Attraction
National Gallery of Victoria
Australia's oldest public art museum, with free general entry to NGV International on St Kilda Road and the Australian collection at Fed Square.
Royal Exhibition Building
Domed exhibition hall built for the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition and the first Australian building added to the World Heritage List, in 2004.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic exhibition hall (UNESCO World Heritage)
- Area
- Carlton, Melbourne, Australia
- Official site
- museumsvictoria.com.au
Good to know
- Guided tours
- Dome Promenade
- Gardens
Why we recommend it
The Royal Exhibition Building was built in 1879 and 1880 to host the Melbourne International Exhibition, which opened on 1 October 1880. The architect Joseph Reed won the design competition in 1878, and his Great Hall is crowned by a dome modelled on Florence Cathedral that rises 68 metres above the floor. Together with the surrounding Carlton Gardens, which formed part of the original exhibition grounds, it became the first building in Australia to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in 2004.
The building also has a central place in the country's political history. The first Parliament of Australia was opened here on 9 May 1901, after Federation, and the Victorian Parliament later used the building for 26 years.
It remains a working venue rather than a museum. Festivals and fairs such as the Melbourne Fashion Festival and Brickvention are held here, universities and schools use it as an exam hall, and during the pandemic it served as a mass vaccination centre. That means the interior is not always open for casual visits, and the best way to see it is on a guided tour. Construction began in 1879 after Reed's design won the public competition, and the building was ready in time for the exhibition the following year.
Tours run daily and can be booked through Museums Victoria or in person at Melbourne Museum, which stands next door in the gardens. The Dome Promenade reopened on 28 October 2022, and the first public tour to it ran the following day, so ask about dome access when you book.
The building stands at 9 Nicholson Street, on the eastern side of the city centre. The surrounding Carlton Gardens are part of the World Heritage listing, so a walk through them is part of the visit. Combine a tour with a few hours at Melbourne Museum, whose restaurant looks across to the exhibition building, for a full half day in Carlton. Melbourne Museum, designed by Denton Corker Marshall and opened in 2000, holds Museums Victoria's natural science, history and Aboriginal collections, so the pair cover both the exhibition age and the modern museum in a single visit to the gardens.
Royal Exhibition Building FAQs
Can you go inside the Royal Exhibition Building?
Yes, on a guided tour. Tours run daily and can be booked through Museums Victoria or at Melbourne Museum.
When did the Dome Promenade reopen?
It reopened to the public in October 2022.
Why is it a World Heritage site?
It was built for the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition and, with Carlton Gardens, became the first Australian building inscribed by UNESCO, in 2004.
Who designed it?
Joseph Reed, who won the design competition in 1878.
What happened here in 1901?
The first Parliament of Australia was opened in the building on 9 May 1901.
Is it still used for events?
Yes. It hosts festivals and fairs, including the Melbourne Fashion Festival and Brickvention, and is used as an exam hall.
Where is it?
At 9 Nicholson Street, Carlton, in Carlton Gardens next to Melbourne Museum.
How tall is the dome?
It rises 68 metres above the Great Hall and was modelled on Florence Cathedral.