Our Visit to Eureka Skydeck and The Edge

Last Updated on February 12, 2024 by Travelationship

The Skydeck is the Southern Hemisphere’s Highest Viewing Point Platform. Once in Melbourne, it’s hard to miss the building towering over the city at 297.3m / 975ft high. The Eureka Stockade rebellion influenced the building design during the Victorian Gold Rush era. The windows on the top 10 floors are coated in 24 karat gold, a red line symbolizes bloodshed, and the blue and white lines define the Stockade flag. Take a good look at the white horizontal lines across the building. What do they remind you of? If you guessed a ruler, you are correct.

We found the Eureka Tower easy to find. Once we exited the train at Flinders Street, we looked up and followed the walkways direct to the tower. It was a 5-minute walk with lots of places to stop and eat or grab a coffee if needed. The wait line will depend on what time you visit. If you book online, you can help speed up any wait time. We arrived at 9:00 am and walked right on in. The elevator takes less than 40 seconds to reach the 88^th floor.

Take your time taking in the grand landscapes through each of the windows encasing the 360-degree view of the city and surrounding areas. We were impressed with the sites we saw. To see the birds-eye view of some of these old city buildings enhanced their character and beauty.

Eureka Skydeck and The Edge

We had a nice clear day and were quickly able to see the city quite a distance outside the central city. Some of our favorites structures were three different Melbourne sports stadiums, the Flemington Racecourse (the location of the famous Melbourne Cup), a fantastic view of both the Government House and the Shrine of Remembrance, Mount Dandenong, Old Customs/Immigration House, Port of Melbourne, the riverside train tracks, the walking bridge, and Great Ocean Road.

Each window has a few viewfinders or binoculars to enhance your experience. Look through each one for comparative perspectives of several essential properties and landmarks. Stand up close to the glass and look down to the street below. Also, stand with your toes against the glass and floor seams and look down. The straight-down viewpoint was pretty surreal.

We recommend setting aside a minimum of 45 minutes to enjoy the Skydeck experience. It took us over an hour, not including our time in the Edge, and we felt we saw everything we expected and more. We utilized each viewfinder and binocular station and were impressed with the additional views each provided. We took our time and soaked in the city’s layout around the central business district. It ended up helping us navigate our walks inside the city.

The Edge

What is the Edge?

We had heard it was a glass-bottomed viewing box at the top of the Eureka Tower. After we had looked it up online, we learned it was a glass cube extending 3 meters from the inside of the tower to the outside of the building. It sounded insane. The cube floor was built with 4.5cm thick glass floors, and we were told the cube should hold up to 10 tons. We hoped our ride weight would come close to the limits to test the weight limits.

No personal items are allowed in the Edge. Attended cubbies are provided to store personal items during your Edge time. The experience itself was both fun and funny, especially funny depending on the other people in your Edge group.

Our Experience with The Edge

Not to give away too much, but expect some dramatics as you enter the cube and await its slow movement outward to dangle you 285 meters above the ground below. Listen to the sounds the cube makes when moving and stopping. Feel the difference in the sturdiness (or maybe even the sway) of the Edge’s design. When ready, look around, move around the box and see everything you can from all angles. Look up, too. Be sure to bend down or kneel to look through the floor without the metal frames in your sight line. That was my favorite part of The Edge.

Your Edge attendant will take two photos of you before you exit. The photos are optional but are pretty fun to have since cameras are not allowed. The pictures are available to see and purchase at the picture desk next to the exit hallway. If you aren’t scared of heights and want a different point of view, you should sign up for The Edge.

We enjoyed both our Skydeck and The Edge experiences. I admit there were two times I gasped (or maybe even slightly screamed) while in The Edge. I won’t tell you when because it was all part of the fun. If you enjoy bird’s eye views of city landscapes and layouts, you will enjoy visiting Skydeck.

Tips for Your Visit

• If you have not booked ahead, check the weather. Try to plan your visit around a beautiful, bright sunny day.
• If the current forecast does not include any days, plan your visit for the evening hours. The city lights will be viewable through rain conditions and some fog.
• Check sunset times. Arrive before sunset and stay awhile to take in the day and night scenes. We were told the 20-30 minutes after sunset were incredibly fantastic for photos.
• Not into the sunset idea, no worries. We arrived at 9:00 am and were quite pleased with our adventure.
• Set aside time to watch the historical video just past the photo desk. Seating is available, and the information provided was interesting.
• If you are unsure about The Edge, wait to purchase your ticket until you see it in action. Head to the viewing terrace to watch how The Edge moves and how others react to their experience. Tickets can be purchased on the spot at the photo desk. If you have someone in your group sitting out of The Edge, make sure to have them stand on the terrace to get pictures of you inside the box.
• After watching The Edge, if you are still unsure, stand at any of the window floor seams and look straight down between your shoes. If you can handle the view, you can take The Edge.
• Prepare yourself for possible windy conditions on the open-air terrace. Secure your gear, hats, glasses, or other loose items before entering the outdoor deck.
• Utilize the binocular viewpoints set up along the windows. The views are accessible and clearly point out notable buildings and notable locations.
• Don’t forget to look up. Some of the window corners list sites of interest.
• During the week, local school outings to the Skydeck are a common occurrence. If you lack patience with kids, you may want to schedule your visit on the weekend, late afternoon, or evening on weekdays.

Travelasics

Skydeck, Riverside Quay, Southbank, Melbourne 3006

Skydeck Website: https://www.eurekaskydeck.com.au/

Hours: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm daily, with the last entrance at 9:30 pm. Check the website for holiday schedules.

Price: To see a price list, check here.

How to get there:

Public Transportation: From Flinders Street Train Station, it’s a simple five-minute walk. Head over the bridge to the other side of the Yarra River. Then head West along the river bank to Southgate Ave, and you should see Eureka on your right. Multiple trams also service the Southbank area, particularly along St Kilda Rd, a short walk away from Eureka (check out Public Transport Victoria for detailed route information).

Parking: Wilson Parking “Eureka Car Park” is your preferred option, located right beneath the Eureka Tower on the corner of City Road and Southgate Avenue (enter via Southgate Avenue).

Park at Wilson Eureka Parking and enjoy a discounted flat rate:

Monday – Friday (entry prior to 4:00pm): $13.00
Monday – Friday (entry after 4:00pm): $6.00
Weekends & Public Holidays: $9.00

Travelationship Rating:

4 out of 5 Travelationship High Fives. All types of travelers will enjoy the views from the Skydeck windows. It’s a great place to get a feel for spectacular views of the city layout. We found the prices reasonable for the Skydeck and The Edge. The venue is family-friendly and great for all ages.

We wished their kiosk food and drink seating area was just a wee bit larger with more seating. We visited during a multiple school field trip day, so the seating was sometimes limited.

See More of Our Adventures in Australia.

See More Photos on Flickr, and Please look for us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

* Thank you to Eureka Skydeck and Progressive PR for our complimentary entry, including The Edge experience and photos. As always, our opinions are ours – honest, not biased, and as we experienced.