10 Best Family-Friendly Activities in Melbourne

04/05/2024

10 Best Family-Friendly Activities in Melbourne

What a magical opportunity to experience Melbourne with your family. Sipping coffees and hot chocolates with the kids in the laneways, dancing around in the fluffy hotel bathrobes, exploring the best a new city has to offer. 

Spending time with your family in Melbourne is the chance to make family memories that will last a lifetime. And while you will add some adult culture and nuances to your wholesome vacation, taking your kids to Melbourne gives you the unique opportunity to rediscover the play, fun, and wonder of a new city through a child’s eyes.

Discover the 10 best family-friendly activities Melbourne has to offer with this ultimate guide below. 

Inside This Blog

Family Fun Activity Melbourne Location Distance from Dorsett Melbourne
Luna Park Melbourne 18 Lower Esplanade, St Kilda 25-minute drive, or 33-minute public transport
St Kilda Beach St Kilda 20-minute drive, or 32-minute public transport
Queen Victoria Market Queen St, Melbourne 12-minute walk, 8-minute drive
Melbourne Zoo Elliott Ave, Parkville  15-minute drive, 23-minute public transport
Sea Life King St, Melbourne 15-minute walk, 11-minute drive
Melbourne Museum 11 Nicholson St, Carlton 13-minute drive, 16-minute public transport, 30-minute walk
Southbank Promenade Southbank 16-minute drive, 16-minute public transport, 26-minute walk
Scienceworks Melbourne 2 Booker St, Spotswood 19-minute drive, 33-minute public transport
Melbourne Skydeck Melbourne Skydeck, 7 Riverside Quay, Southbank 15-minute drive, 19-minute public transport, 27-minute walk
MoPa - Museum of Play and Art 247 Bay Rd, Sandringham 43-minute drive, 1 hour & 12-minute public transport

Melbourne Fun for All Ages 

Melbourne is more than the cultural capital of Australia, it’s a playground for kids of all ages. At every point of this wondrous city, you can find a new family fun adventure. Discover the 10 best activities in Melbourne for families below to get started on making memories that will be treasured forever. 

Luna Park

Children run into Luna Park Melbourne
Credit: Visit Victoria

The biggest and most famous family fun activity in Melbourne is the historic Luna Park. Located on the St Kilda foreshore, Luna Park welcomes fun-hunters and thrill-seekers every weekend with a great big smile. 

Take a spin in the Supernova, race the Red Barons, or meet the ghouls of the Ghost Train, a day out at Luna Park is sure to leave your family and friends grinning from ear to ear. 

St Kilda Beach

Just six kilometres from the city streets and home to Luna Park is Melbourne’s most famous shore - St Kilda Beach

Every day, the beach is a hive of activity as roller skaters ride the pavement and kitesurfers take to the waves. Watch on at one of the many bars and restaurants that line St Kilda beach and pier as you unwind on your Melbourne vacation. 

While sunshine is best for St Kilda Beach, you can dip your toes in the water and stroll the 700m of pebbly sand with your family in tow year-round. 

Queen Victoria Market

Hit the streets and alleyways of Melbourne’s iconic Queen Victoria Market any day of the week except Monday and Wednesday. Bustling with fashion, food, and knick-knacks, you’ll be taking home souvenirs from your family holiday the moment you step foot inside. 

Work up an appetite for lunch at one of the dozens of culinary delights lining the marketplace like American Donut Kitchen, Publique Bakery, or The Borek Shop.

And be sure to swing by Market Lane Coffee in the Dairy Hall for a perfectly brewed, seasonally roasted coffee that will put a pep in your step through the markets. 

The Queen Victoria Market is a must-do for every fun family activities itinerary. 

Melbourne Zoo

Kangaroo feeding with a family at Melbourne Zoo
Credit: Visit Victoria

Get up close and personal with some of nature’s wildest and most wonderful creatures at Melbourne Zoo.

The zoo offers incredible hands-on experiences with kangaroos, tigers, seals, and even giraffes. These experiences suit every budget ranging from hourly visits to premium overnight stays. 

If one zoo visit doesn't satiate your wildlife appetite, annual passes for the zoo are also available. Go wild with your family fun activities in Melbourne at Melbourne Zoo. 

Sea Life Melbourne

From the land to underwater, explore life under the sea at Melbourne’s incredible Sea Life Aquarium

Make the most of your day and plan your Sea Life journey around informative talks and exciting feeding times with crocodiles, rays, and penguins. Then dive even deeper with Sea Life’s newest attraction – Night on the Reef – to see bioluminescence like you’ve never seen before. 

Pre-book your underwater adventure to save up to 20% on popular tickets

Melbourne Museum

Discover the past, present, and future at Melbourne Museum

Currently starring dinosaurs of all shapes, sizes, and flavours the Melbourne Museum has a revolving door of exhibitions to discover. From 600 million years of evolution and a living forest gallery, to eel feeding and an IMAX theatre, the Melbourne Museum is ready and waiting to entertain kids of all ages.

Science, history, and culture are put on show at Melbourne flagship museum from 9am to 5pm daily. 

Southbank Promenade

Take a walk on the cultural side of Melbourne along the Southbank Promenade. Just a stroll from Dorsett Melbourne, Southbank is the sophisticated and stylish cultural epicentre of the city.

On any given day, Southbank is bursting with sights, smells, and sounds. Enjoy a river cruise along the Yarra, discover the tastes of Melbourne's finest restaurants, or wander across the 1888 Sandridge Bridge to see The Travellers steel sculptures as well as 10 other artworks commissioned by the City of Melbourne. 

As far as free family fun activities in Melbourne go, a day along the Southbank Promenade is sure to keep the kids entertained and the parents happy. 

When you’re ready for a rest and refresh, simply stroll back to Dorsett Melbourne for a delicious refreshment at Little Jin café or Jin Bar for the adults. 

Scienceworks Melbourne

A child at Scienceworks
Credit: Museums Victoria

Do you have a curious young mind in the family? Then set your sights on Scienceworks by Museums Victoria. 

Open from 10am to 4.30pm daily, Scienceworks is all in for hands-on learning fun for the whole family. Whether you’re into robotics, energy, sports, or the galaxy, Scienceworks always has something exciting to offer.

With a rotating exhibition of immersive and interactive experiences and special events to explore, add Scienceworks to your line-up of family fun activities in Melbourne. 

Melbourne Skydeck

Melbourne Skydeck takes family fun to all new heights. Positioned at the top of Eureka Tower, Melbourne Skydeck is the highest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Walk through the sky on the observation deck then take a seat at the incredible 6D Voyager Theatre for an immersive journey through Melbourne’s streets and history. 

Let your kids keep their heads in the clouds, book your tickets for Melbourne Skydeck now. 
 

MoPA - Museum of Play and Art

A child playing at MoPA
Credit: Mumma Knows South

Just beyond the city but definitely worth the trip is the Museum of Play and Art - MoPA. Designed for kids aged 1 to 7 years old, MoPA believes that the brightest future stems from play and creativity. 

Every exhibition in MoPA is designed by a team of educators who are serious about play. This collection of hands-on, AI-lead, messy, and laughter based fun is sure to be a highlight for your younger children in your Melbourne family fun itinerary. 

To make the most of the fun for families and kids, bookings for MoPA are essential. Book your tickets now for a play-based learning experience now at MoPA. 

Ready to escape to Melbourne with your family? Book your stay at Dorsett Melbourne to start the family fun today. 

Stay and Play at Dorsett Melbourne

A mother and child at Dorsett Melbourne

Stay in the centre of all the Melbourne fun. Conveniently located in the heart of Melbourne CBD on the thriving Little Lonsdale Street, Dorsett Melbourne puts your family within reach of the best family-friendly activities in Melbourne. 

Book your stay at Dorsett Melbourne to have all the fun at your doorstep.