Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens

The Royal Exhibition Building is Melbourne's grandest nineteenth-century monument and, with the surrounding Carlton Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage site, inscribed in 2004 as one of the few surviving great exhibition halls of the international exhibition movement. It was built for the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880, when the booming gold-rich city wanted to show itself to the world, and hosted the even larger Centennial Exhibition of 1888. Its dome, inspired by Florence Cathedral, and its long naves and painted interiors reflect the confidence of what was then called Marvellous Melbourne. History was made here again on 9 May 1901, when the first Parliament of the newly federated Commonwealth of Australia opened in the building. Remarkably, it is still an exhibition venue, hosting events and fairs throughout the year, including the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, which spills out into the gardens each autumn. The best way inside is the Dome Promenade tour run by Museums Victoria. It takes you up to the promenade around the base of the dome, a viewing deck that was a key attraction during the 1880 and 1888 exhibitions and then closed for about a century. From there you look over the gardens and the city skyline, and the tour includes an exhibition on the building's history and many uses. Bookings are essential. The Carlton Gardens themselves are free and open to all, a fine example of Victorian-era landscape design, with tree-lined avenues, ornamental lakes, flowerbeds and the elaborate Hochgurtel Fountain in front of the building. They are a lovely place for a stroll or a picnic, especially in autumn, when the European trees turn gold, and in spring, when the beds are full of flowers.

For a first visit, walk around the outside of the building and through the southern gardens first, to see the facade and fountain at their best. Then join a pre-booked Dome Promenade tour. Check the Museums Victoria site for dates, as tours do not run every day and the building may be closed to the public during events. If there is a public exhibition or fair inside, it can be a good way to see the interior at the same time.

The building sits at the northern edge of the CBD, with Melbourne Museum directly behind it in the northern half of the gardens. It is a 10 to 15 minute walk from Bourke Street, and trams along Nicholson Street stop beside the gardens. Lygon Street, with its Italian cafes and restaurants, is just to the west in Carlton, and Fitzroy's Brunswick and Gertrude streets are a short walk east.

The gardens also have a playground in the northern section near the museum, making them family friendly, and they are a popular picnic spot on warm weekends. Combining the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne Museum and a Lygon Street lunch makes an excellent, low-cost day exploring the history and culture of nineteenth-century Melbourne.