Top 10 Kid Friendly Things To Do and Attractions in Docklands

"This fenced garden is within the Royal Botanic Gardens and provides opportunities for water play and nature play in a popular picnic spot. You can also take your under 5s on a Punt Tour for free!. Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra"

"Melbourne’s iconic monument was built as a memorial to honour all those who served during World War I and all Australians who have since served in military conflict and peacekeeping operations. Open daily, visitors can wander through reflective exhibition spaces including Galleries of Remembrance, The Victoria Cross and Gallery of Medals and see over 800 objects including photos, uniforms and historical artefacts."

"The Shrine of Remembrance (commonly referred to as The Shrine) is a war memorial built in honour of the men that fought in World War I. It now functions as a memorial for all Australians who have been sent to war. The Shrine was built during the great depression and construction relied heavily on public contributions."

"Lookout north-westerly down the Ceremonial Avenue back toward the CBD as the light fades and the sun drops to the west and the twilight colours briefly fill the sky. Can you see someone staring back at you?. It’s the face of William Barak on the ‘Portrait Building’."

"One of the more lifeless buildings of Melbourne on the outside, the old Melbourne Gaol has quite a ghastly history to back it up. Sitting right on Russel street (another very famous Melbourne street) is an incredibly eerie, 3 story high former prison. While it’s no longer a prison (it was officially closed in 1924), it’s now a museum filled with relics of the past and the history of some of Australia’s most notorious criminals."

"For 87 years, Victoria’s Old Melbourne Gaol housed minor offenders and notorious criminals including gangster Squizzy Taylor. Among those executed were bushranger Ned Kelly and Jack the Ripper suspect Frederick Bailey Deeming. Today, the prison operates as a museum where visitors can see death masks, Kelly gang weapons and memorabilia from prisoners and staff."

"I think the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) is one of the best museums in Melbourne after reopening in early 2021 with its $40-million-dollar redevelopment. It tells the history of the moving image from early days (with shadow puppets, for instance), right up to the modern era with video games and art installations. Although there are international aspects, there’s obviously a big focus on Australian cinema."

"This is a free museum showcasing Australia’s film, TV, video games, digital culture, and art. This is another one of the free and fun things to do in Melbourne CBD with the kids. I found it quite interesting to show Myla how I use to watch TV when I was a kid."

"When you first take a look around Melbourne City, you’d be hard-pressed not to be able to see this towering over you. Standing 297 meters tall, it was Australia’s tallest apartment block when completed in 2006 and remains the tallest high-rise building in Melbourne. It’s hard to imagine what Melbourne looks like from the Sky Deck at the top until you actually experience yourself."

"Created to reach for the sky, nothing you have ever experienced will prepare you for the awe inspiring view of Melbourne from the Southern Hemisphere’s highest viewing platform. The Skydeck features thirty viewfinders that help visitors to pinpoint numerous significant landmarks around all parts of Melbourne, along with several free binoculars. Tommy Ooi’s Traveling Tips"

"Chooks, organic groceries, playspaces and a cafe – what more could you want?. CERES is a green oasis that's a wonderful place in the inner city for a parents group meetup. CERES, Cnr Roberts & Stewart Sts, Brunswick East"

"The Conservatory restaurant offers an array of international cuisine, with a series of different culinary stations, each offering a unique dining experience."

"Easily Melbourne's largest and most popular beach, a day out at St. Kilda beach is always a mixed bag in terms of what to expect. Popular with people from all walks of life (especially during the summer months) including those with kids, it is always a major drawcard for a ton of tourists, especially in comparison with some of the other beaches listed here, and is basically Melbourne's equivalent to a Manly or Bondi of Sydney beach fame. While St. Kilda beach has a fairly "seedy" reputation, many steps have been taken over the past decade or so to clean up its image and improve on the public perception, especially in terms of catering to families with kids, with the beachfront having been recently redeveloped."

"This tiny soft serve parlour is easily swirling up the most photogenic desserts in town. Their original sea salt flavour arrives in an adorable shade of pastel blue, which you can adorn with caramel popcorn, popping candy, toasted marshmallows, and best of all, a big cloud of fairy floss. They’ve even got colourful, decorated walls for you to take pics up against."

"When it comes to putting a date on Supper Inn, let’s just say it threw open its doors around the time when Malcolm Fraser was Prime Minister, which means it’s reached the restaurant year equivalent of the Qing dynasty."

"Sometimes it’s the subtle details that take an otherwise standard dining experience and transcends it to the exceptional. At Tao Tao House, if the plush purple chairs, polite and attentive staff and lavish Chinese décor don’t do it for you, the delights hiding under the bamboo lids will. Compared to other joints wielding the best Yum Cha in Melbourne the selection is not the most extensive, but you can be sure what does come out of seasoned chef and owner Jason Au’s kitchen is in a class of its own."

"Endeavoring to preserve and promote ‘the artistic and cultural heritage of ancient and modern Greece’, the Hellenic Museum holds a vast collection of artifacts. See Cypriot pottery, cast ancient Greek statues, and check out Bill Henson’s photographic installation ONEIROI.Starting in 2014, for 10 years the Hellenic Museum will also house a priceless collection of antiquities from the Benaki Museum, Athens, showcasing 8,000 years of Greek civilisation to Melbourne."

"Going back even further in time, several millennia in fact, there’s the Hellenic Museum, which is house in the original Royal Mint building. Many of the pieces in the permanent exhibition are from ancient times – marble statues and byzantine paintings, for examples. A partnership with Greece’s Benaki Museum means there are a number of impressive antiquities here."

"Melbourne Museum is perfect if you want to show the kids the many different aspects of life in Victoria: from tall trees to old dinosaur bones, to Aboriginal artefacts to Melbourne’s most favourite racehorse Phar Lap. If you are visiting with a toddler, the Children’s Gallery will be perfect for you (opens 4 Dec 2016), a hands-on exploration facility for the under-5’s for an immersive educational experience. https://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum"

"The children’s gallery at Melbourne Museum has so many experiences, both inside and out. In other parts of the museum, you can crawl along the dinosaur walk, see the various rocks and stones, explore the rainforest gallery or just stare at the tiny (and not so tiny) insects. Be sure to check their website to see what's on for Melbourne kids this week."

"From the natural environment to culture and history, Melbourne Museum explores life in Victoria. The museum includes a special gallery just for children...."

"$18 ParmasEvery Tuesday Join us on Tuesdays for an $18 hand-crumbed chicken parma with crunchy chips and salad. Wash it down with Happy Hour drinks!"

"Join us on Tuesdays for an $18 hand-crumbed chicken parma with crunchy chips and salad. Wash it down with Happy Hour drinks!"

"For dinner head to Little Bourke Street and taste the flavours of Melbourne's Chinatown, or check out the vast dining hall at Cookie in Curtin House. Catch a live performance at Bennetts Lane, Australia's premier jazz venue, which hosts local and international musicians most nights."