Here’s some Open House Melbourne buildings I’ve been to before and recommend.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE (Saturday, no bookings required)
openhousemelbourne.org/event/g…
This building is the definition of extra. It’s like a palace meets Wes Anderson fever dream. Definitely one you want to go to if you’re a photographer. There’s also some interesting Victorian history to learn about there.

UKRANIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (Saturday, no bookings required)
openhousemelbourne.org/event/u…
I consider this one of the most beautiful buildings in Melbourne but hardly anyone knows about it. It’s also a cool opportunity to learn about Ukranian culture.

PORT OF MELBOURNE BOAT TOUR (Saturday and Sunday, booking required)
openhousemelbourne.org/event/p…
This is a super interesting boat tour with commentary of the Melbourne container port. It’s so interesting to see the scale of operations and learn about the logistics. Every Melbournian should take this tour sometime and learn about an important part of our city’s functioning. Arrive pretty early so you can get a spot on the boat with a good view. If you can’t make it Open House weekend, the tour runs a handful of other times through the year.

ORICA HOUSE (Saturday and Sunday, no booking required)
openhousemelbourne.org/event/o…
It looks like a boring office building from the outside but being Melbourne’s first skyscraper you learn a bunch of interesting things about the city’s architectural history on the tour.

PARLIAMENT HOUSE (Saturday and Sunday, booking required)
openhousemelbourne.org/event/p…
This tour runs very regularly but if you’ve never been able to make it to a weekday timeslot this is a good opportunity. It’s a fabulous building and you’ll learn a bit about how Victorian government works. It’s a great place to take photos, but do your snapping while the guide talks as they’ll move you on quickly. Photo ID and security screening is required for entry.

ANZAC STATION (Sunday, booking required)
openhousemelbourne.org/event/m…
This is the first time on the Open House program but I got to go into the station a few weeks ago as part of another event and it was really interesting to see it in its pre-opening state.

FEDERATION SQUARE (Saturday & Sunday, booking required)
openhousemelbourne.org/event/f…
This tour goes beyond the regular Fed Square tours to take you into the tunnels under the square which is a cool experience.

SOUTHBANK THEATRE (Saturday and Sunday, no booking required)
openhousemelbourne.org/event/s…
Seeing behind the scenes at Melbourne Theatre Company’s main venue is fascinating. I really enjoyed learning more about how the stage setup works. Make sure you read the listing on the website as there’s different things open each of the days.

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These are some things on the Open House Melbourne program that are new (or I just haven’t made it to before) that look really interesting.

RONE AND CALLUM PRESTON ARTIST STUDIOS (Friday, Saturday and Sunday, bookings required)
openhousemelbourne.org/event/r…
Rone is one of my favourite artists and Callum also does really cool work so I’m very excited for this. I suspect this will be in very high demand so one to book tickets for as soon as they’re available.

WERRIBEE OPEN RANGE ZOO EXPANSION (Friday, Saturday and Sunday, bookings required)
openhousemelbourne.org/event/w…
Learning about the new elephant enclosures looks pretty interesting and the usually expensive zoo entry is complimentary with your tour booking

AUSTRALIAN TAPESTRY WORKSHOP (Saturday, no booking required)
openhousemelbourne.org/event/a…
I’ve never managed to make it to this one but I want to. They create some incredible work so would be cool to see it in progress.

A FORREST FOR AUSTRALIA AND ALTONA TREATMENT PLANT (Saturday and Sunday, booking required)
openhousemelbourne.org/event/g…
Not sure if waste water treatment is my kind of interest but for the right type of nerd this will be fascinating.

WHAT’S GOOD FOR THE BIRRARUNG IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE
openhousemelbourne.org/event/w…
Learning about the river from a kayak on the river is pretty cool. This is another one I suspect will book out fast so be ready!

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