Royal Exhibition Building

The Royal Exhibition Building and Melbourne Museum are excellent places to visit if you enjoy history, culture, and well-designed museum spaces. The Royal Exhibition Building itself is stunning — a grand heritage structure surrounded by Carlton Gardens, and it feels impressive the moment you arrive. Even just walking around the building and gardens is worth the visit. Inside, the Melbourne Museum is modern, spacious, and very well organised. The exhibitions cover a wide range of topics including Australian history, Indigenous culture, nature, science, and Melbourne’s development. The displays are informative without being overwhelming, and there’s a good mix of visual exhibits, interactive sections, and detailed explanations. One of the highlights is how open and calm the museum feels. It’s easy to explore at your own pace, making it especially enjoyable for solo visitors. You can spend anywhere from one to three hours depending on your interest level, and there are plenty of benches and quiet corners if you want to slow down. The surrounding Carlton Gardens add a lot to the experience. They’re perfect for a short walk or a break after the museum, and the setting makes the visit feel relaxed rather than rushed. Overall, this is a well-maintained, educational, and enjoyable place to visit. Whether you’re interested in architecture, history, or just want a peaceful cultural outing in the city, the Royal Exhibition Building and Melbourne Museum are definitely worth your time.

I came here on two occasions. First time was a guided tour, and the second was the big design market. It was a joy to learn about the history of this building and how it was built. The tour also allowed me to go up to the top of the building as well as the basement. I loved the building’s murals and I wish I could’ve stayed a little longer - but the tour was only for one hour. If you are a history buff, this is a must-go! The second time I was here was for the big design market - everything was Aussie-designed / aussie-made, and there were loads of interesting stalls and foods to try. I had an absolute smashing time here!

Such a beautiful place to spend a peaceful afternoon! The Royal Exhibition Building looks stunning — the architecture is just amazing, especially with the fountains in front. The Carlton Gardens around it are so calm and green, perfect for a walk, photos, or just sitting by the pond watching the ducks. It’s one of those spots that makes you slow down and enjoy the moment. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Melbourne! 🌿✨

Don’t miss any opportunity to get into this building... they run several events that are so worth attending, as it’s just gorgeous inside! We went for the Affordable Art event and spent most of the time marvelling at the building itself.

Nothing to add here. Everyone knows what’s the Royal Exhibition Building with its iconic dome and the French fountain. I didn’t enter the museum. Just took a few pictures outside. Parking is a bit tricky. I went there after 6 pm and parked off street about 500 metres away

Had a nice morning walk admiring this view! •amazing architecture •well-maintained areas, very clean •perfect for a morning walk/run around the park and building •tress and plants are very relaxing to see •picturesque!

This is one of the spots to visit in Carlton Gardens. It has breathtaking architecture from the outside. Additionally, the stunning views of the garden make it a great place to take nice pictures as well! Definitely worth visiting this place in Carlton Gardens.

Amazing heritage building. Great architecture. Great location for big Expos. Very expensive parking at the museum. And you cannot book it in advance. The building is surrounded by beautiful gardens and the location is very popular for wedding photography.

Absolutely sign up for a guided tour to view this building. You start the tour at the museum next door and then walk over to the Royal Exhibition Building. You get to walk in and take as many pics as you'd like. Then, you go down stairs into the basement. And then, on the way back you go up to the rooftop. The rooftop has great views of the city and surrounding areas. I took a ton of pics up there and we had a great time. After that, you'll walk back down to the 2nd floor and take more pics inside. I can't believe how much original stuff is still here. Great way to spend an hour.

Beautiful Heritage listed building that ins now over 140 years old. Great for photos. The Melbourne Museum is nearby, and there are many excellent cafes and restaurants just short walk away, Garry Image by Aspect Property Photography https://www.aspectpro.com.au/

Have been to a couple of events here namely Oktoberfest and Gabs (a beer festival). A historic old building but a great venue for these type of events. The place is wide and open with a second story along the outer walls and the roof is very high and at gabs they even had a ferrous wheel inside.

Beautiful building with fantastic gardens surrounding it. I've only been here for events but each time I'm in awe of how beautiful it is inside and out. Great venue.

Located in Carlton Gardens, the Royal Exhibition Building is one of the oldest exhibition pavilions remaining in the world! One of my favourite sites and one of the most beautiful buildings in Melbourne, the Royal Exhibition Building is a place to put on your bucket list! Housing a wide range of events for Fashion, Food and Art, the Royal Exhibition Building is quite breathtaking from the inside as well. I have visited the Royal Exhibition Building for Fashion and Art and both times have been overwhelmed by the venue. It truly is a masterpiece.

I think exams ruined the Royal Exhibition Buliding for me. Every time I visit, I try not to develop anxiety. The pens. The desks. The echo-ing coughs. NEVER. AGAIN. However, it is a stunning building and there isn't much to be said about that. Combined with its location in the beautiful Carlton Gardens, hanging outside the Royal Exhibition Building on the field is one of the most relaxing things you can do is Melbourne. However, it isn't just a pretty sight. You can compare the Royal Exhibition Building to some sort of community hall of Melbourne that houses a vast amount of markets and events. Check out their website to see what's on if you're aiming to visit this place when it's busy.

Such a grand old building deserves a grand fan fare. As one of the oldest exhibition pavilions in the world the Royal Exhibition Building brings to Melbourne some old school British extravagance. Subtle yet delightful. A stunning building visually from the outside and suitably dressed from the inside. Having attended wedding expos, craft markets and science fi-conventions the space does lend itself well to large groups. The bigger issue being who's managing the space at the time that you visit.The toilet space is limited, as is the food and beverage area. You'll be lucky to find more then two rubbish bins available on a weekend. Still a wonderful space to visit. The gardens surrounding the building are immaculately kept and make a great picnic spot in the summer time.

The old Exhibition Building is one of Melbourne's more impressive architectural sights. It's a really beautiful, giant old building, located in the middle of the Carlton Gardens, next to the similarly impressive Melbourne Museum building. Interestingly, the building sits atop one of Melbourne's biggest underground water catchment tanks, which is an impressive feat of water sensitive urban design. The building seems to sit empty for most of the year, but is used for the occasional bridal expo or to house several thousand soul-destroyed university students for exams at the end of each semester. In any case, the building is worthy of a visit, just to appreciate its impressive exterior.

The Royal Exhibition building is probably the most beautiful building in Melbourne in my opinion. Surrounded by the Carlton Gardens, the exterior of the building is stunning, and the architecture is right out of the 19th century. Its lovely to take a walk around the exterior, and really take a look at the detailing and overall look of the building. Inside, the building is one great hall - one that, when empty, takes you to another era, with interior architecture and design matching the exterior. Many annual and one off expo's, shows, and events are held here- my only problem with the building itself is that some of the events held here dont really seem suited to the venue, if that makes sense. For example, I came to a careers expo here once, and the tacky stalls, with their flimsy dividing walls took away from the building itself. The bridal expo however, was perect for the venue, and I believe the venue operators should have a think about the best uses for the space.