One of 100 great things to do in Melbourne for under $10
the White Hat guide

The White Hat Guide to 100 Great things to do in Melbourne for under $10

Melbourne has been voted the world's most liveable city, and there are plenty of great things to do with only loose change in your pocket.

At most of the places listed in these pages (with a few notable exceptions) you will only find locals.

You will rarely find mainstream tourists because there is no easy access for buses, or because the places involved are not promoted to tourists.

Perhaps more surprisingly, you will rarely see backpackers at these places. Our market research indicates the great majority of backpackers that visit Melbourne expose themselves to an increasingly narrow range of 'authorised' experiences.

In any week in Melbourne there is usually a festival or two, you can browse through the various markets and pick up a bargain, and enjoy some free (or inexpensive) entertainment. If you are interested in the arts, there always free concerts and exhibitions. Or you can shop till you drop.

On the other hand you may prefer to watch the passing parade in one of Melbourne's famous streets, relax in one of the beautiful parks and gardens, play or watch some sport or just do some special Melbourne things or spend some time in Melbourne's hidden gems.

Melbourne has always been a great place to bring up a family and most weekends there plenty of free and cheap family events.

But one of the glories of Melbourne is the food. You can eat royally for under $10 - in fact some of the best food in Melbourne is also some of the cheapest.

Each week in our free newsletter we have suggestions of numbers of things to do. After five years of weekly newsletters we are nowhere near to running out of suggestions which gives some indication of the variety available in Melbourne. Melbourne is a living, changing city. Prices change, some things improve, others decline, some institutions die, others emerge. And that's great - life would be pretty boring otherwise.

ENJOY LIFE, ENJOY MELBOURNE.

1. Go to the State Library - The State Library is like a large free theme park for the thinking person. There you will find numbers of major displays, the Stawell Gallery which has art associated with the growth of Melbourne, the Keith Murdoch Gallery with changing displays around various topics, a significant chess section where you can sit down for a game, activity areas for children and , of course, books.
2. Visit Federation Square - Fed Square, as the locals call it, contains the magnificent Ian Potter Gallery of Australian Art, entry to which is free. The Australian Centre for the Moving Image also usually has numbers of free displays and film screenings, and the Atrium and BMW Edge spaces are often playing host to a display, market or performance.
3. Stroll through the Botanic Gardens - The Royal Botanic Gardens are one of the glories of Melbourne and entry is free. If the weather is fine why not enjoy a picnic on the grass. More information at The White Hat Guide to the Royal Botanic Gardens.
4. Ride the City Circle Tram - This service is free and runs every day. More details at The White Hat Guide to Getting About in Melbourne.
5. Borrow some books, CDs and videos from City Library - joining is free and open to anyone living in Melbourne or its suburbs.
6. Take a free tour of Parliament House - details at The White Hat Guide to Parliament House.
7. Visit the Melbourne Museum - The Melbourne Museum is a large museum with with exhibitions related to all manner of things - not just 'old stuff'. Adult entry is under $10 and children are free. You can get there on the Free City Circle Tram or the Free City Tourist Bus.
8. Visit a gallery - Melbourne has numbers of fine galleries such as you can find at The White Hat Guide to Galleries in Melbourne, and entrance to many of them is free or cheap.
9. Take a free tour of Melbourne Town Hall - details at The White Hat Guide to Melbourne Town Hall.
10. Ride the free tourist bus - see a different set of sights from the City Circle Tram and hop on and off anywhere. More details at The White Hat Guide to Getting About in Melbourne.
11. Go to a free concert. Most weeks Melbourne has a number of free or cheap concerts. You can find a current list at The White Hat Guide to Free & Cheap Concerts in Melbourne. White Hat's favourite free concerts are the annual Sidney Myer classical concerts under the stars at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.