you!
Melbourne Zoo
You won’t believe how many animals are at the Melbourne Zoo! Visit roaming tigers, see eye to eye with orangutans and meet a family of elephants. Spy unique native wildlife in the Australian bush setting and see cute little penguins and seals at play.
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm, daily
Address: Elliott Avenue, Parkville
Werribee Open Range Zoo
Get onboard for a guided safari across the unique open range savannah and spot rhinos, giraffes and zebras! Come face to face with a pride of lions, visit one of the world’s largest gorilla exhibits, see cheeky monkeys at play and discover a family of hippos in the wetland home.
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm, daily
Address: K Road, Werribee South
Healesville Sanctuary
Wander through the tranquil tracks and meet iconic Australian animals including koalas, kangaroos, platypus, dingoes, wombats and emus. Enjoy feeding Australia’s best loved birds and don’t miss the thrilling shows and presentations.
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm, daily
Address: Badger Creek Road, Healesville
SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium
Home to thousands of aquatic animals, including one of the world’s largest Saltwater Crocodiles, SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium takes you on an interactive adventure from the depths of the ocean to the icy waters of Antarctica.
Opening hours: 9:30am to 6pm, daily
Address: Cnr King & Flinders Streets
Fun-Filled Theme Parks
Who said theme parks are just for kids? Release your inner child when you enter one of the fun and exciting theme parks in Melbourne only a short ride from the city centre.
Luna Park
Located in the heart of St Kilda is Luna Park, the biggest and best theme park in Melbourne. From jaw-dropping thrill rides to family-friendly rides, everyone is sure to have an awesome time at Luna Park.
Opening hours: 11am to 6pm, weekends, longer during Victorian school holidays
Address: 18 Lower Esplanade, St Kilda
Wonderland Fun Park
With dodgem cars, bungee jump trampolines, roller coasters and much more, the Wonderland Fun Park offers a carnival atmosphere all year round. The Wonderland Spiegeltent hosts regular cabaret shows and family-friendly events and is also worth a visit.
Opening hours: 11am to 5pm, weekends
Address: 120 Pearl River Road, Harbour Town, Docklands
Galactic Circus
Head to Galactic Circus for Australia’s largest indoor interactive theme park. Featuring the latest and greatest prize and video arcade games, fully-themed indoor laser skirmish arena, state-of-the-art bowling lanes, motion rides and simulators, it promises to be fun for the whole family.
Opening hours: 10am to 2am, daily
Address: Ground Floor, Crown Entertainment Complex
Childrens’ Museums
Combine a kids’ day out with a fun and interactive learning experience at one of Melbourne’s great museums. Catch a 3D show, learn about dinosaurs and bugs or how science works.
Melbourne Museum
From Darwin to dinosaurs and bugs to bygone machines, the Melbourne Museum is brimming with history and science kids will want to learn about. Located in the beautiful Carlton Gardens, the Melbourne Museum is well worth a visit.
Opening hours: 10am to 5pm, daily
Address: 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton Gardens
IMAX
For some indoor entertainment, Let the power of IMAX 3D transport you to exotic and amazing locations around the globe, under the sea and out of this world, or see the latest Hollywood Blockbusters on the world’s third largest screen wrapped in 15,000 watts of digital surround sound.
Opening hours: 9:45am to 10pm, daily
Address: Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton Gardens
Scienceworks
Hop on a train and head to Yarraville for a visit to the Scienceworks Museum. From exhibits and activities for the kids to shows and performances aimed at adults, this museum makes learning about science and technology a fun interactive adventure.
Opening hours: 10am to 4:30pm, daily
Address: 2 Booker Street, Spotswood
Safe Swimming Beaches
Melbourne is not known for its beaches but on a hot, sunny day it’s the perfect place to take the kids for a swim. Due to its location on the bay, Melbourne’s coast is dotted with numerous beaches that are packed with locals on weekends and holidays. Pack your bathers (swimwear) and a towel and head to the beach.
St Kilda Beach
St Kilda Beach makes our list for two reasons. Firstly, it’s the closest beach to the city centre that’s got a lovely stretch of sand and a safe swimming area. Secondly, the pier is home to a colony of Fairy penguins that come out after dark.
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
Address: Werribee
Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach is famous for the brightly-coloured boxes that line the beach. These beach boxes are rented for the year by locals and used while at the beach. The sandy beach is also nice with safe swimming areas for kids.
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
Address: Werribee
Williamstown Beach
Williamstown Beach is lovely any time of year thanks to the scenic views of Melbourne city across the bay. The beach itself is not that nice but the ice cream shops near the beach make up for this.
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
Address: Werribee
Beautiful Parks & Gardens
Known as the Garden State of Australia, Melbourne’s city centre is dotted with beautiful parks and gardens that are waiting for you to explore. Pack a picnic and a rug and head outdoors.
Royal Botanical Gardens
The largest and most visited gardens in the heart of Melbourne, the Royal Botanical Gardens is bursting with flowers, lakes and green open spaces. Packed with locals on weekends, it’s a great place to sit and relax or explore the many themed gardens along the walking trails.
Opening hours: 10am to sunset, daily
Address: Birdwood Avenue, CBD
Fitzroy Gardens
The heritage-listed Fitzroy Gardens is famous for Cook’s Cottage, built by the parents of Captain James Cook in Yorkshire, England. The gardens that surround the cottage are equally impressive.
Opening hours: 24 hours
Address: Wellington Parade, East Melbourne
Carlton Gardens
A trip to the world heritage-listed Carlton Gardens can be coupled with a visit to the Melbourne Museum, both great outings for families with kids.
Opening hours: 24 hours
Address: Carlton Street, Carlton
Phillip Island Penguins & More
One of the most visited locations from Melbourne, Phillip Island is packed with fun attractions and activities for the entire family. Watch the world-famous Fairy Penguin Parade at sunset, get up close with koalas and fur seals or visit Panny’s Amazing World of Chocolate.
Penguin Parade
Phillip Island is renowned for the world’s smallest penguins, the Fairy Penguins who waddle ashore every evening at sunset. It’s worth making the trip to Phillip Island just to see the huge number of penguins make their way to shore each night.
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
Address: Werribee
Koala Conservation Centre
Come face-to-face with the cuddly koalas at the Koala Conservation Centre where you can walk in the treetops above the forest. This is one of the few places where you can get so close to the koalas in the wild.
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
Address: Werribee
Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Churchill Island Heritage Farm has some lovely historic buildings but it’s the farm animals at their working farm that’s the main attraction here. Kids can get hands-on with some of the animals here and learn how to look after them from the keepers.
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
Address: Werribee
Phillip Island Chocolate Factory
For fans of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory you will love a visit to the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory. Located inside Panny’s Amazing World of Chocolate you’ll find a hands-on chocolate making machine amongst other really cool chocolate gizmos.
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
Address: Werribee
A Maze’n Things
You may think you’ve walked onto the set of Alice in Wonderland when you visit A Maze’n Things. Feel humbled by the shrinking room, watch water flow uphill and get lost in 2km worth of passages in a large maze.
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
Address: Werribee
Stunning Dandenong Ranges
Dandenong Ranges is another reason for families to take a ride out of town. With beautiful landscaped gardens where kids can run around, a vintage train ride through green hills, and stunning mountain scenery to relax your senses, the Dandenong Ranges is a great place to have fun and unwind.
Puffing Billy
Australia’s favourite steam train, Puffing Billy will take you and your family through the magnificent forests and fern gullies of the Dandenong Ranges. Enjoy a traditional excursion rail journey in the mountains.
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
Address: Werribee
Enchanted Adventure Garden
Take on a spirit of adventure at the award-winning Enchanted Adventure Garden where you can get lost in the gardens, mazes and tube slides there. There are so many activities for the kids they won’t want to leave.
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
Address: Werribee
Rhododendron Gardens
Beautiful Rhododendron Gardens are the perfect escape for the entire family. Pack a picnic and sit by the lake or enjoy a walk through the flowering gardens. Relax and unwind as the kids run around and play.
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily
Address: Werribee
Explore more of Melbourne
From world-class sporting events and inspirational discoveries to once-in-a-lifetime experiences, Melbourne has it all on show for you to explore. There’s no better way to experience Melbourne than by immersing yourself in the range of events and attractions on offer. There’s something to suit everyone in Melbourne no matter your mood or interests.
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