Rainy day · Melbourne · Australia
7 things to do in Melbourne when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Johntorcasio, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Federation Square and Flinders Street Station, National Gallery of Victoria and Melbourne Museum and Royal Exhibition Building. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 11–15 hours across 4 areas; 4 are free. July is usually the wettest month, with about 10 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 4
- Time to see them all
- 11–15 hours
- Areas
- Melbourne CBD, Southbank and Carlton
Melbourne on a rainy day
Landmark · Melbourne CBD
1.Federation Square and Flinders Street Station
Meet 'under the clocks' at Flinders Street Station like locals do, then cross to the Ian Potter Centre for the free Australian art collection.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- Art
- Rainy day
Gallery · Southbank
2.National Gallery of Victoria
Lie on the carpet in the Great Hall, as locals do, to take in Leonard French's huge stained-glass ceiling.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
- Architecture
Museum · Carlton
3.Melbourne Museum and Royal Exhibition Building
Check the museum's site for guided tours of the Royal Exhibition Building's interior, which is otherwise mainly used for events.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Architecture
- Nature
Museum · Federation Square
4.ACMI
Pick up a free Lens at the entrance to bookmark exhibits as you go, then look them up online later.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Art
Architecture · Melbourne CBD
5.State Library Victoria
Take the lift to the top gallery level for the classic view down into the domed reading room.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
- Photo spot
Aquarium · Melbourne CBD
6.SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium
Visit on a weekday morning outside school holidays to watch the penguins without a crowd at the glass.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
.jpg){kind=link}
Historic site · Melbourne CBD
7.Old Melbourne Gaol
Allow time for the City Watch House next door, where a guide plays out an arrest and lock-up in the original cells.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Melbourne CBD | Federation Square and Flinders Street Station, State Library Victoria, SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium and Old Melbourne Gaol | 1–2 hours + 1 hour + 1.5–2 hours + 1.5 hours |
| Southbank | National Gallery of Victoria | 2–3 hours |
| Carlton | Melbourne Museum and Royal Exhibition Building | 2–3 hours |
| Federation Square | ACMI | 1.5–2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 4 free, 1 low cost, 2 mid-priced. Book ahead for National Gallery of Victoria. The longest visit is National Gallery of Victoria; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- National Gallery of Victoria: Major exhibitions use timed tickets that can sell out at weekends; the free collection needs no booking.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Melbourne CBD): Federation Square and Flinders Street Station → State Library Victoria → SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Melbourne CBD and Southbank): Old Melbourne Gaol → National Gallery of Victoria, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Carlton and Federation Square): Melbourne Museum and Royal Exhibition Building → ACMI, at least 4 hours.
The wettest months
- July: highs of 14°C (57°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. The coldest month, with chilly mornings and grey skies; the alpine ski resorts a few hours north-east are open.
- August: highs of 15°C (59°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Still cold and showery, with some of the lowest hotel rates of the year; film lovers come for MIFF.
- September: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 10 rainy days, moderate crowds. Spring begins with mixed weather and gusty winds; footy fever peaks as the finals series ends at the MCG.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Melbourne CBD — Laneway cafés, Victorian arcades and the free tram zone on the Hoddle Grid
- Southbank — Riverside promenade, the arts precinct and high-rise hotels across the Yarra
- Carlton — Italian cafés on Lygon Street, the university and UNESCO-listed gardens
More of Melbourne
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Melbourne?
Federation Square and Flinders Street Station. Opposite the domed 1910 entrance of Flinders Street Station, Federation Square is the city's main public meeting place.
+Which of these are free in Melbourne?
Federation Square and Flinders Street Station, National Gallery of Victoria, ACMI and State Library Victoria.